Stop foreigners in retail or face our wrath – Spare parts dealers

Members of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association have given government a two-week ultimatum to clamp down on foreigners engaged in retail business in the country or face a series of actions by the association.

The ultimatum comes on the back of current agitations between Suame Magazine traders in Kumasi and Nigerian nationals who have opened up retail shops at Suame.

On Wednesday, 19 June 2019, a group of young men believed to be members of the Ghana Union of Traders' Association (GUTA) clad in red bands attacked a shop belonging to a Nigerian trader destroying items in the shop and burning car tyres amidst chanting of war songs.

The Ghanaian traders argued that they are only enforcing the laws of Ghana which bar foreigners from engaging in the retail sub-sector, a preserve of Ghanaians.

The police intervened and has encouraged the Nigerians to open their shops today, Thursday, 20 June 2019 for business with the assurance of protecting them against any form of attacks.

Speaking at a press conference in support of the action taken by the Suame traders to protest the continued infiltration of foreigners in their business, the PRO for the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, Mr Francis Anom called on government to act on the country's laws which prohibits foreigners from engaging in retail trade in the country.

He said: “The earlier the authorities sit up the better. We the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association will want to affirm our support to our brothers and sisters in Kumasi who have taken it upon themselves to defend the course of freedom and enforce their right in their business.

“We want to also register our displeasure towards that shameful speech by the so-called Nigerian Professor which has gone viral on social media.

“We also want to register our displeasure to the Nigerian High Commissioner for attacking our media for doing their rightful job. We want government to work within a matter of two weeks or the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, we will take our destinies into our hands to register our displeasure with the dormant approach taken by government towards this canker in our society.”