By Seun Adams
The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan on Tuesday said the worsening xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa in which Nigerians have been major victims, has come to him with serious concerns.
According to him, Nigeria has had enough of its citizens being targets of these attacks and will no longer tolerate hate crimes in any form against its citizens who are doing legitimate businesses in that country.
Lawan in a signed statement made available to SHARPEDGENews, said xenophobic violence is most condemnable anywhere; more so in South Africa, a country whose citizens benefited from the unwavered support and solidarity of Africans and freedom lovers across the world in their historic struggle against apartheid.
He said: “More disturbing, however, is that these attacks indicate the neglect of educating the younger generations on the sacrifices that Africans proudly made towards expunging the scourges of colonialism and apartheid from their continent.
“The enormous contributions of Nigeria to this historic struggle is underscored by its recognition as a frontline state in the prolonged confrontation against the powerful racist regime that had held generations of Southern Africans in bondage and subhuman conditions.
“This recognition is in spite of the fact that Nigeria does not share geographical borders with the subregion and was far removed from the direct consequences of apartheid.
“The liberation of South Africa was rightly celebrated across the continent and the Black world as the final emancipation of Africans from colonialism and apartheid.”
He said it is therefore, an unacceptable irony that a section of South Africans would so soon, after now, choose other Africans in their country as the targets of mindless violent attacks over frustrations for which the innocent victims have no control.
“It would be recalled that I had on July 15, this year, met with the South African High Commissioner, Bobby Moroe, in Abuja over the same issue.
“At the meeting, I had said: “The South African Government must as a matter of urgency do whatever it takes to protect the lives and property of Nigerians living there, just as the Nigerian Government remain committed to the safety of South Africans residing here and their investments.
“I believe we have faced enough, we will no longer take it anymore. The South African parliament must act fast to put a stop to this menace.”