By Teddy Nwanunobi
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has advised Nigerians to stop investing in South Africa in response to targeted attacks on them and their property in the country.
“I totally agree that there should be a stop to foolishness. The kind of retaliation I want is for Nigerians to boycott South Africa. Do you know what it means? Boycott South Africa. Don’t invest in that country.
“Leave their country. If they want to invest in our country, let them bring their money and invest. And determine how they take the money back. That is non violence action,” he said in an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday.
Onyema, however, urged Nigerians against violence retaliation, insisting they should boycott South Africa as a way of retaliation.
“Let us do non-violent retaliation. I don’t want Nigerians to go to the street and attack any South Africans. Nigerians are not like that. We love foreigners. Nigerians are not like that. That’s not the kind of retaliation I want.
“I don’t want Nigeria to close down MTN or other companies. Don’t Nigerians have shares in those companies? After all, those people are Nigerians too. I don’t want that,” he said.
The Air Peace CEO, who accused South Africans of laziness and failure to support foreign nationals, hailed Nigerians for contributing to the country’s economy through continued entrepreneurship and investment.
“What have they (South Africans)done? The shops they (Nigerians) are running, what kind of employment did you provide for him to run a shop? He brought money from Nigeria and opened a shop in your country to help your country and help you. The best you could have done is to learn from these Nigerians and acquire some entrepreneurial skills,” he stated.
Onyema’s statement came amid escalating xenophobic attacks targeted at Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa.
Amid the tension, two Nigerians were killed while many others suffered attacks on their property and businesses.
The Nigerian community leaders in the rainbow country also said at least 105 compatriots had been killed in the rainbow country over the past seven years following xenophobic attacks against migrants.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government had repatriated 268 nationals amid the xenophobic attacks and several other Nigerians expected to be evacuated from the country before the June 30 deadline set by the protesters for migrants to leave the country.