Dr Joseph Obeng, GUTA President
THE ASHANTI Regional Branch of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has cleared the air on some reports on social media in which a former leader of a Nigerian group, All Nigerians Community in Ashanti Region, by name Chief Nkem Tony Onyeagolu called on President Akufo-Addo to direct the opening up their [the Nigerian’s] locked up shops.
Chief Onyeagolu also alleged that their monies and documents were locked up in the shops.
However, GUTA has debunked all of such claims saying: “We consider the statement as unfortunate, palpable falsehood and an insult to the president and the good people of the country”.
Setting the records straight, GUTA, in a statement disclosed that “the allegations that their monies and documents are locked up in the shops is false” as the Committee on Foreigners in Retail Trade allows the retrieval of such items when genuinely proven.
“The said committee did not target any particular nation as it is a public mandated body to ensure sanity and compliance among foreigners in the retail space”, GUTA fired.
Responding to the GUTA said: “We would like to respond as follows. That the presidential committee which embarked on the lock up exercise enforced a parliamentary enacted law of the land. That is GIPC Act 865, which does not allow foreigners in retail business and did not work capriciously.”
GUTA therefore held the view that “telling the president to review the activities of the Committee on Foreigners in Retail Trade is considered an unnecessary interference in the affairs of the state by a foreign body” since Ghana is “a sovereign state with laws and regulations to regulate the trading activities of the country despite our affiliation to some international bodies.”
It also alleged that some Nigerians still engage in retail trade by displaying their wares in front of the locked up shops while others use motorbikes and vans.
“Furthermore, what Chief Nkem failed to tell the whole world is that, even with the limited closures, they are still trampling on our laws with impunity by displaying their wares in front of the locked up shops. Others have resulted to the use of motor bikes and distribution vans to patronize their customers both in the urban and rural areas” the statement revealed, adding that, “this is going on to the detriment of our businesses.”
Concluding, GUTA called on the presidential Committee on Foreigners in Retail Trade to “wake up from their slumber and embark on the promised second and subsequent phases of the exercise as soon as possible to avert the collapse of our business and a possible public outburst especially in this Covid-19 period when most of our businesses are folding up”
By Nii Adjei Mensahfio