Lai Mohammed, minister of information, on Tuesday said the federal government was taking pragmatic measures towards making sure the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa was brought to an end.
The minister said this In a statement released by Segun Adeyemi, his media aide
He minister said Nigerians had more to lose from the reprisal attack on South African businesses in Nigeria, adding that majority of those working in businesses owned by South Africans are Nigerians.
Ever since the latest reports of xenophobic attacks in South Africa came to public knowledge, there have been coordinated attacks on South African businesses across the country.
The minister said “Targetting South African companies in Nigeria for attack is, for Nigerians, a classic case of cutting off your nose to spite your face, because the investors in such companies, especially MTN and Shoprite, are Nigerians.
“Majority of the workers in the South African companies operating in Nigeria are also Nigerians, meaning that its Nigerian workers who will be hardest hit if such companies are forced to shut down for fear of attacks.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has dispatched a Special Envoy to convey to his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa, his concerns and also interact with his South African counterpart on the situation,”
In the vein, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, has condemned the killings of Nigerians and, at the behest of the Mr. president, summoned the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria to “get a brief on the situation; express Nigeria’s displeasure over the treatment of her citizens; and secure assurance of the safety of their lives and property.”