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XENOPHOBIA: Nigeria’s minister Dabiri-Erewa says S’African minister’s response irresponsible

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Abike Dabiri and the politics of red tape

Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters to Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, has described as irresponsible, the response of South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister, Mr. Malusi Gigaba, on the xenophobic attacks in his country.

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa noted that such response to the killing of 116 Nigerians in xenophobic attacks by his fellow countrymen, is unfortunate coming from a minister.

Mr Gigaba at a briefing had blamed businesses in South Africa for the rising tension between immigrants and nationals, insinuating that the immigrants were taking the jobs of nationals.

He had said amongst others, that “In many cases business incentivises irregular migration‚ and those contributing to questionable labour practices must be held to account. It is far easier and convenient for some to target desperate and vulnerable migrants than the unscrupulous employers who deliberately fuel tensions in the labour market. It is easier and convenient to target dwellers of rundown buildings than irresponsible buildings’ owners”.

However, Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa in a strongly worded statement regretted the failure of the minster to realise the fact that xenophobia is a social disease which his countrymen needed to be cured of.

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She lamented that Nigeria’s assistance to South Africa in the past years has been paid with xenophobia, and regretted the South African Home Affairs minister’s response that the death of “more than 100 Nigerians” should be sorted out at the diplomatic level.

The statement read in part: “It appears that Mr. Gigaba would rather dwell on and entertain himself with diplomatic niceties when the welfare of Nigerians resident in South Africa are at stake now more than any time in recent history.

“His response to the xenophobic attacks, which has now become a recurring decimal on Africans, most especially Nigerians living peacefully in their host country of South Africa was, indeed, unfortunate.

“While it’s no longer news that law-abiding Nigerians in that country have borne the major brunt of these attacks, the news by the Home Affairs Minister that his country is trying to get rid of criminals in his country at the time when indiscriminate mayhem and looting of law-abiding Nigerians is very suspicious, to say the least.

“Even if this unguarded statement must be taken in its face value, we wonder if wanton destruction and indiscriminate killing of their African brothers is the most sensible excuse to give. The home affairs minister should have been more guarded and introspective in his statements so as not to further fan the embers of xenophobia that may get out control if care is not taken.

“Nigeria and South Africa have a long-standing diplomatic relationship in which the former played a critical, if not a pivotal role that culminated in ending apartheid, among so many of her positive interventions.

“Indiscriminate killings, in which 116 deaths have been recorded of her people MUST not be how Nigeria should be paid back. Xenophobia is such a debilitating social disease, based mostly on ignorance, in which its carrier also suffers. I therefore suggest that the home affairs minister should engage in the mass education of the South African people about the debilitating effects of this disease with immediate effect.

“It’s apt to mention at this juncture that the home affairs minister only met with African consulates forum, an association of African consuls general, based in South Africa recently, despite the fact that this meeting was long overdue.

“Mr. Gigaba’s response to the mayhem that a segment of the South African people perpetrated on law-abiding Nigerians in South Africa smirks of insensitivity, and it’s therefore very reprehensible, if not unacceptable.

“In view of this unfortunate statement, I am therefore restating my earlier call on the African Union (AU) to take up the South Africa’s xenophobic issue as a matter of urgency.

“The days that the Nigerian government will fold its arms while its citizens are maltreated to the point that some of them have lost their lives for no just cause are long gone”, she stated.

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0 Comments

  1. Margret Dickson

    February 27, 2017 at 11:55 am

    The South African government don’t care about foreigners residing in their country. I’m not surprised Mr Gigaba uttered the “irresponsible” statement.

    • seyi jelili

      February 27, 2017 at 3:52 pm

      Does your country too cares for you? Just forget that. Nigeria cares for nationals of other countries more than its citizens. Contracts meant for us are given to other people. It is not a must that Nigerians should do business in South Africa.

      • JOHNSON PETER

        February 27, 2017 at 5:47 pm

        Perfect talk. Nigerians in South Africa should leave their country for them and come back home. Nigeria is okay for them.

  2. Johnson Amadi

    February 27, 2017 at 11:58 am

    It is an act of wickedness to kill foreigners, if Nigerians and other outsiders residing in the country are not there, South Africa will never be the good country everyone wants to reside today. Their citizens are clueless and very lazy.

  3. Roland Uchendu Pele

    February 27, 2017 at 12:39 pm

    “In view of this unfortunate statement, I am therefore restating my earlier call on the African Union (AU) to take up the South Africa’s xenophobic issue as a matter of urgency.”

    What was their input the last time the killings took place? Are we still depending on unions to take care of urgent issues?

  4. Balarabe musa

    February 27, 2017 at 10:45 pm

    Tell Nigeria in diaspora to all come home. No one can ever love them like their own home.

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