Shops operated by Nigerians at Suame Magazine ransacked

Armed police officers have been deployed to maintain order at Suame Magazine as some rampaging retailers insist they will evict all Nigerians who are still engaging in retail trade in the area.

The mob went around to forcefully order the closure of the shops operated by Nigerian traders.

The mob also allegedly ransacked two shops belonging to Nigerians and destroyed some items in the process.

A number of Nigerian traders left Suame Magazine on Tuesday after over 50 of their shops were closed down for engaging in retail trade contrary to Ghanaian laws.

The Nigerians had returned to business following assurances by the Ashanti Regional Police Command after it held meetings with their leadership on Tuesday.

Although executives of the Nigerian traders had directed their people to return to their business sites, majority of the shops remained closed.

The rampaging locals burnt lorry tyres and tied red bands as they moved violently to stop the Nigerians from opening their shops.

Chairman of the spare parts dealers Association at the market, Godfred Adu later addressed the youth and asked them to remain calm.

The Ashanti Regional Chairman for the Nigerian Union Traders Association, Kizito Obiora Ukechuku earlier spoke to otecNews and indicated his people were returning to business.

A taskforce from the Trade Ministry in 2018 met leadership of the Ghana Union of Traders Association and the Nigerian Union Traders Association to address the disagreements between the two parties with little success.

According to the GIPC law Section 27 (1) of the GIPC Act, a person who is not a citizen or an enterprise which is not wholly owned by a citizen shall not invest or participate in the sale of goods or provision of services in a market, petty trading or hawking or selling of goods in a stall at any place.

But Ghanaian traders had accused duty bearers of refusing to implement the law.

Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com