By George Mgbeleke <\/p>\n
The recent killings and harassment of Nigerians in South Africa threw the Senate into Rowdy Session as Red Chamber unequivocally condemned in strong terms the ongoing xenophobic attacks, persecution and intimidation of Nigerians in South Africa and Ghana, describing the incidents as \u201cbarbaric, unlawful and inconsistent with African brotherhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Given the seriousness of the matter the Red chamber mandated the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio to lead a delegation of National Assembly leadership to meet with the South African parliament on own to resolve the burning issue.<\/p>\n
The Sponsored of the motion, Senator Osita Izunasor, (Imo West) who came under matters of urgent national importance during the plenary, expressed deep concern over what he described as \u201cadvocacy of fear, humiliation and psychological trauma,\u201d where Nigerians are \u201cincreasingly profiled and treated as though being a Nigerian national alone constitutes an offence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Contributing to the motion some Lawmakers noted that the South African government had publicly acknowledged the situation and promised to restore order, a move the Senate said \u201cconfirms the seriousness and contemporary nature of the incidents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recalling Nigeria\u2019s role in the liberation struggle, Senator Victor Umeh, (Anambra central) said, \u201cNigerian workers, students, civil servants and market women stood at the forefront from the 1960s to the 1990s, sacrificing financial resources and diplomatic goodwill for the liberation and dignity of South Africans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Senator Adams Oshiomhole argued that Nigerian lives \u201ccannot be predated\u201d and declared, \u201cWe do not condone any one life being lost. If a crime has been committed under South African law, they have the right to bring any subversive to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we are not.\u201d<\/p>\n
Warning of economic consequences, the lawmaker said, \u201cBy the time we turn in the economy hardship, we withdraw MTN license, we revoke DStv license. Those workers from South Africa will have good jobs to do. Let South Africa continue with their jobs. Then when we have this balance of madness, I believe there will be sanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The senator urged a review of bilateral relations, stating, \u201cI will re-kick our bilateral relationship in a manner that is a win-win. Right now, Nigeria trade deficits with South Africa. South Africa is the one benefiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calling for decisive action, the lawmaker added, \u201cMy colleagues, let not turn this place to place of mourning and crying and lamenting. Let us bite in a manner that they will be the one begging.\u201d<\/p>\n
The senator specifically proposed, \u201cI so hold and I persuade my colleagues that when we come to prayers we should include these two prayers: that MTN license will be withdrawn, that DStv license will be withdrawn. There are Nigerians who can provide those services and they will employ those who are coming back home from South Africa. You bite me once, I bite you twice.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, senator Adamu Aliero struck a different tone, urging caution. \u201cI rise to contribute to this very important debate,\u201d he said. \u201cFirst and foremost, in international relations there is what we call rule of reciprocity. Nigeria has done a lot for South Africa and we demand a lot also from South Africa by making sure that Nigerians living in South Africa and conducting their business do so freely and fairly without any intimidation, provided they are doing the business legally according to the rules of that country.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lawmaker disclosed that diplomatic channels were already active. \u201cMister President, I\u2019m aware that the Federal Government of Nigeria have already stepped in to this matter. Currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs is already in South Africa to discuss with the authorities there.\u201d<\/p>\n
He cautioned against preemptive legislative action, noting, \u201cOur discussion will certainly preempt whatever the Federal Government is going to do in South Africa. I will rather suggest that in view of the seriousness of the matter, we step down discussion on this matter and allow the diplomacy to take its full course.\u201d<\/p>\n
While acknowledging the arguments in the chamber, he added, \u201cCertainly I agree with all the argument conversed in this chamber, but already the Federal Government of Nigeria has stepped into this matter. Let\u2019s allow them to do all they can to resolve this matter amicably in accordance with the United Nations Charter and African Charter. Doing otherwise will certainly go outside the diplomatic cycle.\u201d<\/p>\n
The chamber maintained that the attacks violate international human rights principles and breach ECOWAS protocols on free movement, the African Union Charter, and other regional instruments guaranteeing dignity and protection of persons. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese attacks offend the conscience of civilized nations,\u201d the Senate resolution stated. \u201cNo individual, whether in authority or not, is above the law, and no citizen is beneath its protection.\u201d he said <\/p>\n
Senators decried the impact of the recurring violence, citing \u201closs of lives, destruction of businesses built over decades, displacement of families including children and the elderly, severe psychological trauma, and erosion of dignity and security.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite repeated diplomatic assurances from host countries, the Senate lamented \u201cthe lack of accountability, visible deterrence, prosecution of perpetrators, or enduring guarantees for victims,\u201d which it said \u201centrenches a culture of impunity and emboldens further xenophobic violence.\u201d<\/p>\n
The chamber warned that without decisive intervention, the attacks could \u201ctrigger retaliatory tensions, diplomatic strains, regional instability, and deterioration of inter-African relations contrary to continental unity.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a six-point resolution, the Senate urged the Federal Government to immediately engage in \u201chigh-level diplomatic dialogue\u201d with South Africa and Ghana to ensure the protection of Nigerians and secure \u201cenforceable assurances against future attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n
It further called for \u201ca full, transparent, credible and independent investigation into all reported incidents,\u201d insisting that \u201cperpetrators and their sponsors must be identified, arrested, prosecuted and punished.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Senate asked the Federal Government to develop a \u201ccomprehensive protection framework for Nigerians in the diaspora,\u201d including early warning mechanisms, diaspora displacement coordination centers, enhanced legal and diplomatic defense structures, and clear evacuation protocols.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers also pressed for \u201cstrong regional enforcement and accountability measures within ECOWAS and the African Union to deter xenophobia through diplomatic and legal action that protects African citizens across borders.\u201d<\/p>\n
For victims, the Senate requested \u201cemergency humanitarian assistance, temporary shelters, evacuation support where required, legal representation, trauma support services, and real-time protection and communication channels\u201d through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant agencies.<\/p>\n
To drive oversight, the Senate mandated its Committee on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs to embark on a fact-finding inquest into the recurring attacks. <\/p>\n
Senate President, while referring the matter, directed the committee, chaired by Senator Amilken Akban, to \u201cengage with affected Nigerians, interface with diplomatic missions and international partners, and report findings back to the Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Senate maintained that \u201cthe safety and dignity of Nigerians abroad remain non-negotiable\u201d and called for \u201curgent and coordinated action to end the cycle of violence and impunity.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By George Mgbeleke The recent killings and harassment of Nigerians in South Africa threw the Senate into Rowdy Session as Red Chamber unequivocally condemned in strong terms the ongoing xenophobic attacks, persecution and intimidation of Nigerians in South Africa and Ghana, describing the incidents as \u201cbarbaric, unlawful and inconsistent with African brotherhood.\u201d Given the seriousness […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[2565,4549],"class_list":["post-13342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-law-crime","tag-contemporary","tag-seriousness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13342"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13343,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13342\/revisions\/13343"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}