Elumelu, NBM condemn onslaught on foreigners in South Africa

Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Tony Elumelu, has strongly condemned attack on foreigners in South Africa, describing it as despicable.

In his reaction in Lagos yesterday, he said: “We must say no to barbarism and savagery. Deliberately and violently mutilating, destroying and killing our brothers and raping our sisters are un-African and dehumanising. Instead, we must always seek to elevate, protect and help one another. This saddens me! It is despicable and pure madness!”

According to him, “our greatest threat in Africa is not our fellow African brothers and sisters. It is poverty! And as I have often said, poverty anywhere is a threat to all of us everywhere. Let’s not lose sight of our shared destiny. Africa is such a beautiful and blessed continent and we Africans are our greatest resource.”

Also, the Neo Black Movement of Africa Worldwide (NBM of Africa Worldwide) has condemned the “disheartening and barbaric xenophobic attacks by South African citizens on other nationals, especially Nigerians.”

The organisation noted that over the years, African countries stood by the former apartheid nation during its most difficult times when the minority whites held the blacks hostage in same enclave.

In a statement yesterday, the body’s National President, Chief Felix Kupa, said: “These inhumane attacks are totally condemnable and against the spirit and ideologies of Africanism and social, cultural, economic and political treaties that exist among African countries.”

Kupa, therefore, urged the South African, Nigerian governments and other world powers to “rise up to their collective task and responsibility of protecting lives, property and investments of Nigerians as well as all other persons living in any part of Africa.”

He condoled with families of the victims and cautioned against reprisals.

The NBM chief also called on the African Union (AU) and other regional bodies to address the situation and prevent escalation of the crisis.