Xenophobic Attacks : NGIJ Calls for Strong Sanctions on South African Businesses in Nigeria

By Akinwale Kasali

The Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ), has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to stop handling the xenophobic attacks on innocent Nigerians in South Africa with kid gloves.

Mr. Adeyemi Obadimu, the NGIJ spokesperson, in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos stressed the need for the Federal government to put a permanent stop on the incessant xenophobic attacks on Nigerians by imposing stiff sanctions on South African businesses in Nigeria.

The NGIJ noted that these attacks have been going on for this long because South Africans have always gotten away with it. The statement reads in part: “In the past 24 hours, Nigeria and Nigerians have been regaled with horrific videos and images coming out of South-Africa of xenophobic attacks on innocent Africans, especially Nigerians.

“These incessant barbaric attacks are not new and, if nothing drastic is done will still be repeated in the foreseeable future. It is even more worrisome and appalling that in a statement credited to the South African Deputy Minister of Police, the authorities had seemingly justified the attacks by questioning the rationale for the preponderance of foreign nationals in their cities. And frowned at a situation where 80% of a city is occupied by Foreign nationals.

“This statement indicts the Government of South Africa and leans credence to the general belief that the Government, and it’s agencies,  are in support of this barbaric attacks.

“The NGIJ therefore calls on the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammad Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, summon the South African Ambassador to Nigeria and read him the riot act.

“The federal government should in a stern and succinct tone let the South African ambassador be aware that the country will recall her ambassador from SA if concrete action(s) to protect Nigerians and their businesses are not taken within 24hours.

“Also,  considering the fact that Nigeria is a huge market for a large number of South African companies and businesses, it will make some sense to immediately engage South Africa in a trade war by reviewing our import policies and imposing at least 30% tariffs on all South African goods, and at the same time place new duties on about 85 billion dollars target list of South African products.

“If these are done with immediate dispatch, the federal government would have succeeded in proving to the whole world that it is capable of protecting her own where ever they may are found,” the statement concluded.