By Francis Ogwo
Nigerian plying their trade in Ghana have begged the Federal Government to evecuate them home amidst the deepening crisis between the two West African countries.
The call was made on Wednesday in a Save-Our-Soul letter delivered to the Chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
The statement signed by NiDCOM’s Media, Public Relations and Protocol Unit, Gabriel Odu, said the traders belonged to two associations in Ghana, the Nigerian Union of Traders Association in Ghana (NUTAG) and the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS).
The letter according to Odu, was endorsed by 753 traders in the two associations and was delivered by a delegation led by the President of NANTS, Dr Ken Ukoaha.
The traders lamented continuous harassments and torture by Ghanaians which have had huge tolls on their businesses and survival in the country stating that their shops had been locked up for almost one year by Ghanaian authorities.
“Diplomatic niceties at the highest level between Nigeria and Ghana have not yielded positive results.
“Landlords are coming to ask us for rent. How do we pay with our shops locked up for so long? We are dying here,” the traders lamented in the letter.
Dabiri-Erewa while receiving the delegation called for peace, while urging all relevant stakeholders to continually engage in peace talks. She lamented the unfortunate incident stating it was a breach of agreements by ECOWAS on trade.
She further pleaded with the traders not to allow tempers to rise as she would convey their message to the appropriate Nigerian authorities while expressing readiness to welcome the traders back home from the country.
