By Fortune Abang
The Nigerian Union of Traders Association in Ghana (NUTAG) on Monday called for deeper trade relations between Nigeria and Ghana.
President of NUTAG, Mr Chukwuemeka Nnaji gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Nnaji acknowledged the existing economic ties between the two countries but decried the maltreatment of Nigerians in Ghana, saying it is causing a lot of concern among compatriots.
According to him, Nigeria was Ghana’s third most important partner in 2010, a relation that accounted for almost 10 per cent of total Ghanaian foreign trade.
“The Nigerian government has been very good in defending its own citizens in the diaspora and it has done it for us who live in Ghana.
“The government has been giving us massive attention and it has been answering us when ever we call.
“President Bola Tinubu’s administration will do well to have a good relationship with the Ghana government for us to accept one another as brothers and live in peace and harmony.
“We also call on the federal government to negotiate with the Ghanaian government to give us concessions.’’
He said such concessions should come in the form of resident permits.
“This is because it costs the average Nigerian in Ghana between N500, 000 and N700, 000 to renew his or her resident permit annually.
“This is a very huge amount of money. The immigration service has actually stopped giving us resident permit but it has to give us work permit.
“In Ghana if you are looking for resident permit alone, it becomes very difficult to get.”
He stated that the Ghanaian authorities have created an environment that has made it mandatory for everybody to be on the platform for a work permit, which costs 500USD.
He also decried a situation whereby Nigerians have to renew their National Identification Number (NIN) ID Card at the cost of 60USD yearly.
“This is a problem for us and many members of NUTAG complained bitterly about it.
“I do not know how much one should have to be able to meet all these requirements, especially for some of us who live with our family members/dependents.
“When you have up to three or four members of your family and you have to renew their permits it costs you a lot.
“Imagine spending N2 million, N3 million or 4 million for only resident permits. How much are you generating?
“We, therefore, call on the governments of Nigeria and Ghana to find ways of reducing the cost for us,’’ he said.
Nnaji explained that negotiations have become necessary.
He suggested that resident permits in the host country should be reduced to 100USD for ECOWAS member states.
“100USD will not be a huge amount for people to pay and it should not be an issue for us.
“But the Ghanaian authorities have stopped issuing us with resident permits, rather they have added work permits to the requirements that have to be fulfilled for foreign traders.
“Even as shareholders of a company, it is a challenge for many of us.
“I travelled to the northern part of Ghana and fellow Nigerians who met me literally cried over the difficulty they are facing in the attempt to renew their stay in Ghana because of the price.” (NAN)
