THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2012
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NEWS NIGERIA-SOUTH AFRICA ROW
they helped liberate I
•South African President Jacob Zuma: Any •Soyinka: Once ‘embarrassed’ by South Africa hidden agenda?
week
Soyinka’s raw deal in Madiba’s country
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N 2005, Prof. Wole Soyinka was denied entry into South Africa. It took the last minute intervention of Nelson Mandela’s wife Graca Machel to admit the Nobel Laureate into South Africa. Soyinka’s trip to South Africa was in response to an invitation to deliver a lecture in honour of Mandela, an event that drew national and international focus to South Africa, both because of Mandela, whose birthday it was and Soyinka who was the guest speaker. Soyinka informed the organisers before he travelled to South Africa about his inability to obtain a South African visa and they promised that a visa would be waiting for him at the airport on arrival. In a letter to explain the situation, Prof. Soyinka noted that “It is true that I did leave Nigeria without a visa, owing to circumstances which I need not narrate at the moment. It is also equally true, however, that I telephoned the organisers of the Mandela event about the situation, and was assured that a visa would be waiting for me at the airport.” But he was on arrival at the Johannesburg International Airport informed by the Immigration officers “that the regulations which permitted such an arrangement had been overtaken by a new legislation that was two weeks old. Evidently, the organisers were unaware of that very recent impediment. It would require a more senior officer, I was told, to review the situation and take a decision.” Soyinka had to wait at the airport. He was later told he would be allowed in on three conditions: payment of the visa cost, a fine, and a refundable deposit. But the story soon changed. He said: “I agreed to all these conditions. The senior officer who would execute these procedures reported for duty two hours later and I companied her to her office. We went through the preliminaries and a call was put through to the head
‘We need to change our perception of Nigerians’
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SOUTH African travel and hospitality consultant, Elisha Maistry, has said his compatriots need to change their perception of Nigerians. Maistry, last month, said: “South Africans need to change their perception of Nigerians in South Africa and profile Nigeria as a nation that will add economic value to South Africa. We (South Africans) need to see Nigerians as tourists and businessmen and not opportunists. “We need to understand what Nigerians are looking for. Is it the sea, mountains or just peace and quiet? Once we know their needs, then we can show them how attractive South Africa is to meet their needs. “We need to explore both drive and fly opportunities and create packages that are affordable and attractive.” She said Nigerians have a role to play to make South Africans perceive them in good light. “We need to change the stigma, stop illegal immigrants to South Africa because they are the ones that give the bad name to Nigeria. We need to find a way to make the Nigerians in South Africa understand that illegal business accord their country a status, there must be some literature to all travellers on this matter.” Maistry urged Nigeria to also work on its tourism potentials. She said: “As a travel destination, Nigeria needs to drive the flow of business and leisure travels from South Africa to Nigeria. What plans do you have in place to convince more South Africans to visit Nigeria for business and leisure purposes? Create opportunities that are attractive to South Africans, there must be an attraction for people to want to go to Nigeria and we need to explore all the strength of Nigeria and use this effectively.” By Olukorede Yishau
office in Pretoria. I was handed the telephone, interrogated by someone. I explained what had happened, who had invited me and for what etc. etc. Finally, after an incredible wait of some more hours, I was informed by the same Johannesburg officer that I had been refused entry. This was despite a letter that had been demanded and faxed to Pretoria from the Institute affirming the status of my invitation.” He waited for over eight hours before he was told that his entry was formally denied. The playwright said that “ is not my idea of decent conduct towards one who is not an unknown to South African officials, has made several ‘regularized’ visits in the past, and has indeed been invited to the country on this occasion to do honour to the founding father of the modern
South African nation.” He decided to take the next available flight out and was on his way to board a flight out when an immigration official ran after the professor and informed him of the decision to let him in. Mandela’s wife was said to have been the brain behind the change of heart. Soyinka said: “Regarding how the matter was resolved, it is significant that it took intervention from quite high up, but outside the Immigration setup to compel those officials to rescind their decision to do what they should have done in the first place. In other words, the mechanism - even within the regulations - existed for dealing with an irregular situation, but those who possessed the authority and the responsibility to apply their discretion, chose to exercise it negatively, and only after taking several hours to weigh the merits or demerits of the situation!“
‘Time to call their bluff’
