By Hafsat Bobo, Accra, Ghana.
President Muhammdu Buhari and his Ghanaian President Nana Akuffo-Addo
It’s been two years since the trade war between Nigerian and Ghanian Traders intensified despite being on for more than 40 years.
As I watched a video of a Nigerian trader in tip-to lane Circle in Accra lamenting over his shop being closed despite doing legal registration and tax payment since 2007, which had not guaranteed him access to petty hustle in Accra, Ghana, an ECOWAS black nation, who prides itself as leader in democracy in Africa, I shudder.
As I watched the video, I cast my mind back to thousands of Ghanaians living in Nigeria, who sell Agege bread, I cast my mind to Kasapreko company, who had taken over the 36 states in Nigeria,
I cast my mind back to adonko bitters who have made millions in few years after entering the Nigerian market, I cast my mind back to Sarkodie, whose songs bang in Nigerian clubs without knowing what the rapper is saying, I cast my mind back to the Kofi’s and Kwesi’s in my village doing farming with free lands and free accommodations, I cast my mind back to the Ghana towns in Nigeria popularly known as mammy market, where lawlessness, alcohol and free life is the other of the day, I cast my mind back to kente and the tie and dye Traders in Nigeria, fryol and other tomatoes companies and coconut from Ghana. I cast my mind to Ghana pharmaceutical products, which are taking over the Nigerian market.
Then I asked my self how many of these businesses have paid 1 million Ghana cedes to the Nigerian government to trade in a market that has over 200 million customers?
Today, I saw a video of task force closing Nigerian own shops and asking them to make a one million deposit. Well, let me refresh your mind.
Years ago, Ghana requested that all Nigerians actors coming to Ghana to do business should pay 2,500 dollars. Nigerian government complemented by asking Ghanaians to pay 5,000 dollars when coming to do business in Nigeria and that was how the law went dead.
The funny part of all these is that a section of Ghana traders which is not up to 1 % of Ghana population is being threatened by the fact that Nigerian traders have a way of beating down market prices to favour customers. Why would a Ghana customer buy from a Nigerian trader if it doesn’t favor him?
Two months of border closure, the Ghanaian consumers can attest to what happened. The question is that how many Ghana traders have 1 million dollars to pay if the Nigeria government were to enforce that levy?
Nigerian government may decide to withdraw the 12 Nigerian banks currently operating in Ghana by imposing strong international trade policy. Nigeria, may reconsider the funding of ECOWAS, all of which would come back to affect ordinary Ghanaians; I mean the Ghana landlords, who are benefiting from Nigerian tenancy: The Uber drivers and other services.
The fact that the video shows Ghana police and Ghana task force is a clear indication that it’s a national project and my little experience tells me that President Buhari is not a man that will overlook such insults. It is high time the ordinary Ghanaians ask questions like why does this trade war happens only in an election year?
The drivers, who are being saved from high rates by Nigerian spare parts dealers must know that the only crime Nigerian traders have committed is bringing goods to them at affordable prices.
It is high time Ghanaians remember 1979 and know that you don’t insult a man whose hand is stiffly holding your balls. We must stand and say never again….
This trade madness has to stop now.!
