Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
A member of the House of Representatives, Chukwuma Umeoji, has charged the Federal Government to immediately shutdown all South African businesses operating in the country over the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
Umeoji, who represents Aguata Federal Constituency of Anambra on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), stated this in Abuja, on Tuesday.
The lawmaker said the endless xenophobic attacks against Nigerians residing in South Africa should be a cause for concern to the government and every well meaning Nigerian.
According to him, it is regrettable that Nigerians are killed from time to time in South Africa with the alleged tacit support of the South African government, while the Nigerian government is doing nothing about it.
“The Nigerian foreign policy must adjust to the changing realities in continental politics. Africa as the centre piece of our foreign policy is outdated. Today’s policy is retaliatory. Retaliatory diplomacy must be employed to act as a deterrent to other African Nations. Nigeria market is a huge weapon if strategically employed as an instrument of diplomacy. The Nigerian Government should without delay close down South African Companies operating in Nigeria.
“The Nigerian mission in South Africa should be downgraded in the interim. Nigeria should explore outright diplomatic disengagement if the Government remains nonchalant to the killing of Nigerians,” Umeoji said.