Daily Independent (Lagos)
9 October 2008
President John Kufour of Ghana has urged fairness in Nigeria's trade relations with Ghana under the Nigeria-Ghana Chamber of Commerce inaugurated on Wednesday in Accra.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day Ghana-Nigeria Business Summit in Accra, Kufour said that the chamber should introduce measures and polices that would ensure that both countries benefited from the development.
"It would not be a zero-sum game in which one country takes advantage of the other, rather it would lead to a win-win situation in which each country's interest would be best served," he said.
The president, who said it was paradoxical that the two nations had never had a formal trade agreement, charged that the chamber should facilitate job creation and social safety nets.
He urged the strengthening of cross border securities in the operations of the chamber.
"You need to adhere to the ECOWAS ban on the trade in small arms and illicit drugs. We cannot afford to destabilise other countries for mere wealth and then pay the price in human beings," Kufour said.
He expressed the hope that the chamber would facilitate the prosperity of West Africa.
"ECOWAS would thus be strengthened to serve as a veritable block toward AU's vision of a continental unity government.
"In addition to trade and investment, we must interconnect the sub-region with networks of infrastructure in terms of roads, rail, aviation, telecommunication and energy pools toward making the 21st century that of Africa's renaissance," he added.
Kufour urged investors in the two countries to be conscious of the global climate change with attendant floods and drought.
"Profit should therefore not be the sole motive of business," he charged.
The chairman of the African Business Roundtable, Dr Bamanga Tukur, said that the establishment of the chamber would lay a solid foundation for bilateral trade between the two countries.
He urged the participants at the summit to identify trade agenda that would reduce poverty in the two countries and the entire West Africa.
He advised Ghanaian and Nigerian investors wishing to do business to seek advice and guidance.
"This is necessary so as to remove the presumed misconception about one another; liaise and make enquiries from the relevant government investment agencies," he advised Tukur also urged investors to embrace home-grown reform initiatives for ease of trade.
"For example, Nigeria has a vibrant stock exchange due to its strong investments and high portfolio base. Ghana investors can do the same to access capital funds for long term economic development," he said.
The Chairman of the occasion and the traditional ruler of Okyenhene Community in the Eastern Region of Ghana, Amoatia Oforin Panin, urged investors from the two countries to build self-sustaining societies in the interest of the future generation.
He urged traders to shun smuggling and promotion of inferior goods, adding that they should aggressively pursue investment growth in the two countries.
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I dont know that the guy above me is talking about but Nigeria's altruistic foriegn policy is to be upheald at all costs cause it's a sign of great civility, intelligence, national purpose and pride for Nigeria's and foriegners that admire Nigeria's good nieghborliness.
Abandoning that for the self centered dog eat dog world politics of the west is scarfice a clearly superior set of values to self destructive hedonism that Nigeria and Africa don't need.
God has endowed Nigeria with more then most all other African countries. It is our thanks to him to help keep his children in… [Read Full Text]
I can understand wealthy countries like the US or EU spending less than 1% of their GDP on foreign assistance but a desperately poor country like Nigeria with less than $600 per capita income cannot afford 30% of its GDP on peacekeeping on some ingrates that spit on Nigerian generosity - a good example is even mentioned by you with regards to their preference of Bollywood over Nollywood movies (whatever that is). Nigeria has millions of marginalized citizens that ought to be our collective priority. We are so neighborly we are willing to give away our land, even our displaced… [Read Full Text]
kapara, you need to go back to school and study African history,especially history of the "Biafra" war. Find out the sacrifices our African countries,especially Liberia,had to make to bring that brutal civil war to an end. You must also learn about what Liberia did to decolonize Africa. Please learn talk only about things you understand my brother.
What African history are you talking about but tales of woes of slaves and their masters to which Liberian freed slaves were on the command of their masters in America to which Liberia stall has a nostalgic relationship as an outpost of US interest in Africa. What sacrifices do any African country made towards ending the Biafra war. Give me just one example.
kaparah,do you have any evidence to show that ghana is a parasite.please give a few example or shut up.what our president said was logical ie creating a win win situation and not greedy nigerians dominating in trading activities.remember nigeria sacked ghanaians in the 80s after the formation of ECOWAS but what do we see today?Nigerian fraudsters, armed robbers,dubious businessmen are now trooping ghana as if there is no life in nigria and destroying our peaceful country.Your embassy in ghana agrees with and has promise to help ghana deal with them.Who is parasite now?infact nigeria is a liabilty to ghana in… [Read Full Text]
Whenever Ghana asks for "fairness" it is actually asking for special treatment - handouts at no cost to Ghana, especially now that foreign aid from its grandmaster (US/UK) is dwindling due to the current global credit crisis. These parasite countries (Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ghana) only respect Nigeria in times of their difficulties. Case in point: Liberia's & Sierra Leone recent civil wars wherein Nigeria came in as a big brother, spending several Billions of US$ per month on peacekeeping while US & UK refused them any help cuz Africa is not in their national interest - Africa, like Rwanda… [Read Full Text]