Lawlessness Begats Lawlessness

The failure of Ghanaian law enforcement institutions to implement Section 27 of the Ghana PIC Act 865 which prevents foreigners from engaging in direct retail trade is what is making members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) act in a lawless manner now posing a major threat.

THE NEW PUBLISHER categorically condemns any person or group of persons who take the laws into their hands for whatever reason and it is our hope that GUTA would exercise some more restraint.

We however would not pretend that GUTA has no case. Over the years, Ghanaian governments have been unfair to local retailers and looked on sheepishly as more and more foreigners flock into the country to illegally engage retail market activities.

We have read some literature from legal brains which suggests that by the nature of our markets, especially within the ECOWAS sub-region, it is impossible to fully implement Section 27 of the Ghana PIC Act 865.

The question is why make and keep a law that cannot be enforced. If Section 27 of the Ghana PIC Act 865 has become a problematic albatross, then our law makers should modify or tweak it to make it enforceable. Why the long endless wait?

This is a law about the protection and survival of Ghanaian retailers. It is a law about the economy. It is a serious matter about survival and the incomes of families. Certainly is not one to be toyed with.

The agitations started on a small scale in just one region. It has now spread to other parts of the country and seems to be growing as local retailers become impatient.

Perhaps, in our usual Ghanaian lazy and slow style of addressing issues, we are waiting for a major disaster or diplomatic embarrassment before we give the challenge the requisite urgent attention it deserves.

December is a peak season for trade activities in Ghana. One does not need  to be a security expert to predict correctly a most likely rise in the attacks on foreigners engaged in retail trade.

Tuesday afternoon, President Akufo-Addo met with leadership of GUTA and the issue came up.

What the President said was that GUTA should exercise restraint and  allow the on-going consultations between the Union, the Trade Ministry and Ghana Immigration Service, to be completed in order to find a lasting solution to the challenge.

A call in the right direction and the President was right. We can only hope and pray that the relevant stakeholder-consultations on the matter is given some urgency.

We should not have watched unconcerned when the foreigners started trickling in one after the other to start the retail trade. Failure to implement a law, is in itself a form of lawlessness and it is that lawlessness from law enforcement agencies that has begat the current lawlessness from GUTA. Who should shoulder the blame?