Aidoghie Paulinu, Olivia Kalu, Abuja
Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway has assured the Federal Government that the ban on retail business in the country will not result in xenophobic attack on Nigerians.
This was disclosed to reporters by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama after he had audience with Botchway who visited him yesterday in Abuja.
Botchway told Onyeama that the ban was not imposed because of the nationals of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); rather, it was because non-African citizens had installed themselves in the country’s retail business.
“And that was actually their main focus of attack. But that the Ghanaian Retail Association, is now making a general outcry against all non Ghanaian retail traders.
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The government of Ghana is not happy about that because they want to be in strict compliance with all their obligations under the ECOWAS Protocol of Free Movement of Persons, Goods and Services,” Onyeama said.
According to him, the Ghanaian Government was engaged in really coming out with a law that was consistent with their position as an ECOWAS member state.
“So, they are at that process, but they are also very mindful of the special relationship they have with Nigeria and are particularly keen that in no way should it result in any targeting of Nigerians, any xenophobia against Nigerians.
“The government, in fact, the president himself, is personally engaged in addressing the situation. For her to travel, to fly here to meet with me for one hour, I think, demonstrated the concern of the Ghanaian Government that Nigeria should in no way interpret this as some kind of xenophobia against Nigerians and to assure us that the government is very much on top of this and will hopefully resolve the situation very quickly,” Onyeama said.