Angry Nigeria deports 56 more South Africans in retaliation

Date: 07-03-2012 9:27 am (12 years ago) | Author: Ibe Daniel Okereke
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- at 7-03-2012 09:27 AM (12 years ago)
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The diplomatic face-off between the Federal Government of Nigeria and South Africa following the deportation from South Africa of 125 Nigerians, including a Senator has now taken another turn. The face-off has caused issues for South African owned companies in Nigeria, and Nigerians with business and personal ties with South Africa. Last Friday, 125 Nigerians who travelled to South Africa aboard Arik Air and South African Airlines flights were deported on arrival in Johannesburg allegedly because they were carrying fake yellow fever vaccine cards. This action which was described as a “harsh and unfriendly treatment” by most Nigerians has sparked off some retaliatory actions by Nigerian government. In apparent retaliation to the treatment, 28 South Africans who arrived Nigeria on Monday night were deported back to South Africa and the Federal Government has threatened to go tough on South African companies operating in Nigeria.
The ongoing Arise Magazine Fashion Week in Lagos has also been distrupted as SA designers scheduled to show are caught up in the diplomatic row.



Yesterday, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, who is also the former High Commissioner to South Africa said the South Africans were deported from Lagos because of irregular travel documents, adding that this was only the beginnng of retaliatory moves. He said this while addressig the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, noting that the Federal Government would soon sanction South African firms for bringing half-baked graduates to occupy positions that could be occupied by Nigerians. He added that Nigeria has asked the South African government to apologise and pay compensation to the affected travellers and Arik Air.

Also in response to the deportation, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday that none of the deported Nigerians is in possession of fake yellow fever cards as alleged by the South African authorities. Classification by the World Health Organisation indicates that Nigeria is one of the 44 countries with a risk of exposure to the yellow fever virus. However, the Health Minister added that the last confirmed case of yellow fever in Nigeria was in 1995 and that Nigeria is not at risk of a yellow fever outbreak. According to him, the Port Health Services of the Ministry issue Yellow Fever cards and vaccines at all local and international airports, land borders and sea ports in the country. The vaccine is given free but  fee of N500 is charged for the card.

He called on South Africa to stop politicizing health issues, saying that so far, no country, individual or group has made any report to the Ministry on the possession of fake yellow fever card by any Nigerian. He noted that the entry visas were given to the travellers after the presentation of their valid yellow fever cards, therefore it was wrong for South Africa to say they were in posession of fake yellow fever cards after they had been issued valid visas. The action by the South African immigration towards Nigerian travellers he said, was an embarrasment and was against the IHR 2005 Article 32.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, also condemned the deportation which she termed as “illegal”, saying it was done in an “inhuman manner”. In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday  Dabiri-Erewa described the act as “continuous unwarranted hostilities against Nigerians by the South Africa government’’. She lamented that the 125 Nigerians, including women and children, were delayed for 24 hours without water and food in an inhuman condition and then bundled back to Nigeria. She added that Nigerians do not ask South Africans to fill Yellow Fever Cards when coming in to Nigeria even though passengers must have passed through this process while applying for the visa in the Embassy. Mrs Dabiri-Erewa also said that Nigerians, including women and children joined in the fight against apartheid in South Africa and it was an unfair and unAfrican way to pay Nigerians back for their kind gesture.

The Senate Committee in response to Mr Ashiru’s presentation, told him to go and close the Nigerian Embassy in South Africa and close the South African Embassy in Nigeria adding that any of their companies handling projects in Nigeria should be stopped.

Nigeria and South Africa are Africa’s economic giants and as this face-off deepens, there are worries over the survival and operations of South African companies in Nigeria.  

The biggest mobile telecommunication company in Nigeria is MTN, a South African company. Stanbic-IBTC Bank, supermarket chain Shoprite, Multichoice DSTV are some major South African companies in Nigeria whose stakes in Nigeria could be threatened if a quick resolve is not brought to the face-off. Also, there are a good number of Nigerians studying, working or living in South Africa and vice-versa, whose activities could be hampered if a resolve doesn’t happen soon.


