Ministry of foreign affairs summons S’African High Commissioner
By Frank Momoh
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have condemned in strong terms the recent South African xenophobic attacks taking tolls on on some Nigerians and other foreign nationals resident in South Africa.
APC, National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a separate statement made to SHARPEDGENews averred that the party is deeply saddened by these unwarranted attacks on Nigerians and their property.
He said Nigeria deserves better from South Africa, adding that It is too early for South Africans to forget their country’s history.
“Many of the key players in the struggle against apartheid are still alive and active in the country’s national affairs. We therefore cannot understand why there seems to be a conspiracy of silence on their part.” Isa-Onilu, said.
According to him, the barbaric attack on citizens of other countries points to a failure of leadership. South African leaders cannot exonerate themselves from this cowardly act, he added.
“We call on the South African ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) to urgently step in. This is completely at variance with what ANC stood for. The ANC government can no longer pretend about this obvious contradiction.
“The violence being meted to Nigerians under ANC calls to question the very essence of the struggle against apartheid in which Nigeria was a frontline ally of South Africa. How can those who supported you and made huge sacrifices for your freedom become fair games to be murdered in cold blood?
“Perhaps there is a disconnect between the younger and older generations of South Africa. The older generation cannot sit back while the uninformed youths and some South African public officials in their quest for inordinate populism destroy what we collectively achieved over several decades of sacrifice and brotherliness.”
To press home Nigerian’s grievance over the attack, he said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians. This is one of the first steps in this government’s proactive response to this unfortunate incident. We assure Nigerians that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would continue to take decisive measures. The safety of Nigerians – home and abroad – is non-negotiable to the APC administration.”
Also, speaking in the same vein in a signed statement, the former Vice President, and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the February 23 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, expressed disgust at the attack, said the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South-Africa is a blot on our common history
According to him, it is perhaps the most disturbing development in the turn of the century that Nigerians who live in South Africa have consistently been victims of xenophobic violent attacks.
Unfortunately, both countries have not done enough to reduce the spate of those attacks.
He said: “Both Nigeria and South Africa share a history of brotherhood and camaraderie at different times in our difficult times and it is very important that we do not allow this ugly development cause a blot in our shared history.
“I will recommend that both countries press all available diplomatic buttons as fast as possible, it is equally important to impress on citizens from both sides to see ourselves as brothers and never as adversaries.”
While acknowledging that the days of apartheid in South Africa and military rule in Nigeria are far behind us, we still both have a common enemy, and that is in expanding the space for economic prosperity to a large range of our peoples.
“The new battle is economic in nature and it will be delusional for both Nigeria and South Africa to think that it is a battle we can win in isolation of each other. Neither and never can victory in the economic battle come by the way of turning daggers at each other.
“For Nigeria to realize her economic potentials, we must be ready to welcome and protect South Africa investments on our soil, and ditto for South Africa to welcome and protect Nigeria’s investment in capital and manpower.
“There are no short cuts. The only path to success in the battle against poverty and lack of economic empowerment to our peoples will require Nigerians and South Africans to soldier on as brothers and sisters. It must involve governments from both ends to rework our bilateral trade agreements and statutes to respond to the realities of this time. He said.