The Human Rights Writers
Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, on Friday described President Muhammadu
Buhari’s visit to South Africa, following the xenophobic attack on Nigerians as
disgraceful.
HURIWA said the current
diplomatic shuttle of Buhari to South African has exposed Nigeria to
international ridicule and cheapens the rating of the country before the eyes
of the world.
A statement by the rights group’s
National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko condemned the lacklustre approach of
the federal government towards the persistent xenophobic killings of Nigerians
by black South Africans in South Africa and wondered why the Nigerian president
proceeded with an earlier planned visit to South Africa even after the latest
round of xenophobic violence.
The group stated that the
“President couldn’t have gone on this visit but would have explored the African
Union and the United Nations to arrive at concrete actions to end xenophobic
violence in South Africa instead of visiting the same place whereby hundreds of
citizens were displaced and many killed as if the victims of such a devastating
crimes are now supposed to beg the aggressors.”
Accusing the media managers of
both the Presidency and the Foreign Affairs Ministry of not being economical
with the truth and engaging in doublespeak, HURIWA said it was “totally
incorrect that the government lied to Nigerians that the current visit to South
Africa by President Buhari was because of the recent xenophobic violence
arguing that shouldn’t have been the case, because if it is then the president
couldn’t have embarked on signing of bilateral agreements with the South
African President and even reprimanding the frightened Nigerians in South
Africa but would have gone ahead to protest the destruction and killings of
Nigerians in South Africa and to demand compensation for the victims of the
xenophobia.”
“There was absolutely no need for
this patronizing and cheap visit by the Nigerian President to a country that
has killed our citizens.”
The statement added: “This visit
of President Muhammadu Buhari to South Africa doesn’t just add up except there
are Other personal issues that the Nigerian President went to attend to in
South Africa but the way he has conducted the thoughtless visit is disastrous.
“This current federal
administration is either very poor in keeping records or may actually be
viewing Nigerians as zombies. Months ago, in fact last year June or July, the
government announced that the South African president who had visited Nigeria
had invited president Buhari to visit South Africa. but months after that visit
by Cyril Ramaphosa to Nigeria, black south Africans staged the latest rounds of
xenophobic violence in which many Nigerians were wounded, their hard-earned
business assets either burnt, stolen or destroyed and over one thousands of
them were flown home due to the generosity of the Air Peace airlines with the
authorisation of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“But President Buhari’s officials
went on to lie in between their cheeks that the visit of President Buhari which
was earlier scheduled was now no longer on the strength of the earlier
reciprocal invitation by south Africa but was to protest the xenophobic
killings. But from all indications and by their own reports, the president only
just mentioned the matter of the xenophobic killings in passing; but actually
demonstrated that he was in South Africa on an elaborate state visit with the
signing of several bilateral trade treaties. This is not how to speak out and
defend our citizens who have lost their lives and livelihood.”
HURIWA recalled that on July 10th
2018, the South African president had visited Nigeria and held economic talks
with his Nigerian counterparts and after that visit, the South African
government invited the Nigerian president to reciprocate.
The Rights group then wonders why
Nigerians were told a lie that the current visit of the president was
exclusively because Nigerians were affected by the xenophobic violence that
occurred many months after the visit of the South African leader who then
invited the Nigerian president.
“Be that as it may, let us assume
that the Nigerian president is visiting South Africa because of the xenophobia,
we think the current federal administration is handling that matter with kid
gloves. How can the Nigerian leader visit the same country from where hundreds
of our citizens were displaced and chased away? Nigerians expected strong reactions
such as instituting petitions against South African government in African Union
and the United Nations so a lasting solution is found.
“Why should the Nigerian
president be seen behaving like he needs to beg the aggressors who have the
blood of our citizens in their hands? This is pathetically disappointing and
violates our constitutionally guaranteed foreign policy objectives which
primarily speaks to the issue of protecting Nigeria’s national interest and
Nigeria’s prime interest is the protection of the lives and property of the
citizenry because the primary duty of government is the protection of life and
property of Nigerians and the enhancement of their well-being as stated in
section 19 of the constitution,” the statement added.
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