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Nigeria: Why Citizens Are Attacked in South Africa - Maduekwe
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Vanguard (Lagos)
13 May 2008
Posted to the web 13 May 2008
Chinyere Amalu
Lagos
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe said Nigerians have become targets of attacks in South Africa because they travel to that country with a lot of cash.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, yesterday, the minister restated his earlier warning that Nigerians must be careful while travelling to the South Africa even while assuring that every diplomatic channel was being exploited to address the problem.
His words, "What we gathered through intelligence sources is that it appears that while there appears to be so much target of criminal elements is because the situation in South Africa is that travellers that arrive South African Airports with a lot of cash is a Nigerian. It might not be true but that is the perception.
"That makes Nigerian travellers even with green passport very attractive targets and people should be aware of this and be more cautious."
The minister said the federal government was working towards getting South Africa to step up its responsibilities to Nigerians resident in that country or travelling there.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, yesterday, lent its supports for the re-run of presidential elections in Zimbabwe.
The minister said that the decision to back the re-run of the contentious election was borne out of a sincere desire for an amiable resolution of the impasse in the Southern country.
According to him, Nigeria was not visibly at the forefront of efforts to resolve the political problem in Zimbabwe because it had been agreed among African nations that sub-regional bodies should take the lead when such matters arose.
His words, "we have issued a statement expressing our concern, and we also felt that there is need to respect the gentleman agreement so to speak that regional blocks should as much as possible be allowed to sort out issues that happen in that place.
"Like in ECOWAS, it is a policy in ECOWAS, you will not find SADC or East African communities or North African blocks rushing to ECOWAS to deal with this kind of matter for us. They will normally allow us to organize ourselves to see how, we sort it out.
"So our position in Nigeria , as far as Zimbabwe crisis are concerned is to allow SADC to deal with it. We are satisfied that SADC has been handling the issue very well. SADC had a meeting in Zambia were they urged all sides to respect the law, follow due process and allow peace to rein in Zimbabwe .
"We felt SADC is right, and once has taken right position, we felt it would be unnecessary and counter productive to join issues. We wouldn't want to spoil the issue. Our not running over the place does not mean we are silent or we didn't want to comment on the issue.
"In fact beyond the statement we have issued, there has been a lot of quiet diplomacy. We are totally engaged with our colleagues in the continents in the issue. I have spoken several times with my colleague in the West African foreign policy in this mater.
"I also had a lengthy discussion with President Mbeki in Darkar Senegal in the last NEPAD summit of a group of 5. Am just back from Tanzanian where we went for AU foreign ministers' meeting to deal with the issue of Union government. Nigeria is one of the 12 countries selected to be in that committee.
"I created time to have extensive discussion with Zimbabwe foreign minister and also with the South African Foreign minister where again we expressed our concern that there is the need for a peaceful run-off election, there is need to assuage the fears opposition parties, on the issue of having a vibrant atmosphere that will conduct an election that is free and fair and transparent.
"The discussion was clear and we made it known to Zimbabwe minister that what happened in his country, is the business of all, and so should be collectively solved.
"We have expressed our believe that it becomes necessary that the stakeholders from both sides should exercise political will and dialogue with commitment to solve the problem.
"Right now we are having some quiet discussions with several other governments in Africa , to see how during the run-off days before the run-off can have a reasonable presence of observers from many AU countries.
"What it needed now is to demonstrate necessary political will to ensure that at the various levels of race, EOWAS region that we have large number of observers moving in to Zimbabwe not judge but to show solidarity.
"Our position is that the rule of law should be followed based on the constitution of the country, which encourages a run-off of election in such a situation. They have agreed for a run off and they should be commended for that."
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On the controversy surrounding Dr Ahmadu Ali's ambassadorial posting, the minister admitted that there were issues but that there personal and that his matter had not been foreclosed.
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