Nigerians in Ghana cry out to Buhari, say we’re dying, our shops locked despite paying $1m levy

Nigerian Traders in Ghana have pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to come to their aid over persistent maltreatment by the host country.

The traders, in a video trending on the social media handle, said that their shops had been locked up by a team of govt inter-ministerial taskforce despite the fact many of them had paid over $1 million levy and other payments.

One of the Nigerian traders in Ghana, who spoke while others concurred with him in the video, said “at the moment we have recorded about 90 shops closed down all owned by Nigerians. That’s why we think it was necessary to let the whole world, especially the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari to quickly come to our aid because we are dying in Ghana.

“All our shops have been totally closed down, the reason best known to them. They are claiming that we did not meet the requirement, I don’t know the requirement they are talking about. First of all, let me start with this man here, look at this company, Metal Crown Ghana Limited registered with GIPC, this document shows that the young man has brought in equity of $1 million to transact his business in Ghana.

“Some documents here also showed that he and his workers had paid all the necessary taxes (pay as you earn) till last month. This month will be paid by next month. He has paid his VAT and not owing anything to Ghana Internal Revenue Authority. This is his certificate of registration incorporation and commerce. This is his passport and his residence permit.”

They also claimed that they were being denied residence permit and that the document, which they normally used to obtain with the sum of $120, was now being issued to Nigerians, who managed to get it at $1000.

READ ALSO: Ghanaian govt defends imposition of traders’ levy on Nigerians

“We are just pleading with our government to come and help us. If Ghana government would not want us here, let our government come and help. If possible evacuate us back to Nigeria, we don’t have a problem with that because we cannot be here and be dying one by one. When this type of thing happened in 2018, one of our members committed suicide.”

The Nigerian traders in Ghana blamed Ghana Union Traders Association for their travails, saying that the union had vowed they don’t want to see Nigerians in their market any longer.

“Every election year the government in power will want to use us to do campaigns,” they added.

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