Ghana and Nigeria have agreed to pass new laws that will help protect the interest of each other’s traders in each other’s country.
This was announced in a joint communique after Nigeria’s House of Representatives speaker Femi Gbajabiamilaand Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament Prof Mike Ocaquye held a bilateral talk in Ghana.
The two nations have promised to work together, Nigeria MP Ben Kalu read the communique in the Nigerian parliament on their speaker’s behalf.
“A meeting will be held between the two trade and foreign affairs committees of both legislatures to deliberate on applications on the trade laws, in particular, the GIPC Act 865, 2013 and make recommendations for appropriate solutions. A joint committee will be established composed of members of both legislature to improve and explore a possible passage of reciprocal legislation which could potentially be called the Ghana-Nigeria friendship Act.”
Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been strained in recent months following trade tensions and the demolition of the Nigerian diplomatic building in Accra.
Also, last month, members of the Local Union of the Ghana Union of Traders Association in Koforidua, Eastern region, complained about foreigners entering Ghana’s retail space.
Ghana’s Minister for Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has cleared the alleged row between Ghana and Nigeria.
He said Ghana is not targetting Nigerians as it is being reported and anyone who falls foul of the law will be dealt with irrespective of their nationality.
The Information Minister’s comments come on the back of the latest incident that saw some Nigerian retail shops being closed down.
These Nigerian shop owners in Ghana’s national capital accused the Ghanaian authorities of not treating them fairly as far as the closure of their retail shops is concerned.
