Killings: Nigerian Government Has Failed Citizens In South Africa – Mgbo
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The Head, Secretariat of Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA), Collins Mgbo, has accused the Federal Government of failing to address the continued xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
Mgbo, who spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, criticised the President Muhammadu Buhari administration of not protecting the citizens in the diaspora.
“I want to say this without mincing words that the Nigerian government has failed its citizens in the diaspora, especially in South Africa.
“The Nigerian Policy statement is that the responsibility of the missions abroad is to make sure that the interests of her citizens are protected. Unfortunately, that is not achieved,” he said.
According to Mgbo, he expected the Federal Government through the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa to engage the authorities urgently with a view to tackling the incessant killings of the citizens abroad.
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He regretted that the Nigerian envoys when interviewed by journalists do not condemn the unfortunate attacks.
Speaking further, Mgbo said: “Whenever we see them on the television or in radio granting interviews, they are not coming forward. And I don’t believe that if their children are involved in this inhumane treatment, I don’t think this is how they are going to treat it. So they have failed us.”
He therefore called on President Buhari to “sit up,” calling for a stakeholders meeting with the Nigerian groups in South Africa on the way forward.
When asked if the crisis will end anytime soon, he replied saying: “no,” stressing that both the South African and Nigerian government can fight the scourge of killings but “We haven’t seen any kind of political will.”
His remarks come two days after South African looters attacked foreign-owned businesses in central Johannesburg, a situation which affected many Nigerians.
This attack comes barely one week after a group of Nigerians staged a protest at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa’s capital.
The protesters, mostly victims of xenophobic attacks in South Africa said they are angered by the recent massive looting of foreign-owned shops in the city by some South Africans.