Posted: at 7-03-2012 09:27 AM (12 years ago) | Upcoming
- summy4ever at 7-03-2012 09:52 AM (12 years ago)
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tit for tat Grin
Posted: at 7-03-2012 09:52 AM (12 years ago) | Upcoming
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- moralemike07 at 7-03-2012 09:58 AM (12 years ago)
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What a child's play.
Posted: at 7-03-2012 09:58 AM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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- Zicflex at 7-03-2012 10:01 AM (12 years ago)
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no b small thing o even south africa don get liva 2 deport nigerians.
Posted: at 7-03-2012 10:01 AM (12 years ago) | Newbie
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- cadanre at 7-03-2012 10:10 AM (12 years ago)
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Kuma?

Posted: at 7-03-2012 10:10 AM (12 years ago) | Hero
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- xter at 7-03-2012 01:19 PM (12 years ago)
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Right thing to do. South Africans are c*@ts, mindless morons

Posted: at 7-03-2012 01:19 PM (12 years ago) | Addicted Hero
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- gastro at 7-03-2012 01:39 PM (12 years ago)
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Very very proud of this action from our government , common south african that are still under apartheid ,despite the figure head president Zuma.na my people i blame self wetin person dey go fine that rotten land. With 90% of their citizens infected  with HIV .

Posted: at 7-03-2012 01:39 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming
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- Lekan22 at 7-03-2012 01:43 PM (12 years ago)
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Thats good.
Posted: at 7-03-2012 01:43 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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- verah at 7-03-2012 01:45 PM (12 years ago)
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eeya.. mak una com bak to naija mak we build am together... if we dnt do it now nobody will do it for us

Posted: at 7-03-2012 01:45 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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- zoe61 at 7-03-2012 01:48 PM (12 years ago)
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do me i do you man no go vex, well 9ja government for standin up for ur ppl.
Posted: at 7-03-2012 01:48 PM (12 years ago) | Hero
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- Angelita2 at 7-03-2012 02:20 PM (12 years ago)
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GUD FOR THEM.
Posted: at 7-03-2012 02:20 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming
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- conakry at 7-03-2012 02:21 PM (12 years ago)
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Hhmmmm....he who last laugh last best
Posted: at 7-03-2012 02:21 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming
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- benjon at 7-03-2012 02:25 PM (12 years ago)
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HIV Country.
Posted: at 7-03-2012 02:25 PM (12 years ago) | Newbie
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- priceless87 at 7-03-2012 02:29 PM (12 years ago)
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goodnews more of these kind of news i want to hear
Posted: at 7-03-2012 02:29 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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- Ngeboju at 7-03-2012 02:43 PM (12 years ago)
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HIV/AID COUNTRY
Posted: at 7-03-2012 02:43 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming
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- lanudja at 7-03-2012 02:54 PM (12 years ago)
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Good...Tit4tat!
Posted: at 7-03-2012 02:54 PM (12 years ago) | Hero
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- Eucharia at 7-03-2012 02:55 PM (12 years ago)
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very good action
Posted: at 7-03-2012 02:55 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming
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- verah at 7-03-2012 02:57 PM (12 years ago)
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it a gud decision.. but d naija wey dey dere mak dem run com bak bfor south africa go vex troway dem for dia

Posted: at 7-03-2012 02:57 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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- purityjustice at 7-03-2012 03:03 PM (12 years ago)
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badt guy so ur one of those idiots dat patronize prostitution 
Posted: at 7-03-2012 03:03 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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- prince221 at 7-03-2012 03:09 PM (12 years ago)
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Up naija government , The insult Naija are receiving from other African countries are getting out of hand. Federal government keep it up.
Posted: at 7-03-2012 03:09 PM (12 years ago) | Newbie
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