Don’t take the law into your hands – EPA warns Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in charge of Operations, Professor Michael Ayamga-Adongo, has cautioned members of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association against taking the law into their own hands, warning that such actions could provoke international retaliation.
On Monday, 8 September 2025, executives of the Association launched an exercise to enforce Section 27(1) of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act, 2013 (Act 865).
The law prohibits non-citizens from engaging in petty trading, hawking or selling goods in stalls and markets. The exercise nearly resulted in a confrontation between some foreign traders and the dealers.
Speaking in a media interview on Tuesday, 9 September, Professor Adongo emphasised that only mandated state agencies have the authority to enforce such laws.
“It is the responsibility of law enforcement, particularly the Ghana Immigration Service, in collaboration with the relevant agencies, to monitor and regulate these matters. When other actors in the space take the law into their own hands, it becomes problematic,” he cautioned.
Professor Adongo further warned that the Association’s actions could trigger reprisals against Ghanaians living abroad.
“It may provoke reactions in other jurisdictions where our citizens also live and work. Even if they are not engaged in similar activities, news of attacks on their nationals here could lead to retaliatory measures,” he explained.
Despite these concerns, the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association has issued a three-day ultimatum to foreign traders in the area, demanding that they shut down their shops or face further action.
