Be ready to go back to South Africa, Obasanjo tells Nigerians fleeing xenophobic attack

He added: “One good thing I discovered among many is what the president said to me, that ‘there is so much at stake and whatever mistake we have made, we have to correct it.’ And I think that was a very good statement and I know that he meant it because, he immediately said, ‘Look, what can we do or should we do?’”

While advising the South African government, Obasanjo said, “The idea of thinking or saying that foreigners are taking your jobs should be killed because most of these foreigners paid (sic) something into the country.

“I met more than two Nigerians who are doing legitimate businesses and the turnover runs into millions of dollars and they employed 50 to 60 South Africans.

All these must be expressed and must be shown that Nigerians in South Africa are not drug peddlers and criminals. There are many of them that are genuine businessmen and professionals and who are making meaningful contributions to the economy and the social life of that country.

“I think that is all we must be doing and be saying and I said my joy is that President Cyril Ramaphosa is ready to do what needs to be done to stop these incidents and to put the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa on the right track.” (PUNCH)