Xenophobia resurgent and the paradox of survival in South Africa (ll)

This is important as our justifiably enraged nationals are calling for total show-down with South Africa. The withdrawal of our envoy which has earned the Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs a suspension is one case in point. Apparently reading the mood of the nation as signaled in the reaction of the National Assembly, the Permanent […]

This is important as our justifiably enraged nationals are calling for total show-down with South Africa. The withdrawal of our envoy which has earned the Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs a suspension is one case in point. Apparently reading the mood of the nation as signaled in the reaction of the National Assembly, the Permanent Secretary thought it apt and rife to recall the Ambassador and his Deputy without clearing with Mr. President who is currently in a no-nonsense mood with any action, deliberate or not, that reveals a tendency to undermine his eclipsing authority in the twilight of his reign!   I am in sync with those who think that South Africa deserves a bloody nose for their perennial disdain and utter contempt for Nigeria, along with other ‘foreign’ Africans grabbing their menial jobs in their country! Yet, I believe that it is also time to reflect deeply on why and how we got to this pass with South Africa and such other African countries who have fed from our hands in the past and who would rather repay us with treacherous acts of betrayal.
First is the observation that Nigeria’s megalomaniac foreign policy (as against what is described as the quiet or level-headed foreign policy of South Africa) was never accompanied by any pursuit of the economic interest of the nation. We give, bleeding from it, without taking any steps to utilize the crying opportunities in the countries that we benefit through economic exploits such as massive investments, industrial and manufacturing exploitation/exploration in those countries. Look at the ways the Chinese have taken over the economy of Sierra-Leone-a sister country that look up to Nigeria as their ‘big brother’ who should come and man their minerals and other natural resources. The Chinese have taken over the commanding heights of the country’s economy, including low cadre jobs that the natives could do.
The last time I was in Senegal, and that was on the eve of Wade’s departure after failing to replace himself with his son! the whole nation, including the President, was sprawling at Nigeria’s feet, literally. President Wade was, himself, full of adulation for Nigeria for her generous financial hand-outs, including largely financing the Cultural edifice-the Monument-which Chief Obasanjo, literally worshipped in the country-literally bank-rolled.    All these countries, including Guinea-yearned for a more dynamic intervention of Nigeria in their economy. Is this not the reason why Nigerians are only involved, at the individual level, in the informal sector off the economy of South Africa, why indeed the real sectors-the industrial and manufacturing fall, haplessly on the laps of foreign capital-as we anger the South African plebeians over competition for petty trading and lowly businesses which they consider their operational domains?  By 2012, South Africa had been eighteen years out of the woods of the disastrous Apartheid and her now economy booms, next to Nigeria after fresh rebasing. Even though unemployment is still relatively high among the teeming masses, which is a main reason for the xenophobic rage (out of the 27 % unemployment figure in South Africa, 62% of it are among the black Africans who have very limited access to economic opportunities and basic services from where the wealth of the nation flows), the export trade of the country hit $101 billion in 2012. The mania of xenophobic attacks among the youths in South Africa may lack rhyme, as it does, but they don’t believe that it has no reason! Their ten main partners of South Africa in export trade have no African involvement. Their key partners are, in this order, China (14.5%), United States (7.9%), Japan (5.7%), India (4.4%) and the United Kingdom at 4.4%. This is at a time that MTN and Shopright are smiling to the banks with the high yields in Nigerian business. Ditto the import trading hitting the $106 billion mark, again dominated by the same G7 nations including Germany, and now Saudi Arabia. The participation of Nigeria in the export and import trades of South Africa is rated marginal and in direct disproportion to Nigeria’s contribution to the rise of that nation from ‘slavery’ to freedom and liberation.  
Before we finally bring down the roof on the Nigerian-South African relations, we must also pause to ask why our nationals at that level flock to South Arica to seek for businesses at the informal level-businesses which they can do here and buoy up our own nation’s economy, rather that South African’s, whose citizens are spoiling for a fight against deprivation by people who are deploying their own resources, skills and enterprises to swell their nation’s economy. What is the attraction in South Africa that is not in Nigeria that makes our citizens literally migrate to that country by all and any means? Is it social clemency in a crime-ravaged country that South Africa is? Is it superior social and technical infrastructure? This may be a strong point, given the fact that power is far more stable in South Africa than in Nigeria. I am told that the electricity available in South Africa with its tiny population is many folds greater than the one available in our populous nation! Neither natural nor human resources abound in greater quantum in South Africa than in Nigeria, yet Nigerians swoop on that country and expose themselves to xenophobic assaults! It is time, and I believe this anticipated era of change has come, to make Nigeria more attractive to its citizens and put paid to that bug in the Nigeria’s citizens of a particular cadre and mentality that make people prefer just any country to their own. Pastures that we know for certain that are not truly green attract our citizens away from home-no matter what groveling employ they may have to subject themselves to, out there-in South Africa!
Is it the same survivalist irony the social media raging, as the quotes a President of Nigerian Union in South Africa, at a time when Nigerians at home are fuming over the unwarranted attacks on our nationals in South Africa, to have announced the end of the diplomatic spat between the two countries with the demand of a compensation of N8.4m (R5m) to victims of the attacks, especially shops looted without insurance cover! I know that many discerning minds in the country have been asking for a moderate re-action and action by the Nigerian government to the attacks, now that the South African government has taken diplomatic steps to assuage the feelings of Nigerians and to curb the violence through decisive security action. But, compensation in such measure of travesty- sums as a final solution to the assault? I do hope such an anti-climax is a devilish social media news error!!
Concluded.