The Nigeria Union of Traders Association, Ghana (NUTAG) has accused the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) of terrorizing Nigerian traders in Ghana.
The group warns that the antagonism of GUTA is likely to degenerate if not immediately checked.
GUTA had descended on the Nigerian traders in Ghana for trading in the local retail market space.
This week alone, clashes between Ghanaian and Nigerian traders at the Suame Magazine in Kumasi, were recorded, resulting in the destruction of property.
In Accra, the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers gave Government a two-week ultimatum to evict foreigners from the retail space or face their wrath.
President of NUTAG, Chief Chukwuemeka Levi Nnaji told Citi News, GUTA is a threat to the peace and must be watched.
“The truth of the matter is that GUTA has nothing to say. They just want to form a terrorist organisation and government should watch it. When you start taking the law into your hands what are you doing? This is just the starting point. GUTA started terrorizing Nigerian traders since 2007 and the Police are watching them do that.”
On Tuesday, a number of Nigerian traders left Suame Magazine after over 50 of their shops were closed down for engaging in retail trade contrary to Ghanaian laws.
According to 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.
The tensions also follow concerns over a growing anti-Nigeria sentiment in Ghana because of the involvement of some of its nationals in high profile crimes.
The Police in the Ashanti Region have assured Nigerian traders that it is safe for them to return to their shops after some of them were ransacked by locals on Wednesday.
The police in a statement said it had met with the leadership of GUTA and the Nigerian Union of Traders Association Ghana (NUTAG) and agreed on a resolution.
It was agreed that “nobody should be prevented from doing his or her business as such, all shops will be opened for business today, Thursday 20th June 2019,” according to the police statement.
