Xenophobic attacks: Assembly member calls on immediate action on xenophobic attack on Nigerians

A member of the House of Representatives from Rivers State, Kingsley Chinda, has called on the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, to cut short the ongoing recess and attend to the killings of Nigerians in South Africa.

He made the call in a statement he personally signed and issued to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to Chinda, the move became necessary following the latest round of xenophobic attack against Nigerians in South Africa in which three people were killed while an injured person is still receiving treatment for smoke inhalation.

In his statement, Chinda said: “There is no better reason to reconvene the House than to save the lives of Nigerians and protect our integrity as a nation.

“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.

“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 argued that as federal legislators, they will be failing in their duty if the parliament does not act promptly.