Nigeria has expressed displeasure over the xenophobic attacks of its citizens in South Africa. This was done by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the National Assembly.
She called on the South Africa government to urgently take measures to protect Nigerian citizens and other Africans in the country.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Dabiri-Erewa described the attacks as an unnecessary setback. Urging restraint on the part of Nigerians, she warned that further attacks without any reprimand may incur dire consequences.
The National Assembly also called on the South Africa government to put a stop on the dastardly attacks on Nigerians. The Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Matters, Rita Orji, condemned alleged lackadaisical attitude of the Federal Government towards the protection of Nigerians outside the country, saying the government was more interested in remittances than the welfare of citizens abroad.
Hon. Orji also accused the government of over-protecting the businesses and interests of South Africa to the detriment of Nigeria. The government, she said, is not “taking a critical look at what Nigerians in Diaspora face in those countries.
“Are they only important to us just because they need to contribute to national development? Are we calling them ours because we needed to get hard currencies remitted by them? What about their health and their businesses, are they being protected? Are they being taken care of in the treaties we are signing in this country? Have we taken any bold step to make sure that incessant killings of Nigerians abroad unlawfully are being taken care of? These are pertinent questions that any Nigerian that loves life would ask. And why would this conspiracy of silence linger while blood is being shed? Nigerians are being killed like chicken in various countries and Nigerians are becoming endangered species?”
The Senate on its part condemned in very strong terms, the recurring and renewed attacks on Nigerians in South Africa and asked the Federal Federal government to take a harder stance against the country.
Speaking with journalists, Senate Committee Chairman on Diaspora, Senator Rose Oko, who expressed dissatisfaction over continuous killings of Nigerians in South Africa, said she has written a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to furnish the committee with what really transpired.
“We have written to Ministry of foreign Affairs to avail us with what happened in South Africa between the Police and the man. We condemned, in very strong terms, these attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
“You are aware that in 2016 alone, about 20 Nigerians were killed in extra-judicial manner. Before this time, several had been killed in like manner. There are several incidences of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa. You are also aware that Nigeria/ South Africa have excellent diplomatic ties . In 2013, when there were xenophobic attacks, former President Goodluck Jonathan signed Memorandum of Understanding to re-enforce diplomatic ties,” she said.
In a related development, another batch of 171 Nigerians were yesterday repatriated from Libya. This is coming few days after the arrival of 161 from the country.
The 171 Nigerians landed at the cargo section of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, at about 4p.m, courtesy of the Federal Government and International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM). Among the returnees were 109 female adults, two female children and one infant. Males were 49 adults, five children and five infants.
The returnees were received by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.
