AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The federal lawmakers will determine Nigeria’s action against South Africa’s xenophobic attacks.
This, according to the Federal Government is because any retaliatory measures Nigeria may take against South Africa over recurring anti-migrant actions fall within the constitutional remit of the National Assembly.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, stated that while the Executive arm is actively engaging South African authorities through diplomatic channels and other interventions, the Senate and House of Representatives have a critical role to play in determining Nigeria’s response if such engagements fail to halt attacks on Nigerians and their businesses.
“The lawmakers have a role to play in this,” she said during an interview on TVC.
The minister also addressed ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to facilitate the transfer of 98 Nigerians currently serving prison terms in Ethiopia, allowing them to complete their sentences in Nigeria.
On possible retaliatory measures against South Africa, Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed the need for restraint and diplomacy but noted that the continued harassment of Nigerians remains a serious concern.
“When it comes to situations like this, it is necessary to be temperate and exercise caution.
“However, when your citizens are being harassed—people who have lived in South Africa for years, some of whom are married to South Africans and have children who know no other home—it becomes a serious issue,” she said.
She expressed concern that not only Nigerians but also their South African spouses and children are being pressured to leave the country.
The minister further noted that more than 120 South African companies currently operate in Nigeria, underscoring the deep economic ties between both nations.
According to her, persistent xenophobic actions are damaging South Africa’s international reputation and contradicting the values championed by the late Nelson Mandela.
“Xenophobic actions are causing reputational damage, and that is quite sad because the late Madiba, Nelson Mandela—God rest his soul—worked so hard to project South Africa as a bastion of Pan-Africanism,” she said.
Federal lawmakers to determine Nigeria’s action against South Africa’s xenophobic attacks
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