Ghanaian govt defends imposition of traders’ levy on Nigerians

The Ghanaian government on Sunday defended the $1 million trade levy and other regulations imposed on Nigerian traders in the West African country.

The country’s Minister of Information, Kojo Nkrumah, in a chat with journalists in Accra, said the Nigerian government had equally issued executive orders preventing foreigners from getting jobs that Nigerians could do.

Nkrumah was reacting to a statement credited to his Nigerian counterpart, Lai Mohammed, that the Federal Government would no longer condone the reported harassment of Nigerians in Ghana.

He listed the takeover of some Nigerian diplomatic properties, discriminatory deportation of 825 Nigerians within one year, and harsh sentencing of Nigerians as few of the acts of aggression against Nigeria and its citizens by the Ghanaian government.

However, Nkrumah said it was surprising that Ghanaian laws could be described as outrageous, adding that Nigeria had taken several steps in pursuit of its national interests in the past.

READ ALSO: FG may approach ECOWAS court over attack on Nigerian traders in Ghana

He cited the closure of the Seme Krake borders since August 2019 as one of the steps taken by the federal government in pursuit of its national interests.

The minister accused Nigerian traders in Ghana of gross violations of retail trade laws, including tax evasion, immigration offences, and selling of substandard products.

He said the Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, would engage with President Muhammadu Buhari on the claims of maltreatment by citizens of both countries.

He said: “The Federal Republic (Nigeria), on the other hand, is on record to have taken a number of steps in recent months, in pursuit of her national interests, which have gravely affected other countries in the region.

“These include the closure of Nigeria’s Seme Krake border from August 2019 to date and the issuance of executive orders by Nigeria’s Presidency preventing foreigners from getting jobs which Nigerians can do, to mention a few.”

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