Reps,Others To Investigate Attack On Nigerians In Ghana

The House of Representatives has authorized the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Diaspora Matters to investigate the attack on Nigerian traders in Ghana to “ensure that another Xenophobia attack on Nigerians is prevented”.

The comes after a motion was passed and brought under matters of urgent national importance, titled: “Recent attacks on Nigerian traders in Circle Market, Ghana,” by Chairperson on the House Committee on Diaspora, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe.

The lawmaker, in her motion, said: “As the Chairperson, House Committee on Diaspora, my primary duty is to represent the government and collaborate with the Nigerian Diaspora Commission and Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to put in place modalities to improve the welfare of Nigerians in Diaspora.

“Recall that few months ago I raised my voice on the Issue of Xenophobia, and urged the Federal Government to create additional airlifting opportunities to evacuate our citizens who were stranded in South Africa.

“Informed that on Sunday December 1, 2019, over 600 shops belonging to foreign traders, particularly Nigerians, at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Ghana were locked up by members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).

“Also informed that this is not the first time the quest to rid the Ghanaian market of foreign traders, who are engaging in retail businesses, has occurred.”

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The lawmaker narrated how Ghanaian traders last month at Opera Square in Accra locked up shops belonging to foreign nationals involved in retail business. Most of the shops were believed to belong to Nigerians.

She said that there was also a case in August last year where the Inter-Governmental Task Force constituted by the Government of Ghana, in its bid to regulate retail trade, arrested and detained 37 Nigerian traders and locked up about 10 shops in Tip Toe Lane at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Ghana.

She said this was due to the failure of the traders to regularise their business concerns as prescribed by the local law and inability to provide necessary documents such as passports, resident/work permit among others.

Meanwhile,when the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila called for a voice vote, the motion was passed without disagreement.