Hundreds of Nigerian protesters on Monday
stormed the offices of South African companies
in Abuja and Benin City, Edo State, to protest
the ongoing xenophobic attacks on foreigners,
especially Nigerians, in South Africa.
In Abuja, the protesters, led by media
personality and President of the Berekete
Family, Ahmad Isah, marched to the regional
headquarters of MTN Nigeria Communications
Limited in Maitama, as well as Shoprite and
Multichoice, owners of DSTV.
At MTN, the protesters, who carried placards
with various inscriptions condemning the attacks
on Nigerians and their businesses in South
Africa, were joined by Nigerians in the area
where the office is located.
One of our correspondents learnt that a senior
official of MTN whose identity was not known,
addressed the crowd of protesters who wore
yellow T-shirts, the traditional colour of the
South African telecommunications company.
The official reportedly told the protesters that
the company was not in support of the attacks
on Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa.
He also told them that the MTN operation in the
country was MTN Nigeria and that the company
only has a few South Africans working in the
country.
When our correspondent visited the Maitama
office of the company, policemen in a patrol
vehicle were seen stationed just across the
telecommunication firm’s office to forestall
possible breakdown of the peace.
In Benin City, some youth protesters stormed
the MTN office on 3rd East Circular Road,
Muritala Muhammed Way.
The youths, under the aegis of The Flagship,
threatened to shut down South African firms
operating in Nigeria over the attack on Nigerians
in South Africa.
The protesters carried placards with various
inscriptions.
The messages in the placards include,
“Xenophobia is inhuman,” “Zuma call your boys
to order” and “S/Africans can’t be making
money from us, killing us.”
Spokesperson for the group, Austin Enabulele,
described the attacks as inhuman and
condemnable, explaining that the protest was a
warning to the South African government to put
a stop to the attacks on Nigerians or risk losing
its investments in the country.
Enabulele said, “We are all Africans; we wonder
why they should attack our fellow Nigerians who
are doing their legitimate businesses in South
Africa, when we have shown them love to
operate in Nigeria.
“We have come here to say to (President
Jacob) Zuma to call his people to order
because if he fails to call them to order we will
do the needful. We are aware of all their
businesses in Nigeria; we know of MTN, we
know of Shoprite, we know of Multichoice
company, and we know of all the other
companies that belong to South Africa.
“We will shut down all their services, if they
continue the killing of our brothers and sisters.
So, we have come here to tell them to put an
end to the killing of our brothers and sisters
who are doing their legitimate jobs in South
Africa.”
The vice president of the group, Gloria Noren,
decried what she described as the ingratitude of
South Africans, whom she said received
financial support from Nigeria during the
apartheid era.
Noren urged the Federal Government to
commence the immediate evacuation of
Nigerians from South Africa, in order to forestall
further havoc.
She said, “We have videos of Nigerians that
have been killed; I personally watched the
video. How can someone come out to say that
we are taking their jobs from them? What about
the money they are making from us?
“Nigeria spent over N60bn fighting apartheid for
them. Why should we extend love to them and
they extend hatred to us. It is totally inhuman,
distasteful and disgusting.
“We are sending this message to our Nigerian
government to go ahead and evacuate all
Nigerians from South Africa because we cannot
continue to lose our brethren.”
The Nigerian Consul-General in South Africa,
Amb. Uche Ajulu-Okeke, had on Sunday said
that Nigerians had lost more than N21m to the
attacks in South Africa.
Ajulu-Okeke said the loss included looted shops,
burnt shops, two burnt mechanic workshops, 11
burnt cars and two stolen cars, among others.
“Nigerians have compiled the cost of the
damage to their property and it is totalling about
1.2m Rand or N21m, which will be sent to the
Federal Government for further action,” the
ambassador had said.
She said that two of the three Nigerians who
were wounded during the attacks in Durban had
been treated and discharged from the hospital.
The consul-general said that she would go back
to Durban to assess the situation on ground and
meet with the provincial authority on the
security of Nigerians in the province.





http://www.punchng.com/news/nigerians-protest-at-mtn-multichoice-shoprite-offices-outlets/

a word is enof for the wise



make dem give their self brain o

This was going to be the most likely outcome! As the SA authorities dnt seem to b doing enuf. Too bad Nigerians working in those establishments will suffer the effect if things get out of hand.

Is this it

They'll go home soon. Nigerians and protest......no outcome.

Since the SA government ain't doing anything reasonable about it. I think it's high time the international community intervened on this matter before things get out of hands...

GOOD

Boycott is the best form of protest. Boycott..

Useless people

See as the thread empty. And on FP.



Whattgwan