The Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA), an umbrella body for traders in the country has launched another attack on businesses belonging to Nigerians in the country in retaliation for the closure of land borders by the Nigerian government.
The union reportedly stormed the Opera Square in Accra to shut down 15 shops owned by Nigerians. This brings the total number of businesses belonging to Nigerians shut down by GUTA to 70.
The association had earlier locked up shops being operated by Nigerians in five major markets located in in Kumasi two weeks after the regional secretary of the union, David Amoateng urged Ghanaians to boycott Nigerian goods as a counteraction to the border closure.
Although the shutdown was said to be because the businesses violated the rules guiding the operation of non-nationals in Ghana, there are claims that it was provoked by the border closure because the association specifically targeted shops owned by Nigerians.
The closure of the Nigerian land borders has affected Ghanaian traders thoroughly. Some were reportedly stuck inside the country with tons of goods which they intended to transport through Benin by road.
According to the Ghanaian traders’ union, about 100 trucks of goods belonging to Ghanaian traders have been locked up in Nigeria since the border closure.
Meanwhile, in a bid to prevent more clampdown by GUTA on Nigerian businesses, the National President of the Nigerian Union of Traders Association in Ghana (NUTAG), Chukwuemeka Nnaji, advised its members to close their shops on Tuesday.
