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As Lawmaker Bickers with Rufai over Threat
- Safiu Kehinde
Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomole, has defended his call to nationalise all South African companies in Nigeria over the xenophobic attack on the Nigerians in South Africa.
NPO Reported that Oshiomole had last week charged the Nigerian government to review its bilateral relationship with South Africa amid revived assaults on Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africans.
The former Edo state governor had during Senate plenary session raised call for the nationalisation of all South African companies in the country as a form of retaliation against the attacks which had led to the death of two Nigerians.
Oshiomole’s call had since sparked divided opinions from the public with some supporting the call while others raised concern over such move.
Appearing on Arise TV programme on Tuesday, the Edo lawmaker would be engaged in heated argument with popular TV host, Oseni Rufai, who questioned his call for nationalisation.
In response, Oshiomole cited the initial silence of the South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, over the Xenophobic attacks as reason for his call.
“The President of South Africa is a major shareholder in MTN. And as at time I spoke, he has found it very convenient to keep quiet.
“I am also aware that during the campaign of President Ramaphosa for election, he made the issue that foreigners were doing the jobs of South Africans.
“Now the South Africans are hungry. There is no employment and so on and they have to transfer aggression against black people.
“When you hit Ramaphosa as President, you touch his economic interest in Nigeria, he will speak out. And call your colleagues in South Africa, they will tell you after they watch what I said on the floor of the Nigerian Senate.” He said.
Rufai however challenged the lawmaker’s submission as he raised question over the impact of such call on foreign investment in Nigeria.
“Senator Oshiomole, but it is the same government that said they want investment. How does that sound like when you can arbitrarily nationalise people’s shares when they come to invest in your country and you want foreign direct investment?
“If Nigerians have any issue with other countries, so they nationalise their shares. That is Adams Oshiomole sees things, right?” The journalist asked.
In reaction, Oshiomole reaffirmed his stance on the prioritisation of Nigerians safety over investment.
“Rufai, you place more weight on wealth than the life of human beings. If anything lead to the death of Nigerians, what is the value of wealth to the death?
“If it is your own value system that investment is more important than the life of Nigerians that are being wasted and killed in South Africa and the government is not on record that they’ve convicted anybody to prison, and I know that those in government in South Africa are making money from Nigeria economy.
“In my judgement, life is more important. We don’t want investors who invest at the expense of human blood.” He said before being interrupted by Rufai who questioned the lawmaker over why the wealth of Nigerian rich men is not nationalised over the incessant killings in the northern part of the country.
Oshiomole talked down the journalist’s question as he reiterated his call for the nationalisation of South African companies, alleging that the government of the country has breached their agreement with Nigeria on the issue of Xenophobia.
“Rufai this to you, please go ahead and nationalise. That is not my problem. I do not belong to the excessive free market people. But are human economy, wealth, and foreign investment more important than the life of a Nigeria?
“The first time they killed Nigerians, they ran away with it. The second in riot, they got away with it. Third time they killed Nigerians, they got away with it.
“Under Buhari, there was an agreement. They broke it and they are killing Nigerians. Nobody is in prison for murder.
“You are talking about law. Is there no law for the life of foreigners who live in your country? Even if they were there illegally, there are legal ways to repatriate them.
“If you are a slave of wealth and foreign investors- even if blood-soaked, you are happy with that because you want the Dollars by all means.” He said.
Oshiomole further maintained that he has no regret with his call which he claimed to have been widely backed by the Nigerian community in South Africa.
“Rufai, you and I did not belong in the same school and did not share the same value system. Money is not everything for me. If you want to trivalise it, and compare banana with oranges, it is your choice.
“But I am clear and Nigerians know where I stand. I am happy that Nigerians in South Africa are happy that somebody spoke for them.
“Even the South African President, after I spoke and accused him of doing nothing that he will go on his knees to beg when we hit him, he has made a broadcast condemning the attack which he didn’t do before I said it.
“So, Rufai, I have no regret in whatsoever.” He added.