LAGOS — The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has called on Nigerians to adopt a non-violent economic boycott of South Africa in response to recurring xenophobic attacks against African migrants.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, Onyema urged Nigerians to stop investing in South Africa while encouraging businesses to invest in Nigeria under terms determined by the Nigerian government.
“The kind of retaliation I want is for Nigerians to boycott South Africa. Don’t invest in that country. If they want to invest in our country, let them bring their money and invest, and you determine how they take the money back. That is non-violence action,” he said.
The Air Peace boss accused South African authorities of failing to adequately protect foreign nationals during periods of unrest, questioning how security agencies failed to prevent attacks on foreign nationals.
“I don’t understand how all of a sudden South Africa lacked police force, lacked the military, lacked every security agency that could have stopped these people,” Onyema stated.
While supporting calls for stronger diplomatic action, Onyema rejected violent retaliation against South Africans or businesses operating in Nigeria, stating he did not want Nigerians to “go to the street and attack any South Africans.”
His remarks come amid renewed anti-foreigner protests in parts of South Africa, where demonstrators have demanded that undocumented migrants leave the country by June 30.