Reps want Minister to invoke principle of reciprocity. Last yellow fever case recorded in 1995 – Health Minister
NCAA summons stakeholders to a meeting
ABUJA—MOVED by the deportation of Nigerians by the South African government, senators Tuesday asked the Federal Government to shut down all South African companies and immediately close the nation’s embassy in that country.

This came on a day the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Gbenga Ashiru, to invoke the tenets of reciprocity against the South African government, just as Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, dislcosed in Abuja yesterday that the last case of yellow fever in the country was recorded in  1995.

Also, Lagos State House of Assembly condemned in strong terms the deportation of 125 Nigerians by the South African government, and expressed dismay over the shabby manner they were treated, even as Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, summoned South African Airways, Arik Air, security agencies and other stakeholders in the aviation sector over the incident.

According to the senators, the South Africa government has murdered sleep, and can, therefore, not see sleep.
The Senate’s move came up yesterday during a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ashiru Olugbenga.

The senators described as unfortunate the attitude of the South African authorities towards Nigerians, despite the brotherly role Nigeria played during her struggle for independence 18 years ago.

Senator Mudashiru Hussain in his contribution, specifically called for the sacking of all South African-owned companies in Nigeria, insisting that the country had, indeed, declared war against Nigerian and ”we as a nation must reciprocate.”

Speaking before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru, told the senators that the deportation of the South African nationals was one out of the many diplomatic measures already listed by the federal government.


Senate President, David Mark


He said the federal government had listed some conditions for South Africa to meet to ensure amicable resolution of the diplomatic row occasioned by the recent deportation of 125 Nigerians last week, adding that government was ready to reciprocate this inhuman treatment to South African nationals.

He said: ‘’We are going to look at all these and we are discussing with the ministry of interior to enforce strict compliance of all immigration laws and practices to all nationals. The south African companies are here in Nigeria , making so much money , bringing in half baked graduates as expatriates to manage these companies.”

Amb. Olugbenga told the committee that government would take what he called ‘matured but calculative measures to pay back the country.

Also appearing before the House of Representatives Committee, Amb Ashiru said:   “The Nigerian Embassy was not informed before such an act was perpetuated on Nigerians so it was illegal and should be seen from that purview.”

In his response, Ashiru said that   “I share the same view with you on the issue but the bi-national Commission headed by the vice presidents of both countries had already started discussions on the issue.

“South Africa does not have a monopoly of deportation as they should not take our friendly business environment for granted.

“We are going to make sure that we convene  the next session of the international commission. I want to make one thing clear, African countries, including South Africa, should not take Nigeria’s maturity and the friendliness of our people to foreigners for granted.

“Also they should not take the friendly business environment we have in Nigeria, whereby companies are making more profits from Nigeria than in South Africa for granted. I believe as we go on these are the issues we’ll bring to the table and sort out.

“I believe that the present administration is determined to ensure  the dignity of Nigerians anywhere. When you deport two Nigerians from a country, there will be appropriate reaction. It may not be retaliation but we will know that we are responding one way or the other.

“The National Transitional Commission, NTC, was not the cause. The issue of NTC is not the problem that gave rise to the deportation that we were faced with. The underlying problem has to do with the attitude of the ordinary South African to Nigerians.”

Chairman of the committee, Senator Matthew Nwagwu, had earlier described the recent deportation of Nigerians as the height of inhuman treatment, and promised that the Senate would support the ministry of foreign affairs in what ever action it deemed fit to take to pay back the people of South Africa.

In a similar vein,  Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mrs. nnena Elendu-Ukeje, asked the  minister to invoke the principle of reciprocity against the South African government, describing the South African government’s action as an affront on Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, who addressed the press on the issue at the Health Ministry in Abuja , noted that Nigeria was not at risk of Yellow fever, he said  the last confirmed case of Yellow fever in Nigeria was in 1995.

According to him, the Port Health Services under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Health vaccinate and issue the Yellow Fever cards to travelers at the airports, sea ports and land borders in Nigeria, while health officials do the same in the states and LGAs.

He faulted South Africa’s reason for the deportation, as possession of valid yellow fever card was a condition for issuing visa to Nigerians in the first instance.

Calling on South Africa to stop politicizing health issues, the minister said the country had acted against International Health Regulations (IHR) on the matter.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/03/nigeria-safrica-diplomatic-row-senators-want-safrican-companies-sacked/

Perfect opportunity to nationalize MTN and other SA companies in Nigeria. Pay them off and let them go back to their country

Oh boy. It's about to get real ugly.

This is very welcoming. Though am skeptical about the real politics beneath this "sudden" outrage from Nigeria. We know SAs frustrated GEJ's  AU ambition. Either way, no phocking country should be allowed to maltreat Nigerians. Favour for a favour

This S Africa thing is becoming far to much. It's high time we sanction them too and this will send clear signals to other countries like Ghana that we meant business.

i am so loving this

Am loving my Country Nigeria, am really becoming proud to be a Nigerian but leyt our senators no accept bribe. Let FG sanction all SA companies and close our embassy in SA. Let's send them all parking who re they to challenge us? If not for bad leaders SA won't even stand up to us, but is time to make it all right. Even if it leads to military strike we are equal to the task.

