The Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has led a high-powered Nigerian delegation for a two-day visit to the Parliament of Ghana.
He and his delegation were met at the airport by his Ghanaian counterpart, Prof Aaron Michael Oquaye.
The two are expected to hold talks on matters pertaining to relations between the two countries following the implementation of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act 2013, Act 865.
Setting the tone for the visit when he welcomed the Nigerian delegation, Prof. Oquaye said Ghana and Nigeria are like tongue and teeth, and although they may offend each other, they also derive great pleasure from the benefits of coexistence.
He reiterated how important it was for good relations between the two countries to be maintained at all times.
Prof. Oquaye expressed hope that the next two days will be mutually beneficial to both countries and further strengthen the already strong bond between Ghana and Nigeria.
The Nigerian Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila agreed with his Ghanaian counterpart on good relations and hoped that at the end of his visit, a good resolution will be found to the issues confronting the two countries, bearing in mind, the national interests of the individual countries.
Ghana-Nigeria trade tussle
Nigerian Union of Traders Association in Ghana (NUTAG) had earlier complained that its members had over time endured a series of “progressive acts of hostility” allegedly meted out to them by Ghanaian authorities and traders, which include the closure of their shops.
Their Ghanaian counterparts, the Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA) has accused members of NUTAG of feeding the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari with false information concerning retail trade in Ghana.
This compelled the Government of Nigeria to issue a strong warning to the Government of Ghana, stating that it will no longer tolerate any form of alleged harassment of its citizens residing in Ghana.
President of GUTA, Joseph Obeng, has however insisted that some Nigerian traders have instead been making false accusations against the Government of Ghana anytime retail laws are being enforced.
He thus asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Nigerian retailers to order in a bid not to “strain the already existing cordial relations between our two sister countries and adversely affect the integration of the sub-regional bloc.”
“However, GUTA has noticed with much concern the behaviour of a section of Nigerian traders in Ghana by the name NUTAG, who anytime the authorities in Ghana want to enforce our sovereign laws, resort to weird allegations and other highly dubious tactics of disinformation. The attitude of these Nigerians, if not checked and handled well, will strain the already existing cordial relations between our two sister countries and adversely affect the integration of the sub-regional bloc. They need to be called to order.”
Source: Citinewsroom.com
