Ghana traders start dey cry foul afta Nigeria close dema border sake of smuggled contraband goods
Ghana Foreign Affairs Ministry say Nigeria decision to close de Naija-Benin border dey affect traders for Ghana who say dema goods lock up.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, say de reason why Naija close dema border be sake of de smuggling of contraband goods which dey affect Nigerian business people. Despite say Nigeria complain chaw times give Benin authorities, de contraband goods still dey enter Naija sake of dat dem close de Igolor den Seme-Krake (Nigeria-Benin) borders. De decision by Nigeria dey affect Ghanaian traders who export non-traditional products enter Nigeria. Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) President, Joseph Obeng, say de border wey Nigeria close be outright breach of ECOWAS treaties. "De Ministry talk plus ETLS Task Force, Ghana authorities, ELTS exporters for Ghana den Nigerian authorities on de matter so say dem go follow de relevant ECOWAS protocols on regional trade " Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey talk for statement wey she sign inside. She say she plead plus Nigeria say sake of de good relationship wey dey between Ghana den Naija, dem for see how dem fit sort dis matter. Two months now since Nigeria close dema border sake of goods wey people dey smuggle enter dema country, but check like de decision dey bite Ghana hard. Lagos-Badagry express way na national disgrace - Passenger Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari say di reason for di partial closing of Nigeria border with Benin Republic na sake of di massive smuggling activities, especially of rice, wey dey happun for dia. President Buhari, wey express great concern ova di smuggling of rice, say e dey threaten wetin e administration done achieve with dia agricultural policies. According to am, "Now wey our people for di rural areas dem dey go back to dia farms, and di kontri don save money wey dem for spend to dey import rice with di kontri scarce foreign reserves, we no fit allow smuggling of di product on large scale like dat to continue." The Nigerian President say di limited closure of di kontri western border na to allow Nigeria security forces develop strategy on how to fight di smuggling.