The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, has assured Nigerians in South Africa that no citizen willing to return home will be abandoned as a June 30 deadline set by anti-migrant groups for undocumented foreigners to leave the country approaches.
In a statement issued by Magnus Eze, the minister’s special assistant on communication and new media, Odumegwu Ojukwu said President Bola Tinubu has directed that every Nigerian who has voluntarily indicated willingness to return must leave before the deadline, with about 1,000 Nigerians having expressed interest in returning.
She noted that Nigeria is actively engaging South African authorities through diplomatic channels, but emphasised that the National Assembly has a constitutional role to play in determining Nigeria’s response should diplomatic efforts fail to stop the attacks on Nigerians and their businesses. The minister said that when citizens are being harassed, it becomes a serious concern, particularly as they are now being asked to leave with their South African spouses and children.
Odumegwu Ojukwu added that the xenophobic violence is causing reputational damage to South Africa. The minister disclosed that South African authorities discarded a Memorandum of Understanding signed with Nigeria on an early warning mechanism last October, claiming that those who signed were not the requisite signatories to make it valid. The first batch of 258 repatriated Nigerians arrived in Lagos last Thursday, and four more flights are scheduled.
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