The federal government has condemned the renewed
attacks on Nigerian traders in Ghana, describing it as uncalled for.
There were reported cases of clashes between Ghanaian
and Nigerian traders last Monday which resulted in the arrest of six people while
others sustained injury.
It was also alleged that the fight followed the
closure of shops belonging to some Nigerian traders at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in
Ghana.
However, the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora
Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the attacks came when
xenophobic attacks were becoming unpopular and thought such attacks had been
put to the dustbin of history following interventions of Nigerian and Ghanaian
leaders.
Dabiri-Erewa in a statement issued on Tuesday by the
Commission's Head of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, stressed that
the reported cases of attacks on Nigerian shops and traders by Ghanaians
were quite unfortunate.
According to her, "I hereby appeal for calm
from both sides and implore the law enforcement agencies to protect the lives
and property especially that of Nigerians from being attacked pending the
resolution of the matter."
Dabiri-Erewa appealed to Nigerians in Ghana,
especially the shop owners, not to take laws into their hands by trying to
revenge but to remain calm and allow law enforcement agents to deal with the
situation.
There has been tension between Ghanaian and
Nigerian traders in recent time when over 600 shops belonging to Nigerian
traders in Kumasi and other areas were shut this year allegedly by the Ghana
Union of Traders Association (GUTA).
Ghanaian traders claimed that foreigners,
particularly Nigerians, Chinese and Lebanese have taken over their retail
business.
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