T is astounding how history seems to be cruel to Nigeria both in the sub-region and the whole continent of Africa. Nigeria is in perpetual struggle to be recognised, or appreciated. Those countries to whom Nigeria has been ‘father Christmas’ either in material and financial contribution or in share human commitment have almost all either been indifferent outright or antagonistic to Nigeria’s interests. The exceptions perhaps are Sierra Leone and Liberia where thousands of Nigerians perished and billions of Nigeria’s tax payers’ money expended. Almost all the others have ganged up against Nigeria in one forum or another. Nigerians would remember two countries which literally lived on Nigeria in their hours of needs. Angola was sustained during and immediately after independence virtually by Nigeria. Tons and tons of money are alleged to have been ferried to Angola to aid its liberation struggle and make it stand on its legs immediately the colonialists and their domestic agents were kicked out. The case of South Africa was more spectacular. How many Nigerians would remember that Nigeria was tagged ‘frontline State’ during the apartheid years? Referring to Nigeria as a frontline state is a geographical heresy since the two countries are separated by thousands of miles and about ten countries. It is materials, financial and moral support our country gave to South Africa in its years of travails that made imperialists in the west and in the apartheid South Africa referred to Nigeria as frontline. Nigeria unabashedly and frontally supported South Africa even when Whitehall prevaricated. Nigeria risked all the support and friendship of key allies in the West to fight the apartheid war. The ANC (of old) responded by sending Nelson Mandela to Nigeria immediately he was released from prison. Nigeria was the first country the nationalist visited after his twenty six-year incarceration. The
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Nigeria deserves correct behaviour from South Africa, not applying oppressive, crude and sly diplomatic antics. I have no idea about the pedigree of Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, but the little l observed from his television news reports, he seems to be firm. By all means let Nigeria get rid of these pretty irritations
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By Deji Fasuan
Babangida administration declared a public holiday nationwide to honour the release of Africa’s hero. The above incidences showed vividly the commitment of this country to the freedom and development of the former apartheid enclave. Nigeria has a curious love for that country. Apart from the hordes of fortune seekers and hawkers who swarm to South Africa yearly, the elite have considered that country a viable alternative for holiday and relaxation rather than the U.K or even Dubai. Certainly, Nigeria deserves correct behaviour from South Africa, not applying oppressive, crude and sly diplomatic antics. I have no idea about the pedigree of Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, but the little l observed from his television news reports, he seems to be firm. By all means let Nigeria get rid of these pretty irritations. •Fasuan, a retired Permanent Secretary, writes from Ado-Ekiti
Lagos speaker: enough is enough
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PEAKER of the Lagos State House of Assembly Adeyemi Ikuforiji yesterday said South Africa must eb called to order. The speaker spoke against the backdrop of the deportation of 125 Nigerians from the country. The issue was raised yesterday at the plenary session under matter of urgent public importance by Hon. Rasaq Balogun representing Surulere constituency 2. According to Balogun, “Nigerians, including a serving senator were deported because they were alleged to hold fake yellow fever cards. This is an embarrassment to us as Nigerians from a country with a high case of HIV/AIDS.” The lawmaker said the action is unacceptable and hostile, saying with their HIV prevalence, their people are still allowed into Nigeria. Ikuforiji said right from time South Africa has been hostile to Nigerians, saying drastic action needed to be taken to stop South Africa’s harassment of Nigeria citi-
By Oziegbe Okoeki
zens. He said: “Is it possible for 125 Nigerians in the plane to have fake yellow fever cards? The issue of South Africa is very irritating but I think they have decided at the top level that Nigerians must be humiliated. Are they better than Nigeria in terms of criminal activity? They get so much from us but pay back with nothing.” Hon. Sanai Agunbiade (Ikorodu 1) added that the deportation is condemnable, saying Nigerians need to adhere to travel requirements in order to avoid such embarrassment. However, Hon. Funmilayo Tejuosho (Mushin 1) told her colleagues not to criticise South Africans for their action, calling for investigation on the issue. “I am not supporting their action but there is need for us to follow their rules and regulations and we should not castigate them until we have found out what happened,”she said.
‘Touts should not handle Yellow Card’ A chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Alhaji Abdulrahman Baffa, said the deportation of Nigerians by the South African authorities was a call for Nigeria to be more diligent in handling the Yellow Card issue. He urged all stakeholders involved in the issuance of the document to change their approach and called for
proper screening of Nigerians who wanted to leave the country. Baffa advised that the card should be improved upon to make it difficult for touts to access. The National Chairman of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Mr Damian Ogbonna, called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to dig into the fake yellow card allegation.