Over 600 foreign shops at circle got locked up again by GUTA

Over 600 shops belonging to Nigerians and other foreigners at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle got locked up by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).

According to report, this is not the first time GUTA had embarked on this strategic exercise to eliminate foreign traders who are engaged in retail business in the Ghana market.

According to GUTA, government has failed to enforce Section 27 (1) of the GIPC Act, which bars foreigners from doing retail business.

Some of the traders told Citi news they will take the law into their own hands since the government has failed to adhere to their request.

“We are trying to enforce the GIPC law because we have seen that, the leaders of the country will not enforce it. So we have to enforce it ourselves. We have been in this thing for twenty years and they are killing our market.
Government upon government have failed to enforce the law, that is why we are where we are today. The only thing that can be done is to ensure that the foreigners do not enter into the retail business. If they don’t come, the case has ended.“

Another concerned Ghanaian added;

“Nigeria has closed their border when we are all members of ECOWAS. It’s because they have their domestic laws. And their local laws come before the ECOWAS law. They don’t have a case there because you can never ascend to an international which goes against your local law.”

“Unfortunately, we came this morning and realized that all the Nigerian shops have been locked by unknown persons. So some of our men who got there were so angry and broke the padlocks because we didn’t know the hoodlums who did that. This is a diplomatic issue and they worse part is that the people who are agitated and want us to leave are using a bad approach and are taking the law into their hands. The only solution is that, the government of Ghana must intervene on the matter. Government must look at this because it can be replicated in Nigeria. It’s not good for the nation.”

The Nima Divisional Police Commander, ACP Abraham Acquaye who was at the scene with his men to maintain order stated the some traders who hurl the police have been arrested.