By Elohor Igbru
The Nigerian government has vowed “urgent action ” against Ghana over the forceful closure of businesses belonging to Nigerians in the country.
Ghana recently began the implementation of a lock-down of businesses belonging to Nigerians that failed to pay a registration fee of $1 million irrespective of the type of business.
In a tweet today, Nigeria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama said he had summoned the Charge d’Affaires of Ghana to Nigeria, Ms. Iva Denno to protest ” the recent forceful closure of shops of Nigerian traders in Ghana and demand an urgent resolution.”
Onyeama said, ” Nigerian government has watched with dismay the painful videos of the forceful closure of the shops of Nigerian traders in Ghana. Urgent steps will be taken.”
Nigerians in Ghana are largely petty traders selling household items, foodstuff and building materials.
The Nigerian businesses had been forced to shutdown before now following protests from Ghana business owners against the Nigerians.
” The real reason the government is shutting down Nigerian businesses is because they are jealous, the Ghanaian are very jealous that we make it more than them,” Chike Okechukwu, a former business man in Ghana told INFACTNG in Lagos.
Okechukwu said 95 percent of affected shop owners in Ghana cannot raise $20,000 much more the registration fees.
” It is laughable if not downright ridiculous. Is it someone selling okrika ( used clothes) that would register the business for four hundred million naira?
” It is just hatred for nigeria and total disrespect. It really isn’t their fault , it is because we have the most inept and corrupt, visionless and clueless government that we have in Nigeria, he said.
The closure was another blow to nigeria’s undefined and weak foreign policy.
Ghana is just a part of a long list of countries which found Nigerians easy target of rage and xenophobia.
