The diplomatic row between Nigeria and South Africa which began with the deportation of Nigerians by the South African Government took another dimension on Tuesday with the Federal Government planning tougher measures against South African firms operating in Nigeria.
125 Nigerians were refused entry into the South Africa last Thursday by immigration officers in Johannesburg over the possession of fake Yellow card.
The passengers were subsequently deported.
Senators asked the Federal Government to shut down all South African companies and immediately close the nation’s embassy in that country.
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.”
Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Gbenga Ashiru told the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs yesterday that Nigeria was ready to reciprocate in like manner any country that does not treat her citizens with dignity.
He said one of such measures was the deportation of 28 South Africans over immigration irregularities, which would have been overlooked.
“There are many ways, I don’t want to open the options here but we will be doing it in a calculated way. The first one like I announced here was done last night when 28 South Africans were deported for immigration irregularities.
“The way you treat me is the way I will treat you. If you treat my people with dignity, I will treat your people with dignity. If you treat our own people anyhow, we will do the same thing to you. And that is why I said they don’t have the monopoly of deporting travellers and there are many ways we can hit at them.
“I have already announced that companies here, I don’t want to mention their names, they are making more profit in Nigeria than in South Africa and yet they take our own generosity for granted. I will not allow that to continue. Some of them bring in half-baked graduates to come and take the position of our own citizens in this country.
“We will look into that because I have been telling our own people to watch the people they grant visa because, at times, they will come in as visitors only to put them in management positions in some of their companies.
“We are going to look into all these and make sure that we put things right. I can assure you distinguished senators that Nigeria will react in a mature and calculated way to this assault on our people. I call it assault on our people. We will not allow it to go without it being reciprocated. We are going to do it in a calculated way to target and deliberately show that we mean business and that when you ill-treat Nigerians we will hit back at you.
Ashiru noted that presentation of fake yellow fever cards was not enough excuse to deport the 100 Nigerians.
“As I have said, the normal practice internationally is that even if you forget your card, they will quarantine you, give you an injection and they will ask you to go in not to deport you. That is why I personally, am totally shocked at the behaviour of the South African government.”
Earlier, Committee Chairman, Senator Matthew Nwagwu, had directed the minister to use the opportunity of the present diplomatic row between the two countries to resolve differences with South Africa.
yes. I support the motion of the senetor. We cannot take such insult from another country still feeding them. If u are scared of mentioning their companies, I will; such DSTV, MTN etc. Send them away for nigerian to function in a balance regulation. Not just for the insult, for more internal competition and job opportunities. Lets replace food with water in their belly and clap them out. I’m beginning to hate that country from this act.
No discipline in Nigeria from top level to lower level,i will not blame s/africa for this ,is the way we put ourself in Nigeria.we are not doing things the way it supposed to be done,why do we have different signatures in the yellow card?.secondly,the yellow cards i hope there is no fake one inside.this are the things we need to find out b/4 raising alarms.
Every thing is hinged on corrupt leadership. Our leaders have sold us to the out side world through one corrupt behaviour or the order. We at the lower level suffer it the most. The so called expatriate occupy all the cranies of the country, claiming they are professionals. They are employed up to the level of a fuel clerk in a contruction company. All because of lack of trust. Expatriares should be highly professionals that will impart possitively on our people.
Nigeria and South Africa should see how they can settle this diplomatically.
how come,just south Africa here o.if our neigbhoring country could do dis how much more d likes of uk,usa,malisia & d rest.na wa o,sumtin shuld be done about it b4 we start having secret war o
THE ACT OF SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT IS INHUMAN.IT WAS MORE THAN BAD AND BITTER.I PLEA THAT THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT WOULD REMOVE POMPORSITY ON THEMSELVES AND HAVE A SINCE APOLOGY TO BE TENDERED TO NIGERIA WITHOUT PROCRASTINATION.I AM ALSO BEGGING NIGERIA TO HOLD HER TEMPER PLEASE.MAY THE GOOD LORD HELP THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD,AMEN.
What do you expect? Our so called angry leaders sold us cheap by their corrupt ways. Today the whole world feeds on Nigeria. Our resources were all stacked in foreign banks by our leaders and of course countries use the money to develop their country. They call us fools and helpless people because of our corrupt leaders. We need true federalism in this country. Leave the oil money alone and cultivate your respective states. Stop being an oppresive parasite to a small area of this country. Nigeria cannot remain 1 in this circumstances. Let us be organised and stop all flies from entry country by doing it well.
