Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has arrived in Ghana in a bid to resolve the issues arising from the $1m levy imposed by the West African country on traders from Nigeria.
Ghana’s Ministry of Trade had given traders a 14-day ultimatum to pay the fee and decided to shut down businesses which did not compile.
Though the requirement applies to all foreign-owned businesses in Ghana, Nigerian labour groups in Ghana have accused the authorities of targeting Nigerians specifically.
Read Also: Nigerian Traders In Ghana Decry Closure Of Shops Over $1m Tax (video)
Gbajabiamila announced his arrival via his Twitter handle on Wednesday saying;
Initial meeting with my host the Speaker of Ghanian Parliament who met me at the airport Hon Prof Mike Oquaye. We will meet again this evening.
Initial meeting with my host the Speaker of Ghanian Parliament who met me at the airport Hon Prof Mike Oquaye. We will meet again this evening. pic.twitter.com/8ArXWWnXNF
— Femi Gbajabiamila (@femigbaja) September 2, 2020
The Speaker had on Tuesday stated that President Muhammadu Buhari granted him permission to embark on the trip.
Speaking with state house correspondents after a meeting with Buhari said;
I informed the President and he is aware of every single step that we are taking, and we hope that we will come to an amicable settlement one way or the other.
It is called legislative diplomacy. If you remember very well, during the days when I was Leader of the House, I led the delegation to South Africa during the crisis there with Nigerians and we were able to accomplish quite a bit, to simmer things down at that time.
His journey comes few days after the Federal Government, through the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, protested the treatment of Nigerians in Ghana, saying it would no longer accept humiliation.
Ghananian authorities responded to the statement, saying Mohammed’s claims on the issue were inaccurate.
Ghanaian Minister of Information, Kojo Nkrumah defended the $1 million trade levy and other regulations imposed on Nigerian traders in Ghana.
He noted that Nigeria had equally issued executive orders preventing foreigners from getting jobs which Nigerians can do.
