January 30, 2022

Sen. Shehu Sani, former representative of Kaduna Central Senatorial District has said that it was a shame that other Africans are not free in South Africa despite all their efforts at dismantling apartheid, an obvious dig at Xenophobia attacks perpetrated by black South Africans.

“Nobody is attacking South African businesses in Nigeria; it is a shame that an African is not free in his own continent, particularly in a sister country; and that must stop,” Sani said

He called for a strategic framework aimed at deepening mutual understanding between Nigerians and South Africans.

Sani, who gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said the mutual understanding that would be developed should help end the killing of Nigerians living and doing business in the southern African country.

The senator, a former Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs in the 8th Senate, was speaking against the backdrop of concerns over the alarming rise in the killing of Nigerians in that country.

According to him, since the collapse of apartheid Nigeria has not been able to harness its investment via the interventions it brought to bear in that country.

“There must be a strategy by which the economies of Nigeria and South Africa, the brotherhood, and the relations between the two countries will be strengthened for mutual economic benefits.

“In Nigeria today, you see the MTN, DSTV, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, mining and electricity companies doing business.

“What major brand of Nigeria do you see in South Africa? Not even our banks.

“What we have in South Africa are petty traders, who go there as African brothers, to explore the potentialities of the market and set-up businesses; but what do they get in return, killings.

“Xenophobic attacks, hate attacks, and killings. They cannot pay us back for all the struggles.

“Nigeria contributed financially, militarily. We trained South African revolutionary cadres in Jaji, Kaduna state.

“How will you now be attacking our people? You are attacking your brothers and sisters from other countries within the continent, who stood by you in your moment of need and trial,” he said.

He said since Nigeria had opened its doors for investors to come and do business – in the telecoms, banking, oil and gas, and retail sectors, South Africa should reciprocate.

“What South African companies make in Nigeria is in billions of dollars; what Nigerian traders make in South Africa is less than two per cent of what South Africans make in this country.

“So, I think it is about governments of the two countries setting-up a standing committee, to ensure that Nigerian nationals are protected.”

(NAN)