Ghana – Nigeria Trade Tango

“… international agencies and our future partners themselves recognise that, without Nigeria, there could be no effective West African Community. By reason of its size, population and oil resources, Nigeria constitutes a core state, with no interest in territorial aggrandizement…”

Yakubu Gowon, ex Head of State of Nigeria. PhD thesis; Warwick University (1984

“We look forward for closer ties between the two countries”

Mahamudu Bawumia March, 2018
WHEN SOME of us saw the footage of the demonstration of the Nigerian traders in Abuja over the 'maltreatment' of Nigerian traders in Ghana, we exclaimed: 'déjà vu'. We had seen it before, and history has a way of repeating itself. Ken Ukaoha could have been as tough talking as his Ghanaian counterpart, Alpha Shaban. But who gains from this debacle: “Our husbands are being maltreated”; “We no get sense?”; “Were you sleeping when you (Ghanaians) signed the ECOWAS Treaty”; “Are Nigerians in Ghana foreigners?”; “Are Ghanaians in Nigeria foreigners?”; “A Nigerian had to commit suicide because her shop had been closed… 72 Nigerians were deported from Ghana…”; “The disciplined Police force in Nigeria do not harass Ghanaians… Ghanaian Police look the other way round when Nigerians are being harassed.”

Shaban responds: “Foreigners are doing the wrong thing. They have abused our hospitality. We have called on government to ensure that the right thing is done. …Nigerians feel they have the muscles to fight Ghanaians… we have the muscles to fight back… We are going to respond to those nonsensical claims because there is no country called ECOWAS…”

If it had been 1970 or 1983, each country would have bowed to pressure of its citizens and would have 'deported' the 'aliens' whether they contributed to the economy or not. But the two countries have learnt their lessons, presumably, after the reported brutalities of 1969 Aliens Compliance Order in Ghana and the 'Ghana must Go' of Nigeria in 1983.

This is a very sensitive issue that needs tact, a deep knowledge of the facts on the ground, diplomatic etiquette, finesse and decorum in speech to solve!

Ghana and Nigeria have a linked history, and a linked destiny- add inter-marriages, sports and a common language, English. It all began even before the arrival of the Europeans (especially British) on our coasts. Ask the Gas from where they came as 'Nkran' (ants) by sea; and if you see 'Makola' in Accra, and 'Mokola' in Ibadan, do not ask to know the inter-connection.

When Oba Dosunmu signed the Treaty of Cession in 1861, under threat of force by Commander Beddingfield to “…give, transfer… unto the Queen of Great Britain… forever… the port and island of Lagos…” their counterparts in Ghana led by Kwadwo Tsibu had signed the 'Bond of 1844' to transfer power and jurisdiction to the British.

By 1871, the Gold Coast and Lagos were uniformly administered by one governor who was resident in Accra, till 1885 when William Young conceded that: “There is a gap between Lagos and the seat of government of Gold Coast of some 230 miles, and upward of 150 miles of this gap is foreign territory. What may affect the trade and commerce of one country has no concern whatever with the other…” So, Lagos and Accra went their individual ways.

The Gold Coast Constabulary (police) was established in 1894 with about 400 Hausa men from Nigeria under Captain Glover (not all of them were Hausa, though). Children enjoyed their motivational song: “Bature yaayi waawa; samanja yaayi waawa: Kore shi, yaayi waawa…” (The white man has goofed; Sergeant Major has goofed; they should be sacked…). Prior to the 1960s, the pull-push factors were at play with a lot of Nigerians in Ghana. Ghana was an El Dorado – attracting other Africans, including Robert Mugabe and Hastings Banda. The Itsekiri women provided the icing on the cake, being lollipops for 2 shillings (two-two).

The CPP government under Nkrumah threw out Alufa Osman Lardan and Ahmadu Baba under the 'Deportation Act' because they were members of the opposition Muslim Association Party, and “a threat to the nation”.

In November, 1969, Busia's 'Aliens Compliance Order' was announced, and this led to the 'mass expulsion' of 'aliens' (majority of whom were Nigerians – numbering over 150,000); among the 'aliens' were factory workers, menial workers, traders (including itinerant ones), cocoa farmers, farm labourers, the Gao domestic water carriers.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, it was the turn of Ghanaians to flee to Nigeria. The Nigerian economy was booming: there was a lot of 'walatu – walasa', the demand for Ghanaian teachers was very high – so, in their numbers they went huddling together in Agege. Then there arose “a new Pharaoh who knew not Joseph.”

The Biblical proverb: “The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge”, played out, and the Nigerian authorities said 'Ghana Must Go'. In 1983, under Shehu Shagari, an executive order was given for immigrants without proper documents to leave Nigeria. At least, a million Ghanaians were affected. Some Nigerian youth were over-enthusiastic; and before the Ghanaians left, they had to give them marks on their faces with pierced sardine tins. Fake charges were piled on some Ghanaians and with rubber tyres put around their necks and set on fire.

The ships that were brought to carry the Ghanaian 'deportees' home were few, and some Ghanaians had to board vehicles, to pass through Benin and Togo with their luggage of beds, chairs, sound systems… women with babies straddled at their backs. And J.J. Rawlings had closed the Ghanaian borders… Do you talk about deaths…? “The things my eyes dey see, my mouth no fit talk”,

That was before we signed the ECOWAS Treaty, rendering West Africans 'ECOWAS citizens', Article 11 of the ECOWAS Treaty (A/P.1/7/70) states (1) The Community citizens have the right to enter, reside and establish in the territory of Member States: (2) The right of entry, residence and establishment referred to in Paragraph 1 above shall be progressively established in the course of a maximum transitional period of fifteen (15 years) from the definitive entry into force of this Protocol by abolishing all other obstacles to free movement of persons and to the right of residence and establishment… but, of course, the Protocol speaks of valid travel documents and international health certificate… and citizens can stay in any Member State for a period up to 90 days, passing through the official entry points…

You see, this is where the feuding parties are putting their respective governments in a tight corner between Scylla and Charybdis or between the devil and the deep blue sea. The Ghanaian traders can talk about the collapse of their business through 'unfair competition', 'cheaper goods' 'lower interest rates from Nigerian banks', and Mohammed Ali of GUTA can refer to the Ghana Investment Promotion Act 2013 precluding a non-citizen from … petty trading or hawking or selling of goods in a stall… taxi or car hire services… beauty salon or a barber shop… printing of scratch cards… production of exercise books… retail of finished pharmaceutical goods… production, supply and retail of sachet water… pool betting business, lottery. A non-Ghanaian can only establish a company if he has a stated capital of $1 million and employs 20 skilled Ghanaian workers…

The question is: Which law takes precedence: the national one or the supra-national one? Let us repeat: Care should be taken in order to resolve the impasse. The Ministry of Trade orders non-Ghanaians “…who are engaged in retail trading activities contrary to the provision of the Act (GIPC Law 2013) to desist from doing so… “. If the traders do not, what? Please, do not ask us for an answer: the answer is you: Nigerian or Ghanaian or Ecowas citizen!

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Africanus Owusu – Ansah