Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has called on President Bola Tinubu to cut short his ongoing foreign visits and return to Nigeria in response to attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
In a post shared on X on Monday, Ezekwesili criticised the President’s decision to continue his visits to France, Kenya and Rwanda despite reports of violence targeting Nigerians abroad.
“Return Home, Mr President: The Nigerian Government Must Stop Treating the Killing and Attacks on Nigerians in South Africa as Routine Diplomacy.
“Mr President Tinubu, it is a total absence of leadership to set out on a three-nation junket to France, Kenya, and Rwanda while the bodies of our citizens lay slain in South Africa while the rest hide from a raging mob,” she said.
Ezekwesili argued that the Federal Government’s response so far — including summoning envoys, issuing travel advisories and evacuating some citizens — was inadequate.
“The recurring killing, harassment, looting and intimidation of Nigerians in South Africa is no longer a matter for routine diplomatic statements,” she said.
She further stated that the continued attacks reflected a deeper issue of the Nigerian state failing to protect its citizens both at home and abroad.
The former minister urged the government to demand a comprehensive account from South African authorities detailing reported incidents, including deaths, injuries, destroyed businesses, arrests and compensation measures.
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She also called for a “time-bound justice framework” to ensure proper investigation, prosecution and restitution for victims.
In addition, Ezekwesili emphasised the need to strengthen Nigeria’s consular support system to better protect citizens overseas.
Highlighting Nigeria’s historical role in the anti-apartheid struggle, she said the current situation undermines that legacy.
“Nigeria did not stand aside during apartheid. Through the Southern Africa Relief Fund, ordinary Nigerians gave from their meagre incomes to support the liberation struggle. Nigeria provided financial, diplomatic, and moral leadership to the African National Congress and other movements when it mattered most,” she said.
She urged President Tinubu to leverage diplomatic ties to push South African President Cyril Ramaphosa into taking decisive action.
“President Tinubu would get his counterpart, President Ramaphosa of South Africa, to decisively act and end the killings of our citizens once they can see that Nigeria is ready to deploy everything possible to protect our citizens living in their country,” she said.
Ezekwesili concluded that failure to act decisively could weaken the government’s credibility and deepen what she described as a “legitimacy deficit.”