Retail trade turf war: ‘Political’ GUTA fighting us to get popular – Nigerian traders
Leader of the Nigerian traders in Ghana, Emeka Nnaji, has accused the leadership of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) of attacking his members for cheap political gains.
He said some GUTA members intend seeking political positions hence their decision to attack them to stay relevant.
This comes a day after some Ghanaian traders and Nigerian traders clashed at Circle in Accra.
Six hundred shops belonging to foreigners were locked by the Ghanaian traders. Out of the number, 590, of the shops belong to Nigerians.
Speaking in an interview on Starr FM, monitored by the theghanareport.com, Nnaji said “they want to be relevant. They want to be heard. Some of them are seeking political positions so they want to be relevant.
“They want to be popular. What they’re doing is unfounded because we’re a member of the ECOWAS. We have the right to come to Ghana to do business, the same way Ghanaians can go to Nigeria and do business”
According to him, some Ghanaians are also in Nigeria doing similar trade, hence his seeming disbelief that Ghanaian traders are against foreigners doing retail trade in Ghana.
“Do to others what you want others to do onto you. So I can’t believe that Ghanaians don’t want others to be in their retail trade. Meanwhile, they’re doing retail trade in other countries” he stated.
The trade turf between Ghanaian traders and their Nigerian counterparts have been raging for years.
GUTA says it expects the government to enforce the GIPC Act which forbids foreigners from engaging in retail business.
Security Implications
A security analyst who also spoke on Starr FM warns that the actions of the Ghanaian traders can have dire consequences.
Dr Kwesi Annin explains that it can compel the Nigerian authorities to take strict actions against Ghana.
“Why do we join particular International Organisations? What do we stand to benefit in joining those organisations? How best do we serve Ghana’s interest in being part of those organisations? These are questions we must answer.
“Nigeria increasingly is dealing with its own internal challenges. If we are not careful, Nigeria will be forced to react because they obviously will not be happy to see their citizens pushed around.
“More often than not, the rhetoric is fantastic. Sometimes, we don’t seem to recognise that what we have signed on to internationally binds us,” he said.
Meanwhile, the police says it is maintaining its presence at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to forestall a recurrence of the violent clashes.