Abuja — Nigerian government in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, is working with the Ghanaian government to reconsider its harsh condition imposed on Nigerian businessmen in Ghana.
Minister of Information, Labaran Maku who stated this yesterday, noted that the long existing cordial relationship between the two countries would not be jeopardised by the harsh policy of the Ghanaian government which Nigerian businessmen alleged were targeted at them.
Under the policy, businessmen are required to have an initial capital of $300,000 and employ 10 Ghanaians before they can start any business in Ghana, regardless of the size of the business.
However, the Information Minister said, “with the Federal Government and ECOWAS intervention, Ghanaian authorities will reconsider their stance.
“Nigeria and Ghana enjoy very cordial and friendly relations, it is one of our foremost business partners in the West African subregion.
“In ECOWAS, we share common values, vision for this sub continent and Ghana has always supported Nigeria on major issues within and outside Africa and we also always stand by Ghana. These two countries perhaps have more cordial relationship in this sub-region and our people have learnt to live together.
“But in particular reference to the incidence in Ghana, the government within the rules outlined by ECOWAS and other international conventions made presentations on behalf of Nigerians in Ghana and currently the information available is that Ghana is also considering the suspension of the demands on Nigerians in Ghana, following the intervention of the Nigerian government and the ECOWAS parliament. That doesn’t mean that the problem is finally resolved, but that it creates an opportunity for both Nigeria and Ghana to resolve these problems amicably.
“What is most important for us as a leading nation in ECOWAS and in the African sub region is to create an environment where our citizens sould be able to participate freely in economic activities. ECOWAS is one of the greatest examples of regional integration in the continent and it has served the economies of member states in West Africa.
“We have also collaborated with other countries even on security stretched across to all member countries and Nigeria believes that in working together this region has more to benefit and that in allowing our citizens to compete freely in the market place we also create the synergy that will lead to competition, development and indeed defeat poverty in the sub region.
“So I assure you that both Nigeria and Ghana will continue to work together to resolve any teething problems that will arise as we continue to integrate West Africa and promote economic development, fight poverty and the development of this sub-region,” he said.
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Conflicts and disagreement with African brothers is an old age colonial induced problem. Surely, there should be no West Africa borders and certainly disputes like this should not happen. As long as West Africans are being controlled by the west, and the west continues to funnel in money to these corrupted regimes who take out their anger on themselves and other Africans. But when it comes to the westerners, especially whites, then they are accorded godly status. Again, this is an age old colonial induced problems.
Free African trade, Intra Africa trade, Free movement of African people, Thabo Mbeki's statement that the twenty first century is Africans renaissance, these are all just breams. African is still primitive its politicians uneducated, short term minded and narrow minded. Maybe they should read Adam Smith or Tom Friedman to learn that free trade within West Africa is the key to creating competition, expanding the market base, reducing prices and trough the import and export of ideas that we can modernise our markets and create the economic of scale for Pan African companies emerge. The only way to create a strong Pan African economy and political unity that is financially and politically independent is that countries that want to be part of the unite and force in upon other narrow minded Africans whom cannot see five steps ahead; through imposing sanction that the countries outside the union want to impose on their members such a rule would be fair and effective. So Ghana expel African traders an directive should be issue by ECOWAS for members states to expel all Ghanaian trading in their countries. The best strategy to be adopted in game theory is the tic for tack strategy, SOME GOOD ECOMOMIC WOULDN’T DO NO HARM.
It's not about just trading that we Ghanaians don't want from our Nigerian friends but the number of them that will take advantage of the free trade and move to reside in Ghana.Ghanaians are already too many at 25 million living on a corrupt Government that can't manage them. In 2008,the Nigerian population in Ghana was 5 million and within the next few years they could reach at least between 10-15 million. Nigerians are the Chinese in Africa(population wise)at 180 million and counting. What we need in Ghana is a youthful Government to impose a real economic future to help us grow and control the population.