The speaker of the Ghanaian parliament, Alban Sumana Kingford Bagbin, Thursday pleaded with the federal government, to review the prohibition list, banning the importation of specific goods and commodities into the Nigerian market from countries including Ghana.
Bagbin who spoke on the floor of the House of the House of Representatives, said the review, could adjust the policy to suit international trade practices, pledging the commitment of the parliament of Ghana, to contribute in every way possible to end the rift between traders of both countries.
He said his leadership has appointed a seven-member committee as Ghana’s delegation to the Joint committee of eminent persons of both nation’s legislatures to ensure the enactment of the Ghana-Nigeria friendship act.
“They will interact with their Nigerian counterparts towards passing the “Ghana-Nigeria Friendship Act”. The Act will set up the proposed “Ghana-Nigeria Business Council”, which is intended to provide the legal and institutional framework to sustain the continued friendship and business interests of our people” he said
The visiting speaker hailed the special concession to be applied to the requirement for the payment of 0.5 per cent stamp duty on the capital investment required by both the GIPC and the registrar-general’s department in respect of investment by foreign nationals.
“Recent and emerging security imperatives necessitate that while we seek to deepen cooperation among citizens of our two countries, we must not fail to prevent opportunists from taking undue advantage of loopholes in our systems that might tend to jeopardize the economic fortunes of our respective countries” he said
He was particularly excited about the progressive efforts aimed at resolving the concerns of the Nigerian traders in Ghana which he noted has been a joint effort between the two countries.
“That is always the way to go if we are interested in the peace and development of our countries. I am confident that the intervention of our two legislatures in this effort will yield results”
According to Bagbin, Increase in trade volumes is the surest way to deepen regional integration in Africa, attributing the level of poverty on the continent to low levels of trade among African countries as compared to trade with other parts of the world
He affirmed his readiness to contribute to deepening the parliamentary diplomacy that have been commenced to deal with all current and future challenges that the continent may be confronted with even as he expressed his excitement about the Conference of Speakers and Heads of African Parliaments (CoSAP) initiative to pursue the cancelation of the rising debt situation in Africa, occasioned by the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Gbajabiamila who welcomed his counterpart into the chamber’s expressed the hope that the inter parliamentary relations of both countries will improve both diplomatic and business ties