Senate cancels protest visit to South Africa

The senate has cancelled its planned visit to the South African parliament to protest against the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians.

Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, announced the decision of upper legislative during a plenary session on Wednesday.

He said the decision of the senate was informed by the need for the legislature to send a single delegation to South Africa.

The house of representatives had already nominated Femi Gbajabiamila, house leader, to lead five members of the lower legislative chamber to South Africa for the same reason.

They are – Nnenna Okeje, Sadiq Ibrahim, Henry Nwawuba, Nasiru Daura, and Shehu Musa.

Last Tuesday, the senate resolved to send a strong delegation to South Africa to protest against the attacks on Nigerians in the country.

The upper legislative chamber took the decision after‎ Rose Oko, a senator from Cross River north, moved a motion urging it to intervene in the resurgence of xenophobic attacks.

In recent times, aggrieved South Africans have attacked Nigerians and their businesses.

The Nigerian Union in the country reported that pieces of property worth millions were destroyed in the attacks.

Responding to the development last Tuesday, the senate resolved “to send a strong parliamentary delegation to the South African parliament to register its displeasure at the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians”.

But the senate has now aborted the plan.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, senior special assistant to the president on foreign affairs and diaspora, had earlier warned the South Afric‎an government against the attacks, threatening consequences if they persist.