Ahead of the inauguration of the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, May 29, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a warning to the South African president, Jacob Zuma, to stay away from the inauguration ceremony, Nigerian Eye reports.
In a statement distributed to various media houses and signed by the NANS president, Tijani Usman, the body advised Zuma not to bother coming to the ceremony. They said his visit would be an insult to the people of Nigeria over his poor handling of the xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, including Nigerians.
Excerpts from the statement read, “We wish to advise the South African President (Jacob Zuma) to rather stay at home and address burning issues, rather than embarking on a visit that is the least desirable.
“The South African President’s failure to apologise to Nigeria for the losses the country and our citizens incurred during the xenophobic attacks on foreigners leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. There is therefore, no point felicitating with a people who clearly do not matter much to you. President Zuma’s visit will only amount to pretence”.
The students body also threatened to lay siege to Zuma at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, if he goes ahead to come to Nigeria after their warning.
They also promised that they will destroy South African investments in the country if there are further reports of attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa.
Zuma recently received the former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who went with Akinwunmi Adeshina, Nigeria’s minister of agriculture, to lobby the South African leader over Adeshina’s aspiration to be the president of the African Development Bank (AFDB).
In a statement distributed to various media houses and signed by the NANS president, Tijani Usman, the body advised Zuma not to bother coming to the ceremony. They said his visit would be an insult to the people of Nigeria over his poor handling of the xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, including Nigerians.
Excerpts from the statement read, “We wish to advise the South African President (Jacob Zuma) to rather stay at home and address burning issues, rather than embarking on a visit that is the least desirable.
“The South African President’s failure to apologise to Nigeria for the losses the country and our citizens incurred during the xenophobic attacks on foreigners leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. There is therefore, no point felicitating with a people who clearly do not matter much to you. President Zuma’s visit will only amount to pretence”.
The students body also threatened to lay siege to Zuma at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, if he goes ahead to come to Nigeria after their warning.
They also promised that they will destroy South African investments in the country if there are further reports of attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa.
Zuma recently received the former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who went with Akinwunmi Adeshina, Nigeria’s minister of agriculture, to lobby the South African leader over Adeshina’s aspiration to be the president of the African Development Bank (AFDB).
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