What do you expect? Our so called angry leaders sold us cheap by their corrupt ways. Today the whole world feeds on Nigeria. Our resources were all stacked in foreign banks by our leaders and of course countries use the money to develop their country. They call us fools and helpless people because of our corrupt leaders. We need true federalism in this country. Leave the oil money alone and cultivate your respective states. Stop being an oppresive parasite to a small area of this country. Nigeria cannot remain 1 in this circumstances. Let us be organised and stop all flies from entering country by doing it well.
Wat an insult! If Nigerian govt doesn’t reciprocate d S/African govt & d whole world wll think we Nigerians ar fools. Still I’ll put d blame on our leaders coz dey ar d ones dat make d whole world take Nigeria citizens 4 granted
This is only exposing the stupid, corrupt, barbaric and weak characteristics of Nigerian leadership. Why would they make this kind of noise after they have compromised the Nigeria immigeration standards. South Africans are not likewise thus, they should let this firms operate peacefully. Moreover, can they manage effectively this sectors when this firms are gone? SHAME TO YOU SENATOR!
Foremost, no country has the prerogative of tarnishing anoda country’s image on the flimsy assumption of criminality. The S A govt have shown by their actions that they are not their brother’s keeper, and they deserve to be reproved. However, the way the Nigerian govt is going about it is not so. Let’s do something about our image internally and we won’t have to constantly be at poles with other nations of the world. But u ‘guys’ can initiate and execute every form of reprisal actions u have for the S A! We no be their mate now!…
Nig wakeup.send multichoice away from dis country dstv their a big explorer that never have a gudplan 4 nigeria.block every tvsatellite company ways and may sure dat their all ruindown and given a tip of banana to our socal hunger leaders in other 2 assist them for their evil. Mtn most to go this not yellow card is red card.thank 2 glo and others
What really do you expect to hear from the Nigerian Senators, National assembly members , mostly ex Govs, unemployed , unemployable politicians, rot academicians,failed lawyers, fake subsidy business men and women. It is unfortunate that 125 Nigerians were loaded back from South Africa for traveling with fake Yellow fever papers. They were lucky the plane that brought them back was not serviced with fake spare parts or had fake pilot or else the plane would not have made it back to Nigeria safely. South Africa has standard to maintain – like ex President Mandela who left office after just 4yrs despite fighting for the country from prison for 27yrs. If he was a Nigerian politician he will never leave willingly but want to remain relevant like ex ATIKU, OBJ, ODILLI, IBORI, TINUBU other ex GOVs etc. Let’s leave our diplomats to settle this misunderstanding with South Africa. While Nigerians learn to do the right thing always- clear the roads of N20-50/car police, remove FRSC people from PH bus stop where they disrupt traffic while asking for fire extinguishers,clean up our prisons free from awaiting trial teenagers, nursing/pregnant women, mad people due to long detention, Let us learn from South Africa how to make REFINERIES, POWER STATIONS, RAILWAYS, AIRWAYS, UNIVERSITIES, AGRICULTURE, MINING work. They brought MTN, DSTV to Nigeria and now GSM, GLOBACOM, ETISALAT, etc are working. Senators please find some more useful things to do.Make laws to improve RURAL/URBAN Nigeria so that the citizens/mad people will no longer hurry out with fake papers.
Dstv and Mtn and so called there generator companies are the problem we are facing in this country,can’t we ever wake up for once and do things on our own without all this companies they indirectly coming to Nigeria to rob us and go,most of them for years recently joining our stock exchange ,while some i don’t know if they had joined or not………..
We Nigerians need to take drastic and untorlorated decision about this.imagen s/a doing this to Nigeria thats rubish.
VERY INTERESTING, IT SHOULD APPLY OTHER COUNTRIES WHO THINK THEY CAN TREAT NIGERIANS AS SHITS AND GET AWAY. 160 MILLION PEOPLE IS A BIG MARKET IN AFRICAN FOR THE WORLD TO EXPLORE. WHEN THEY LEAVE IT WILL ALLOW US TO THINK OF MORE CREATIVE OPTIONS.