Attacks On Foreigners Must Stop – Yammin Blames Gov’t

A former Deputy Minister and leading member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joseph Yammin, has expressed the need for government to intervene in the recent increase of attacks on foreigners engaged in retail trade in Ghana.

The attacks, orchestrated by Ghanaian traders  have been largely targeted at Nigerians  retail traders in Ghana.

The excuse has been that Ghanaian laws frown in foreigners engaged in small scale retail trade, but authorities have been uninterested in enforcing that law, prompting a section of Ghanaian traders to take the laws into their hands.

Mr. Yammin, has however expressed strong reservations and explained that no  Ghanaian has the right to take the law into his or her hands and decide which type of sanction or punishment should be given to foreigners engaged in retail trade.

He explained that if the situation escalates, the incumbent government should be held culpable.

Yammin noted further: “Ghanaians, naturally, are peaceful people, who abhor violence so we should stop the attacks on the foreigners in our country.

“For instance, if Nigeria decides to retaliate, there would be dire consequence for us. We should therefore stop the attacks immediately”.

He therefore admonished President Nana Akufo-Addo to sit up and make sure that foreigners in the country are always protected”.

“It is the core duty of the President to protect Ghanaians and foreigners living in our land in our own interest”, Yammin said on UTV.

He particularly expressed concern over the increasing rate of attacks on foreigners, who are doing business in Ghana.

Yammin, who is a former Ashanti Regional Scribe of the NDC, particularly condemned violent attacks on Nigerians in the country.

According to him, the rate at which Nigerians were being attacked by Ghanaians was not the best so something ought to be done.

He observed that if care is not taken, Nigerians could retaliate, warning that such action would not be in the interest of Ghana.