Nigeria Parliament Halts Official Visits to South Africa Amid Safety Concerns

By Temitope Adebiyi, Correspondent

NIGERIA: The leadership of the National Assembly has announced immediate suspension of parliamentary relationship with South Africa in reaction to the recent wave of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians living in that country.

It deplored “the continuing reports of xenophobic attacks, violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other forms of hostility directed at Nigerians and other African nationals resident in the Republic of South Africa.”

It said it was “particularly concerned by reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon their businesses, investments, homes and other properties as a result of recurring violent attacks”.

The legislative body noted that despite repeated appeals by the Federal Government of Nigeria and other stakeholders to the South African authorities to take decisive measures to protect Nigerians and other foreign nationals and bring perpetrators of xenophobic violence to justice, reports of such incidents “have continued to emerge.”

The NASS leadership acknowledged the intervention of the Federal Government stakeholders, including efforts to assist affected Nigerians and facilitate the evacuation of Nigerian nationals from South Africa.

Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamaldeen Ogunlana, said in a statement in Abuja yesterday that consequently, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and House of Representatives Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, ordered the suspension of all parliamentary relationship with South Africa till further notice.

Ogunlana said it was to serve as a strong reminder of the lawmakers’ concern for the safety, dignity and welfare of Nigerians living and conducting legitimate businesses in South Africa and not intended to undermine the longstanding historical, diplomatic and people-to-people relations between the two countries.

He asked the government of South Africa to take urgent and concrete measures to protect Nigerians and other African nationals within its territory, prevent further xenophobic attacks, investigate reported incidents thoroughly, arrest suspected perpetrators and ensure that those found culpable are prosecuted in accordance with the law.

He drew the attention of the 36 state legislative arms to the action of the NASS, urging them to consider taking a similar decision while reaffirming the commitment of the National Assembly to the protection of Nigerian citizens abroad and will continue to monitor developments concerning the safety and welfare of Nigerians in South Africa.

The boycott of the South African parliament by Nigeria covers all official visits to South Africa by the National Assembly, its committees, lawmakers, officials and staff; participation in conferences, seminars, workshops, parliamentary meetings, legislative exchanges and other activities organised or hosted by South African legislative authorities; physical participation in South African-hosted legislative programmes; and participation in such programmes through virtual or online platforms.

The action of the National Assembly came on a day another Nigerian , Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle, was shot dead in Johannesburg and the South African authorities extradited to the United States of America six Nigerians accused of romance scam.