Struggling Ghanaian trucks from Niger have been able to return home safely after being stuck at the Benin border for weeks.
On August 9, traders stranded at the Benin border appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, calling on him to intervene to quickly free some 70 trucks transporting onions from Niger to Ghana via Benin.
The onion sellers’ spokesman, Yakubu Apendiba spoke to Eyewitness News on Citi FM, where he revealed that the remaining lorries stuck, numbering around 55, crossed the border after the intervention of the Ghanaian ambassador.
He also divulged that most of the onions that were brought were rotten, with a resolution to obtain the onions from different sources.
“The Ghana ambassador to Benin went there and spoke to the patrol, and they opened it for just two hours and closed it again and this is affecting our business because the onions are rotten. About 55 cars have come within the last three days all being forty-footer trucks and all went bad, and so we are now doing the local ones and getting it from Nigeria, but that one doesn’t last.”
He also revealed that the price of bags hhad depreciated following the return of the trucks.
“As we started going to Nigeria to bring the Nigeria one, the price has gone down a little bit. We were selling a bag last week for between GH¢1,600 and GH¢1,500, but now we are selling a bag between GH¢1,300 and GH¢1,200.”
Yakubu explained how obtaining onions from Nigeria would be less costly, in comparison to purchases from Niger.
“Sourcing from Niger is expensive compared to the one that we buy from Nigeria because if you go to buy in Niger, you will not get any place to pass and come to Ghana. All our cars in Niger have all come back to Ghana and nobody is there, and the onions have all rotten.”
The Ghanaian onion trucks had arrived from Niger but were left stranded at the Benin border following the coup that ensued in Niger.
The situation led to an increase in prices of onions nationwide.
However, the prices of onions are expected to drop, following the developments on onion purchase from Nigeria and local harvesting of the legume.
