More Nigerians in South Africa expressed outrage on Tuesday over the purported takeover of the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg and the disruption of power supplies to the premises.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Johannesburg City Power officials, along with Metro Police Department troops, raided the embassy to disconnect power supplies due to alleged unpaid bills.
However, the Nigerian Citizen Association South Africa (NICASA) criticised the South African officials’ actions, calling them “extremely retrogressive, xenophobic, and unnecessary.”
The statement was issued by the association’s Secretary General, Kazeem Tunde, and made available to NAN in Abuja on Tuesday.
” We condemn the unwarranted action by City Power and their police cohort on the property of the consulate of Nigeria.
” It is clear that City Power was out to embarass and humiliate Nigeria and Nigerian citizens in the republic.
” There cannot be any plausible excuse to warrant the invasion of the Nigerian Consulate.
” The action is very retrogressive, xenophobic and avoidable.
” If City Power can invade the consulate of any country without consequence, then the police can as well go into any consulate to make an arrest without respecting the Vienna Convention on consular relations,” the statement said in part.
It expressed hope that both countries will take serious action against those guilty for the “heinous action” to prevent a repeat.
The message advised Nigerians in that nation to be calm, saying the situation was being handled through diplomatic channels by the Consul General and will be resolved properly.
The National Association of Nigerian Students South Africa has also expressed its concern with the occurrence.
In a statement made available to NAN, the student body stated its views.
The statement was signed by President Abdulrazak Abubakar and Secretary General Olusegun Ajayi.
The group expressed its displeasure with what it considered the Nigerian Consulate’s humiliating treatment.
” For the record, the new Consul General, who got into the office in August 2022, has been doing his best to clear the said outstanding electricity bill in a mutual agreement process with City Power and he has never failed in honouring that agreement.
” It became very baffling how the payment agreement process was thrown to the winds and the men of City Power would have to go and invade the Nigerian Consulate without appropriate notice.
” This is a clear deviation from the diplomatic respect that is due the Nigerian Consulate and absolute attempt to humiliate the consulate.
” Note that the Nigerian Consulate has, among many other things, doubled its efforts to make sure that Nigerians in South Africa are promoting peace, legality and productivity and the City Power should not be a distraction at this critical time,” it said.
According to the body, the consulate is committed to quality representation of Nigeria in South Africa and would not do anything to jeopardise any indigenous or foreign organisation and business in South Africa and will so request that in return.
It urged the South African authorities to respect the Nigerian Consulate and notify it on matters the public, organisations and individuals would want the Nigerian Consulate to act upon.
