In apparent response to xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to shut down business link to South Africans in Nigeria.
NANS president, Akinteye Babatunde on Friday declared a nationwide protest against South African interests in Nigeria, threatening to shut down operations of MTN and MultiChoice.
The student leader also called onNigerians to close their accounts with Stanbic IBTC Bank.
He said the planned action was in response to South Africa’s treatment of Nigeria and Nigerians, adding that NANS is prepared to mobilise students across the country to ensure the protest is carried out.
“We are going to shut down MTN and MultiChoice. We will force Nigerians to close their accounts with Stanbic IBTC Bank,” the NANS President declared.
He maintained that the protest was aimed at putting pressure on South African-linked companies operating in Nigeria, calling on students and members of the public to support the action.
He said the protest would be peaceful but insisted that Nigerian youths have the numbers and influence to make their voices heard.
According to him, the association is encouraging Nigerians to move away from South African-owned businesses and support indigenous companies instead.
“We have Nigerian telecommunications that are doing well. We can invest in them. We are going to instruct our Aluta forces cut across the nation to begin to port from MTN to Nigerian-owned telecoms.”
He also urged Nigerians using MultiChoice services and those banking with Stanbic IBTC to consider switching to Nigerian-owned alternatives.
“We are going to also sound a plenum of warning to those who are using MultiChoice products, who are patronising Stanbic, to begin to close down their accounts and start patronising Nigerian-owned banks.”
The student leader stressed that the campaign would remain peaceful, saying violence was not the solution despite the anger over the situation in South Africa.
“We have the power. We have the capacity. Nigeria has a population of over 240 million people and I can tell you for free that 60 percent of that population are youths. We are students and we have the capacity to do it.”
“If the government of South Africa is not ready to take responsibility, we are not going to be violent. We are not going to pay violence with violence because two wrongs do not make a right but we are going to go about it in a peaceful coordinated way until our voices are heard, until the welfare of Nigerian citizens in South Africa are accounted for.”
The NANS President claimed the association had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum to the South African government but was disappointed by what followed.
According to him, rather than seeing efforts to protect Nigerians and their businesses, reports emerged of businesses allegedly being looted after their owners fled the violence.
He also alleged that the South African government moved to nationalise some businesses abandoned by Nigerians, a development he described as unacceptable.
The student leader further thanked lawmakers, including Senators Adams Oshiomhole and Asuquo Ekpenyong, for speaking on the issue and backing calls for stronger action against South African interests operating in Nigeria.
(Ripples)