XENOPHOBIA: NANS Orders South Africans To Leave Nigeria, As Abike Sues For Understanding

Oru Leonard

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has asked South Africans in Nigeria to leave the country within seven days.

The ultimatum was read during a joint press conference with Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.

In a statement read by the president of NANS who came with his contingent , Comrade Bamidele Akpan, expressed their displeasure at the killings of Nigerian students and other Nigerians in South Africa, as he called on Nigerians to come back.

Comrade Akpan said it has come to a point where decisive action will be taken to end xenophobia especially against Nigerians in South Africa.

”We have seen the helplessness of the South African government  reining in their citizens and wish to condemn in unambiguous terms the continued pampering of those involved. Every nation has her own internal crisis hence no citizen of other nation should be sacrificed for criminal activities of South Africans or any other”.

“Since the economic prosperity of Nigerians can no longer be tolerated and their lives secured in South Africa, there’s no need also to condone the continued flourishing of South African businesses and her citizens in Nigeria”.

“We therefore wish to officially ask all South African owned businesses in Nigeria to relocate in the next 7 days. We specifically want MULTICHOICE, MTN, STANBIC IBTC BANK, SHOPRITE and others to close their businesses in their own interest within 7 days. In the same vein, we request that South African nationals in Nigeria should return to their home country as we no longer can watch them enjoy peaceful living in Nigeria while our citizens in their country continue to pay with their dear lives for no reason other than being resourceful and flourishing in their businesses and career”.

“We have consistently maintained that diplomacy has failed in addressing the xenophobic question. We have heard and seen diplomatic measures put in place without any sincere action taken by the South African government. We have seen again that the people of South Africa are not committed to peaceful coexistence with other nationals hence the wanton killings and destruction of other Africans.

“We have now come to a point where action is required to safeguard Nigerians and enforce their dignity”.

In her response, the Chairman of  Nigerians in Diaspora Commission Abike Dabiri-Erewa urged the students to allow diplomatic measures to be applied in resolving xenophobia issues in South Africa. ”Nigerians are known to be peaceful and humane, we should not allow ourselves to be dragged down to the level where we lose our respect for human lives”,  she advised.

She assured the students that diplomatic talks are on going and the President of Nigeria and his South African counterpart are billed to have a meeting within the next four months to discuss xenophobic attacks on Nigerians, and that the most pressing issue demanded of South Africa now is to fish out the 8 cops involved in the beat up of Tayo Faniran as well as apprehend the killers of Esther Chukwu and bring them to book.

An Ex BBA housemate, Tayo Faniran, who was battered and assaulted in South Africa, called on the students to give him a chance to end xenophobia without resorting to violence.