As government asks for compensation for Nigerians who suffer losses
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday ordered the dispatch of a special envoy to South Africa over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians living in that country.
The president’s special adviser on media and publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina said in a statement issued in Abuja that Buhari expressed his reservations about the reported assault on Nigerian citizens and property in South Africa since August 29, 2019.
He said the president asked the envoy to convey his concerns to the president of South Africa, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa and engage him on the killings.
Adesina said the envoy would arrive in Pretoria latest Thursday.
The statement entitled ‘Xenophobic attacks: President Buhari dispatches special envoy to South Africa,’ reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari has noted with deep concern, reported attacks on Nigerian citizens and property in South Africa since August 29, 2019.
“Consequently, the President has instructed the minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, to summon the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria and get a brief on the situation; express Nigeria’s displeasure over the treatment of her citizens; and assurance of the safety of their lives and property.
“President Buhari has also dispatched a special envoy to convey to President Cyril Ramaphosa his concerns and also interact with his South African counterpart on the situation.
“The special envoy is expected to arrive in Pretoria latest Thursday, September 5, 2019.”
Meanwhile, the federal government demanded for compensations for Nigerians who suffered certain losses in the recent attacks in South Africa.
The government also unveiled a proposal to deploy security operatives in the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa, whose job mandate will be to work with the commission to provide security for Nigerians in the country.
Onyeama who disclosed this to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday said the federal government was of the belief that such security operatives will eventually be incorporated into the South African Police with a view to assisting it in pre-empting future attacks against Nigerians.
“We have registered our strong protest to the government of South Africa but most importantly, we have put forward to the South African government what we think will make a big difference.
“One, with regards to compensation for those who have suffered losses and most importantly, a security proposal that we believe will safeguard the security of Nigerians in the future.
“We are hoping to see the possibility of sending some security agents, deploying them initially in the Nigerian High Commission, to work closely with the South African Police Force.
“We believe that would be a very important process to address and pre-empt this kind of attacks and possibly for them to also be embedded within the police force of South Africa.
“So you will have some certain number of Nigeria security people trying to work with the South African police force,” he said.
However, he dismissed any contemplation by Nigeria to embark on any form of retaliation because “two wrongs do not make a right.”
He also explained that the government of South Africa was provoked by the attacks and was doing its utmost to put the situation under control.
“We don’t believe that two wrongs make a right. I think in terms of revenge on those kinds of attacks is not what we are looking forward to.
“The South African government has assured us that they are doing everything possible to address the situation; that they are equally exasperated by the whole event.
“We believe that with that goodwill, we may be able to work together to put in place these mechanisms that would make a difference,” he added.
On the mission of the envoy to South Africa, Onyeama explained that the emissary would table before the South African government the two issues bordering on compensations to Nigerians who have lost belongings in the attacks as well as the plan to deploy security operatives in that country.