Where is the sudden cojones coming from?

This issue is getting interesting,

I think the government are just capitalizing on this opportunity to do what they always intended to do but the opportunity has now established itself. Glo and other African competition must be pleased with this new development.

I didn't know the SA companies brought their own graduates to manage companies in Nigeria, that's a slap in the face of Nigerian universities

beylinko:

This  S Africa thing is becoming far to much. It's high time we sanction them too and this will send clear signals to other countries like Ghana that we meant business.

Ghana are the main ones for me, their Yeye too much, if not for the poor form of politics and the lack of tenacity of the super eagles who born dem open mouth to the lion of Africa.

well why do you fake yellow fever vaccine cards in the first place?

Hmmmmm do me I do you, an eye for an eye you might say. Tough!

Jacob Zuma (paedophilia ) just stepped on the wrong toe

Perfect opportunity to nationalize MTN and other SA companies in Nigeria. Pay them off and let them go back to their country

@ojogbontomoye,
so you don't know nigeria cannot manage anything even their own lives talkless of mtn. we are fools here. we are supporting these senators now just because a senator was involved. what about every other countries where nigerians are humiliated on daily basis. we saw how nigerians managed HiTv. if we start this war, how many countries are we going to fight at the same time? is it not obvious that south africa and ghana are our new colonial masters. who among those useless senators does not have investments in south africa. abeg, let them no go cause problems for nigerians enjoying their lives over there. south africa is an organised society and their law says, nigerians must come there with certain papers. go their with those papers or stay at home. let us even ask that detained senator wetin him go find for south africa - maybe medical check up.
why can't these useless and criminal minded rulers of our country seat down and plan on how best to make our country good so that nigerians all over the world will come home. it is only a fool that does the same thing and expect a different result. if we no change our ways, benin republic whose president won our president in ecowas chairman election will soon start deporting nigerians.
we said and acted ghana must go in the 80s, i foresee ghana acting nigeria must go soon.
the masses should stop supporting these rulers and make them public enemies. let us come together against these criminals using our resources as their personal inheritances. let us declare them fugitives and kill them if possible. we need freedom from our ppl before we can fight outsiders.
if our ppl(rulers) can be treating us like slaves, what more outsiders?
the big question should be, WHY IS IT THAT NIGERIANS ARE ALL OVER THE WORLD IN THOUSANDS AND MILLIONS EVEN IN POOR COUNTRIES?

My people are blowing hot! (touch the untouchable and the rest will learn)

an eye for an eye,n a tooth for a tooth

Ghana are the main ones for me, their Yeye too much, if not for the poor form of politics and the lack of tenacity of the super eagles who born dem open mouth to the lion of Africa.



I hope you meant ants of Africa,

this is serious ooo!!!

eh. . .

Well, we'll see how this turns out.

Useless bunch of senators, dem no even get better work before, now dem go channel their energy upon this petty diplomatic row. Attention seeking, corrupt asssholes!

@Bornagain 190, what do you want the senators to do about the SA thing, suggest and dont curse, you call it petty diplomatic row and 195 was deported

Come to think of it even in our national turmoil and confusions we are still far better than most african countries, if not for the presence of the whites in SA they would have been still eating themselves as cannibals, anyway we dont blame them, we blame our leaders and even at that, they should leave us alone, tit for tat

Bornagain 190:

Useless bunch of senators, dem no even get better work before, now dem go channel their energy upon this petty diplomatic row. Attention seeking, corrupt asssholes!

Support you all the way. This is the diversion they,ve been looking and praying for. Expect a committee to be set up to resolve this soon. Bunch of thieves.

silly leaders, they are at it again. Instead of them to develop Nigeria, they are talking trash. SA is far better than Nigeria in one million ways but that of course do not mean they can treat our people anyhow. However, on a contrary view most Nigerians in SA are involved in all sort of social maladjustment ranging from drugs, Yahoo Yahoo, stealing etc. I personally think that it is high time our leaders seat down and provide social amenities to our people. I cried for Nigeria for the first time when I got to SA. Our leaders needs to wake up from their slumber and forget blabbing.

No matter how bad your country is, NEVER support another country against your own. Only fools will do that

Trouble dey sleep S' Africa go wake am up

na palava dem they find , I dey sing fela

This is happening too late, S'African are very rude and arrogant to Nigeria, claiming giant of african, if not for all our useless leaders S'african should be queing for Nigerian Visa

Nothing go happen.
we are used to all these initial gra gra.

House please,i'm planning to go to south african in a couple of month hope there wil be no problem

that is 9ja speaking

Please read the link below to see how South Africans view Nigeria

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Nigeria-lashes-out-at-SA-xenophobia-20120306

tiniyata:

an eye for an eye,n a tooth for a tooth

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and a deak for a deak.