The Vice President of the Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG), Samuel Asare Addo, has called for the removal of Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe, accusing him of spending too much time in the ministry and failing to address the concerns of Ghanaian traders and businesses.

According to him, the Transport Minister no longer shares the vision of President John Dramani Mahama and should be replaced.

“The man, I think, has spent too much time at the ministry. He should be moved,” the TAGG Vice President said at a press conference held at its office on Tuesday, September 1.

He further questioned why some issues affecting traders and businesses should have to reach the Presidency before they are addressed, arguing that ministers and government appointees are expected to act on behalf of the President.

“Some of these things should not have to go to the Presidency to be addressed, because the President appoints these people to act in his stead. What the President would do is how they should act,” he said.

Mr Asare also accused the Transport Minister of being overly influenced by multinational companies at the expense of local businesses.

“And you have a Transport Minister being controlled by multinationals. Where are we?” he questioned.

He alleged that the Minister was more aligned with the interests of multinational companies than with Ghanaian traders and businesses.

“This man is totally in bed with them. He does not care about the indigenes of Ghana. He does not even know us,” he said.

The comments come amid growing concerns from traders and other stakeholders over issues within Ghana’s transport and trading sectors.

The TAGG Vice President also criticised the manner in which some meetings with stakeholders are conducted, claiming that participants are sometimes not given the opportunity to properly express their concerns.

“When they call a meeting, they do not even want you to talk. But for me, whenever I find myself with them, I tell them, ‘Then you shouldn’t have called me. I will talk. I will talk,’” he said.