Obasanjo said he advised South African government to ensure that their people dispel the idea that foreigners are taking their jobs.
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has advised Nigerians, who were recently evacuated from South Africa as a result of xenophobic attack to go back to the country if the bilateral commission meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and Cyril Ramaphosa yielded a positive outcome.
Obasanjo also advised leadership of the two countries to be ready to compromise and make the right statement that would encourage Nigerians that were recently evacuated from South Africa to return to the country.
The ex-president said this on Saturday, September 28, 2019, while addressing journalists in Abeokuta on the outcome of his visit to the South African President.
He said, “I took the opportunity of being in South Africa about three or four days ago to actually pay a courtesy call on President Cyril Ramaphosa and he quickly granted me the opportunity. One of the major things we discussed was this issue of xenophobia or ‘afrophobia.’
“One good thing I discovered among many is what the president said to me that ‘There is so much at stake and whatever mistake we have made, we have to correct it.’ And I think that was a very good statement and I know that he meant it because, he immediately said ‘Look, what can we do or should we do?’
Obasanjo said he advised South African government to ensure that their people dispel the idea that foreigners are taking their jobs.
He said, “The idea of thinking or saying that foreigners are taking your jobs should be killed because most of these foreigners paid (sic) something into the country.
“I met more than two Nigerians who are doing legitimate businesses and the turnover runs into millions of dollar and they employed 50 to 60 South Africans.
“All these must be expressed and must be shown that Nigerians in South Africa are not drug peddlers and criminals. There are many of them that are genuine businessmen and professionals and who are making meaningful contributions to the economy and the social life of that country.
Meanwhile, following the evacuation of the first batch of Nigerians from the former apartheid country, there were claims that the evacuated Nigerians may be barred from visiting the country for at least 10 years.
On Wednesday, September 11, 2019, hundreds of Nigerians were scheduled to be evacuated from South Africa by the Air Peace Boeing 777, but South African airport and immigration officials reportedly frustrated the evacuation operation.
The country’s airport and immigration officials were reported to have mounted impediments to frustrate evacuation of Nigerians from their country because it was seen as a thumb down for South Africa.
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