The Ghanaian Government has defended the $1m trade levy and other regulations imposed on Nigerian traders in Ghana.
A statement on Sunday by the Ghanaian Minister of Information, Kojo Nkrumah said that the country levied the Nigerians due to their violation of trade laws and other regulations in the West African country. He also accused the Nigerian traders of “tax evasion, immigration offences, trading in substandard products.
Other offences Nkrumah accused the traders of are violations of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre law, improper registration of firms, under-payment of business operating permits, falsification of documents, among others.”
The Ghanaian Minister also rejected the claim made by the Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, that 825 Nigerians were deported from Ghana in one year.
Nkrumah noted that only 700 Nigerians involved in fraud, prostitution, and armed robbery were deported from Ghana.
He said: “The Federal Republic (Nigeria), on the other hand, is on record to have taken a number of steps in recent months, in pursuit of her national interests, which have gravely affected other countries in the region.
“These include the closure of Nigeria’s Seme Krake border from August 2019 to date and the issuance of executive orders by Nigeria’s Presidency preventing foreigners from getting jobs which Nigerians can do, to mention a few.
“The President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who values very much his excellent relations with the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, will engage President Buhari with a view to develop immediately a framework for validating claims of ill treatment of citizens of either country, and ensure citizens enjoy the full exercise of their rights, while respecting the sovereignty and laws of both countries.”
