NLC urges end to Xenophobic attacks, cautions against crude retaliations

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has urged the Federal Government to adopt urgent measures to end Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

The NLC, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, also cautioned against crude retaliations by Nigerians at home.

The labour union, in a statement signed by its President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, also suggested some form of compensation to families of Nigerians that had lost their lives in the attacks.

Wabba regretted that the attacks had become too frequent, urging the federal government to take decisive action to end the indiscriminate assault on Nigerians in South Africa and every other nation in the world.

“The frequency and escalation of these attacks are not only reprehensible but capable of undermining the illustrious bilateral relations between both countries.

“However, as despicable as these attacks are, we will advise against crude retaliatory measures such as the burning down of perceived South African businesses in Nigeria because, in reality, some of those businesses are owned by Nigerians.

“We appeal to Nigerians to leave this matter to the Nigerian government which has acted properly by sending an envoy to South Africa to express its displeasure as well as table its demands.”

Wabba said that the South African government should be held responsible for failing in its duty to protect or safeguard the lives and properties of foreign nationals, especially Nigerians, who have been subject of attacks over time.

He demanded an immediate end to the killings and destruction of property and an assurance that such would not happen again, not only to Nigerians, but all foreign nationals in South Africa.

Recall that there have been a series of attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in South Africa.

Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister Geoffrey Onyeama has reacted to the killings and accused the South African government of not doing enough to quell the attacks.