MOVED by the deportation of Nigerians by the South African government, senators Tuesday asked the Federal Government to shut down all South African companies and immediately close the nation’s embassy in that country.
This came on a day the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Gbenga Ashiru, to invoke the tenets of reciprocity against the South African government, just as Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, dislcosed in Abuja yesterday that the last case of yellow fever in the country was recorded in 1995.
Also, Lagos State House of Assembly condemned in strong terms the deportation of 125 Nigerians by the South African government, and expressed dismay over the shabby manner they were treated, even as Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, summoned South African Airways, Arik Air, security agencies and other stakeholders in the aviation sector over the incident.
According to the senators, the South Africa government has murdered sleep, and can, therefore, not see sleep.
The Senate’s move came up yesterday during a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ashiru Olugbenga.
The senators described as unfortunate the attitude of the South African authorities towards Nigerians, despite the brotherly role Nigeria played during her struggle for independence 18 years ago.
Senator Mudashiru Hussain in his contribution, specifically called for the sacking of all South African-owned companies in Nigeria, insisting that the country had, indeed, declared war against Nigerian and ”we as a nation must reciprocate.”
Speaking before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru, told the senators that the deportation of the South African nationals was one out of the many diplomatic measures already listed by the federal government.
He said the federal government had listed some conditions for South Africa to meet to ensure amicable resolution of the diplomatic row occasioned by the recent deportation of 125 Nigerians last week, adding that government was ready to reciprocate this inhuman treatment to South African nationals.
He said: ‘’We are going to look at all these and we are discussing with the ministry of interior to enforce strict compliance of all immigration laws and practices to all nationals. The south African companies are here in Nigeria , making so much money , bringing in half baked graduates as expatriates to manage these companies.”
Amb. Olugbenga told the committee that government would take what he called ‘matured but calculative measures to pay back the country.
Also appearing before the House of Representatives Committee, Amb Ashiru said: “The Nigerian Embassy was not informed before such an act was perpetuated on Nigerians so it was illegal and should be seen from that purview.”
In his response, Ashiru said that “I share the same view with you on the issue but the bi-national Commission headed by the vice presidents of both countries had already started discussions on the issue.
“South Africa does not have a monopoly of deportation as they should not take our friendly business environment for granted.
“We are going to make sure that we convene the next session of the international commission. I want to make one thing clear, African countries, including South Africa, should not take Nigeria’s maturity and the friendliness of our people to foreigners for granted.
“Also they should not take the friendly business environment we have in Nigeria, whereby companies are making more profits from Nigeria than in South Africa for granted. I believe as we go on these are the issues we’ll bring to the table and sort out.
“I believe that the present administration is determined to ensure the dignity of Nigerians anywhere. When you deport two Nigerians from a country, there will be appropriate reaction. It may not be retaliation but we will know that we are responding one way or the other.
“The National Transitional Commission, NTC, was not the cause. The issue of NTC is not the problem that gave rise to the deportation that we were faced with. The underlying problem has to do with the attitude of the ordinary South African to Nigerians.”
Chairman of the committee, Senator Matthew Nwagwu, had earlier described the recent deportation of Nigerians as the height of inhuman treatment, and promised that the Senate would support the ministry of foreign affairs in what ever action it deemed fit to take to pay back the people of South Africa.
In a similar vein, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mrs. nnena Elendu-Ukeje, asked the minister to invoke the principle of reciprocity against the South African government, describing the South African government’s action as an affront on Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, who addressed the press on the issue at the Health Ministry in Abuja , noted that Nigeria was not at risk of Yellow fever, he said the last confirmed case of Yellow fever in Nigeria was in 1995.
According to him, the Port Health Services under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Health vaccinate and issue the Yellow Fever cards to travelers at the airports, sea ports and land borders in Nigeria, while health officials do the same in the states and LGAs.
He faulted South Africa’s reason for the deportation, as possession of valid yellow fever card was a condition for issuing visa to Nigerians in the first instance.
Calling on South Africa to stop politicizing health issues, the minister said the country had acted against International Health Regulations (IHR) on the matter.
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