The Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative (ARDI), on Sunday, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent visit to South Africa over xenophobic attacks on Nigerians has psychological, spiritual and physical benefits to both countries.
It also said South Africans would now be humbled, especially those government officials who openly defended the unruly behaviour of their people.
Executive Secretary of ARDI, Chief Dennis Aghanya made this known in a statement made available to TribuneOnline in Abuja.
According to him, the agreement between the two countries to issuing 10-year visas to businessmen, academics and frequent travellers is one of the greatest development in our relationship.
“It implies that both countries can now guarantee the safety and conducive business environment for each other’s nationals in their respective countries.
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“The bilateral agreement would further encourage the collaboration of efforts by the security agencies of both countries to curb the illicit flow of funds and drugs across each other’s borders,” he stressed.
Chief Aghanya said there was, therefore, no doubt that the president has initiated moves through the visit to encourage more interaction among citizens of both countries and further strengthen socio-cultural, economic and political relations.
He urged the president to further extend the same initiative towards other African governments to open up their economy for more Nigerian businesses and ensure safety and ease of doing business for them in their countries.
“We should also extend the same gesture to nationals of other countries here in Nigeria.
“The attack in all ramification is certainly a condemnable one but not to the extent of pulling down the roof in retaliation. Patience, endurance and diplomacy are rare attributes in men but they distinguish leaders who imbibe them because it guarantees astonishing wisdom making decisions in the face of provocations like the xenophobic attacks,” he stated.
With that visit, he said President Buhari has demonstrated utmost wisdom like an elder statesman that he is, saying some people had canvassed all sorts of retaliatory responses when the incident occurred but it would not have brought the desired solution as much as what the country now has.
“To say that what South Africans did is abominable is an understatement, but we must restrain ourselves in the face of provocations. Our contributions during their liberation struggle was significant, hence the need for us to continue to tolerate their excesses,” Chief Aghanya added.
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