State by state categorisation of S/africa returnees divisive…simply treat them as Nigerians
It is not clear what the Federal Government wants to achieve by the categorisation of xenophobia-attack returnees from South Africa by their states of origin. Government should consider every Nigerian from national perspective instead of the parochial state of origin. The classification attempts have been seen by many as a ploy to deepen the divisive character covertly kindled in the recent times.
Unfortunately, Nigerians have started to see almost every situation and statement from either tribal, religious or political perspective and the recent classification of Nigerian returnees from South Africa by their states and regions appears to be in that frame.
On the return recently of 187 Nigerians who fled South Africa over xenophobia attack, Abike Dabiri-erewa, the chief executive officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), listed the states with highest number of returnees from the former apartheid enclave. The justification for this may be tacit but some people think this is not necessary at the time the nation was dealing with a national issue.
To the world, Nigerians and other African nationals were attacked in South Africa and back home, it will infer and solidify cohesiveness if every statement in this regard is built around the attack on Nigeria. But classifying the returnees by their states begins to engender a disassociated feeling in states and their governors whose ‘people’ were not victims.
The arrangement between Federal Government and the private Airline, Air Peace, is not clear but the Airline displayed national patriotism by volunteering, according to reports, on its own volition, to fly people for free back to the commercial capital Lagos without minding the states the returnees come from.
In the same national patriotism, Lagos State government also deserves commendation for, according to reports, giving the sum of N20, 000 to each of the 315 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa without considering the state of origin of the returnees.
While receiving the returnees and presenting the money, Jermaine Sanwo-olu, senior special assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Diaspora said that the money was a palliative measure for the returnees.
When national issues are involved, it is expected that all hands should be deck as Air Peace and Lagos State demonstrated to treat the issues nationally.
Even if there will be greater involvement of respective victimstates, which was perhaps the intention of revealing returnee-states, it is an issue Federal Government and the states should tackle discreetly without bringing it to the fore to avoid making it look as if the states have their own respective foreign policy.
The thinking is that the returnees should have been handled the same way internally displaced persons (IDP) are being handled. Alternatively, the Federal Government should have reached out to respective states and voluntary donors for funding to take care of the returnees in the short period before they re-join their families. Other institutions and companies should have emulated Air Peace to fight Nigeria’s course. Though, the states have their security votes, but in this issue, the returnees are simply national “liabilities” as Internally Displaced Persons are.
However, Federal Government also deserves commendation for standing up on the issue of xenophobia against Nigerians. It did not only give the returnees stipends to get back to their respective homes but also made available a medical team to provide assistance to those with medical conditions. It did this without considering their states because this is a national question.
In the spirit of nationalism, telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, also donated phones bundled with SIMS and airtime to the returnees who arrived from South Africa
Airtel said the donation was a measure to assist the returnees settle down as well as help them make instant connection with their loved ones, family members and friends across the country.
Abike Dabiri-erewa, commended Airtel for extending a helping hand to the returnees, saying that other corporate organizations should emulate the telco in helping the returnees settle down to life in their home country.
“Airtel has always taken proactive steps to help returnees. When we had returnees from Libya, Airtel was on hand to offer support; and now, they are offering similar support to the South African returnees. Aside these, they are also partnering with the Commission to further help Nigerians in the Diaspora. I commend Airtel for taking these fine steps,” she said.
This is the expected ideal spirit instead of the categorisation of returnees by states, making it look as if the states are different from Nigeria.
Going forward, Federal Government should mandate states and local governments to set up enlightened travel platforms for their citizens. Many Nigerians feel that there is green pasture out there which may not necessarily be true.
Last Wednesday, Air Peace evacuated 315 more Nigerians from South Africa. Their return followed Nigerian government’s approval to any Nigerian in South Africa willing to return home to register for that purpose.
Nigerians abroad are representing the country whether in their good or bad character. When they behave well, they bring glory to Nigeria. When they behave badly, they bring shame to the country in general and not their states.
Today, Federal Government, Lagos State and Air Peace, Airtel and perhaps other institutions and agencies have demonstrated exemplary nationalism by rescuing citizens that were stranded in South Africa. The issue should remain Nigeria’s affair. The categorisation of returnees state by state is simply divisive.