Buhari didn’t know Nigerian shops remained shut despite talks with Ghana, says Osinbajo

Despite Buhari-Addo talks, hundreds of Nigerian-owned shops still locked

Vice  President  Yemi Osinbajo has told Nigerian traders in Ghana that the Nigerian government was not aware that their shops have  remained closed after President Muhammadu Buhari Spoke to President Nana Akuffo Addo of Ghana.

Osibanjo made the statement when he visited the Nigerian Community in Ghana after participating in the Extraordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Mali’s political impasse.

Two weeks before, the Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila embarked on a diplomatic mission to Ghana in a bid to implored the government of Ghana to review the law requiring businesses to have a capital base of one million dollars before they can start business, a provision, which Nigerian traders find very stringent.

While addressing the President of Ghana, the Speaker said: “We encourage you to revisit the component of the law that requires a capital base of $1,000,000.

“We are all African. We all have towns and villages and know only too well that the majority of our traders across the continent are petty traders. The prospect of them being able to raise a capital base of one million dollars before they can trade in goods that may be worth less than one thousand dollars clearly is a major challenge.”

Prof. Yemi who was received  by the Executives of the Nigerian Communities, Cooperates bodies, and a high  powered Diplomatic team Led by the Nigerian High Commission, assured The Nigerian communities that justice will be done while urging them to remain calm and not retaliate.

Esther Arewa, Thanked the president for  listening to the cry of the Nigerian community in Ghana.

The president of The Nigerian Union of Traders Association Ghana (NUTAG), Emeka Nnaji,  in his remarks said his  members have now resorted to begging for survival over closure of their shops by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).

Reacting to the development, the president of the National Association of Nigerian Traders  (NANTS) Ken Ukaoha said: “It is indeed so sad that despite the so called Diplomatic dialogue and engagement between Nigerian and Governments, the Ghanaian Government has kept the shops of Nigerian traders in Ghana under lock and key.

“Over 260 shops belonging to Nigerian traders are still locked by Ghanaian officials in spite of the visit of Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives (Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila), the visit and meeting between Ghanaian Ministers and Nigerian Ministers, and the intervention calls by President Buhari to President Nana Akoufu Addo.

“It has therefore become very clear that Ghana is bent on destroying the investments of Nigerian traders in Ghana. It is almost abundantly clear that the ECOWAS trade and economic integration process may just remain a mere creed than reality… What a shame.”