Xenophobic attack: As Reps member asks that recess be called off, Gbajiabimila recall members

Patrick Okohue

The current ordeal of some Nigerians in South Aftrica following the xenophobic attack on Nigerians and their businesses as well as other African nationals in that country may have caught the attention of the Nigerian parliament, a member of the House of Representatives,

Kingsley Chinda, has called on the speaker of the house, Femi Gbajabiamila, to terminate the ongoing recess and attend to the killings of Nigerians in South Africa

This is even as Gbajabiamila seem to have responded to the call swiftly announcing on his twitter handle the recall of members of the lower chamber of the National Assembly to deliberate on the xenophobidc attack.

Chinda made the call in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday.

South Africans on Sunday began fresh attacks, looting and burning of properties belonging to Nigerians and other foreigners in Johannesburg.

The President of the Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA), Adetola Olubajo, alleged on Monday that no fewer than three people have been killed in the renewed attacks.

Hon. Chinda called for the reconvening of the house to resolve on the best way to protect Nigerians.

“There is no better reason to reconvene the House than to save the lives of Nigerians and protect our integrity as a nation,” he said.

He added that “Let the NASS reconvene now for one or two days to discuss and resolve on the best way to protect our people, who are even denied access to our country (The Nigerian Embassy in SA).

“I call on the leadership of NASS to reconvene the Assembly immediately. Our citizens are killed and our nationhood threatened by South Africa.”

He said the House must take a clear position and urged the relevant agency of government to act.

“It is snarls of responsiveness and irresponsibility on the part of government to stay one hour and do nothing while defenceless Nigerians are gruesomely killed in a foreign land without cause.

“We both as a nation and as Nigerians made a sacrifice for the independence of SA from minority white rule,” he said.

“Nigeria spent her money, boycotted international events, carried the crusade to all parts of the world.

“There is no justification for SA to show such unconscionable attitude and devilish ingratitude to Nigeria.”

He said as parliamentarians, they will be failing in their duties if the parliament does not act promptly.

“We must call off the recess now in the overriding public interest. It’s a matter of extreme urgent public importance that we reconvene.”

In what seem like a swift reaction to the call, the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila has said lawmakers of the House of Representatives will be cutting short their four-weeks recess over the killings of the country’s citizens in South Africa.

Gbajabiamila who is currently out of the country in Tanzania for the 50th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPA) made this announcement on his twitter handle.

The speaker did not, however, give details of the direction the debate could swing. He simply said the session would be for a day and that this is after the leadership of the House would have agreed for the recess to be cut short.

Gbajabiamila’s announcement was further confirmed by official Twitter handle of the speaker of the House of Representatives.

The lawmakers are expected to resume fully on September 24

It will be recalled that several Nigerians had lost their lives in different xenophobic attacks over the years in South Africa.