Nigerian Govt still undecided on South Africa as stranded citizens’ fate hangs in balance

…FG urged to emulate Ghana on ‘tit for tat’ against S/Africa

…Allegation of bribery, ‘long-leg’ trails evacuation efforts

With the arrival of 282 returnees on Thursday, the fifth batch of stranded Nigerians evacuated from South Africa, the federal government has been commended by many on the voluntary evacuation exercise.

So far, about 1,143 Nigerian citizens and around 1,000 Ghanaians were among the 25,000 that have fled South Africa since the new wave of xenophobic attacks in the last four months, which have continued after the June 30th deadline given to undocumented African nationals by anti-immigrant groups to leave the country.

While the commendations are still on, some are worried over the fate of many Nigerians, who are still stranded in South Africa, awaiting registering for repatriation or their evacuation dates.

Although the federal government has been magnanimous with the evacuation mainly through Air Peace, and about 66 evacuated through ValueJet, observers are worried that there are over one million Nigerians who are willing to return home, but are constrained by lack of safety and free movement within the country for foreigners, the slow process of registration and evacuation.

“We appreciate our government’s efforts at evacuating our citizens in South Africa. But the government and corporate bodies need to do more because there are many still stranded, especially in provinces far away from Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal like Northern Cape and Western Cape,” Kevin Oyemese, a Pretoria-based medical doctor said.

Oyemese, who enjoys the safety of working with a multinational health outfit, expressed very deep concern over the safety of stranded Nigerian citizens, considering that security personnel have been engaging in thorough scrutiny of documents and identification of foreigners since the June 30th deadline, while locals taunt them in their neighborhoods, asking why are Nigerians still here when other have left.

“The evacuations are from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and the Nigeria High Commission, which are both in the Gauteng Province. Those stranded in far provinces like Western Cape are constrained by the high transport fares, fear of intimidation on their way across many security checks, the immigration is harsher now and police emboldened to intimidate our people.

“Our people are taunted in their neighborhood, on the streets and everywhere. Our government needs to do more, they need to come into South Africa to offer safety and speedy the movement and the repatriation process for the stranded. They are many, and hiding now,” he said.

Read also: Second batch of stranded Nigerians evacuated from SA arrive Lagos airport

The doctor lamented that with the situation on ground, those with emergency health issues will not be attended to in South Africa now and those with minor security issues may go to jail, amid other forms of intimidation.

Buttressing Oyemese’s point, Onyeka Mbaonu, a documented resident said that the hatred is obvious as the citizens no longer tolerate other Africans whether documented or undocumented.

“Since after the June 30th deadline there has not been free movement for foreigners in South Africa. Even those with documents are very careful because of the fear of being lynched by mobs and even friends in the name of anti-migrant action,” Mbaonu, a business executive and victim of backstabbing in South Africa, decried.

Sam Onikoyi, a Nigerian academic in Brussels, supports the Nigerian senate’s calls for action, but urged that it should not end there as the fate of many stranded Nigerians hang on the government’s decision, which should not be delayed.

“We in the diaspora are happy with the evacuations. But it should continue until every citizen, both documented and undocumented, who are willing to return home, are safely back,” he said.

He also called on corporate giants, especially financial institutions, through which remittances were made by Nigerians, while in South Africa, to help fund the evacuations.

“Our banks, our billionaires, philanthropists, religious bodies and all well-meaning Nigerians should join the government in bailing out our stranded citizens in South Africa.

“But they should also help them to resettle back home and address the root causes of the exodus from the country, especially in recent time,” Onikoyi said.

However, many are calling on the government to emulate Ghana on ‘tit for tat’ against South Africa.

It would be recalled that the Ghanaian government halted the planned visit by Cyril Ramaphosa, South African president, amid row over anti-migrant protests.

President Ramaphosa, who had long planned a visit to Ghana in the first week of August, and had been hoped that the visit would help de-escalate tensions between the two nations, will not visit again considering possible protest in Ghana for his visit after the repatriation of more than 900 Ghanaians citizens, from South Africa, and the last batch of over 900 others expected to be brought home in the coming weeks.

For Alhassan Omije, an Abuja-based lawyer and human rights activist, who schooled in South Africa, it is time for the federal government to go tougher with the South African government as diplomacy and bilateral talks, according to him, have not worked.

“We keep saying peace and be your brother’s keeper, yet our people are being maltreated in other lands. I think the government should change the approach by being a bit tough with the maltreatment of our citizens in South Africa. If we keep looking away, other countries will also do same because have seen that our government cares less,” Omije said.

Toeing the same line, Chijoke Umelahi, a lawyer and a former lawmaker thinks that Nigeria should emulate Ghana on ‘tit for tat’ against South Africa and other countries that maltreat her citizens across the world.

Umelahi suggested that the government can severe diplomatic relations with South Africa for now, pending when they both agree on how best to work together.

“I think severing diplomatic relations will save the situation because at every xenophobic attack, Nigerian citizens are the major targets, their businesses are shutdown, shops looted, many arrested, some killed and nothing happens afterwards.

“It will also reduce the number of Nigerians going to South Africa, make those still in the country to plan their exit and make us less targets,” he said.

Tambiso Dule, a South Africa resident in Nigeria, thinks otherwise. He called for calm, blaming the escalating situation on the actions and inactions of the ANC-led government in South Africa, which he said has long left the legacies of Nelson Mandela and other founding fathers of the party and democracy in the country.

“Mandela never asked us to kill our African brothers because he told us how they assisted us during apartheid era. How can we now turn against our own blood in the name of taking over jobs and crime,” he decried.

He called on other African nations to follow the example of Ghana and take the case to the African Union and insist on lasting resolutions or they boycott the union.

Meanwhile, there has been allegation of bribery and ‘long-leg’ surround evacuation efforts, as many who made efforts to be evacuated are still stranded.

But an official of the Nigerian Embassy in South Africa, who pleaded for anonymity, refuted such claims, explaining that the evacuation started with expressing interest to be repatriated, registering, being captured and given possible date of repatriation.

“Those making such allegations are those who did not take the registration exercise seriously. How do we repatriate you without registering and profiling you. Some thought the government was not serious or that they were going to pay for their flights back home. Those who took the risk to register early have been safely home,” the official said.

But observers are calling on the embassy to use its diplomatic immunity and available logistics to seek out many stranded, who cannot make their way to the embassy due to safety, finance and health issues.

“We have heard of many who complained of personal challenges like ill-health and paucity of fund preventing them from being evacuated. Some, their friends are speaking on their behalf. Our embassy should extend extra gesture to them, to ensure their safe return because these are the most vulnerable of Nigerians in South Africa, who are likely going to be victims if not evacuated soon,” Omije urged.