Following calls by some Nigerian traders for their shops to be reopened after months of lockdown, the Ashanti regional branch of the Ghana Union of Traders Association, GUTA, has urged President Akufo-Addo to disregard such clamour.
Recall that there has been friction between Ghanaian traders and their counterparts from other countries, especially Nigerians.
The indigenous traders opined that based on local laws, the foreign traders had no legal backing to engage in retail trade as their activities portend negative impact on local traders.
To this effect, the government inaugurated a presidential committee to scrutinize all foreigners engaged in trading activities.
Consequently, many shops owned by foreigners were shutdown, Modernghana reports
The former President for All Nigerian Community in Ashanti Region, Chief Nkem Tony Onyeagolu, in a recent statement called on President Akufo-Addo to give a directive for all shops belonging to foreigners to be reopened.
Reacting to this at a news conference, the Ashanti Regional Chapter of GUTA, Anthony Oppong, said its members want President Akufo-Addo to reject the call by the foreign traders outright as it lacks merit.
“The call for the president to review the exercise is an insult to the president and the people. It looks as if the president didn’t think and just woke up one day and just gave instructions to the people to go and lock their shops.
“We are a sovereign country. We have rules and regulations that guide our trade policies and that’s the way we want to go even though we are associated with so many international bodies. Our law—the constitution of this country— takes precedence over all those laws and treaties that they’ve signed to, so they can’t dictate to us what Ghana must do with our laws”.