Ghana not Xenophobic, Akufo-Addo tells Africans

President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana has said that the country is not a xenophobic state and will continue to open its doors to all Africans. Akufo-Addo, who spoke while receiving the outgoing Ivorian Ambassador to the country, Bernard Ehui-Koutua, said all Africans were welcome to reside and work in the country but must obey local […]

President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana has said that the country is not a xenophobic state and will continue to open its doors to all Africans.

Akufo-Addo, who spoke while receiving the outgoing Ivorian Ambassador to the country, Bernard Ehui-Koutua, said all Africans were welcome to reside and work in the country but must obey local laws.

“Convey this message to President Ouattara that Ghana continues to remain open and welcoming, especially to our brothers and sisters from all parts of the continent.

“What we do insist on, which is what every nation insists on, is that our own domestic laws are respected by those who come into our country, and in saying so, we are not different from other people,” he said.

He added that “In recent times, some utterances in Ghana and actions of a few have given the impression, somehow, that Ghana is now becoming a xenophobic state, that we have problems with our fellow Africans, that is the exact opposite of the truth.”

The Ghana Union of Traders Association had been clamouring for the enforcement of the country’s law on retail trade.

Section 865 of the Ghana Investment and Promotion Council (GIPC) Act reserves retail trade for the locals and bans foreigners from engaging in retailing and operating from their designated markets.

The continued involvement of foreigners in retail business in the country has been the cause of persistent attacks on traders from ECOWAS descent.