The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ikechukwu Anyene

  • ‘Anambra needs change in leadership’

    ‘Anambra needs change in leadership’

    Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, former President of Nigeria Union, South Africa, says Anambra needs a change in leadership to take the state to greater heights.

    He spoke against the backdrop of the governorship election in Anambra which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Nov. 18.

    Anyene told reporters on telephone from Pretoria, South Africa on Friday that the people of the state had the right to choose a leader that would satisfy their yearnings.

    He said that the people should come out on the Election Day and make the choice of candidate to steer the state.

    Anyene said that from analysis, Mr Oseloka Obazee, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate had potential to move the state forward.

    “As Secretary to the State Government, Obazee assisted in the building of a new Anambra State under the leadership of former governor, Mr Peter Obi.

    “Given his experience as a tested administrator, he will deliver because he has the pedigree.

    “The choice of Chidi Onyemelukwe, as deputy gubernatorial candidate is a good combination that will move the state forward,” Anyene said.

    He urged the candidates to focus on issues and expected quality service to the people.

    “The parties and their candidates should talk less on individuals or character assassination. Anambra is matured enough to have credible leaders.

    “They should focus on issues that will impact positively on the masses.

    “ I also appeal to the people to make the right choice by coming out to vote on the Election Day,” Anyene said.

    NAN

  • Another Nigerian killed in South Africa

    Another Nigerian killed in South Africa

    The Nigerian Union in South Africa on Thursday said that another  Nigerian, Mr Uchena Eloh, has been killed in the Western Cape Province of that country.

    Kanayo Onwumelu, Chairman, Western Cape chapter of the union, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Cape Town that Eloh was strangled to death by South African policemen.

    NAN reports that Eloh hailed from Eziagu in Eziagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

    “We want to call the attention of Nigerian Government to the senseless killing of innocent Nigerians by the police in South Africa.

    “At about 11.00 a.m. South African time on Wednesday, a Nigerian, Uchenna Emmanuel Eloh, popularly known as “Monkey’’, was killed by a South African police officer.

    “He was walking out of his house toward the bus station when a police van stopped to search him, suspecting that he might be in possession of illegal substance.

    “Three policemen accosted Eloh, one of them, by the name Williams, held him on the neck suspecting that he swallowed a substance, while another police officer held him by the legs,’’ he said.

    The union official alleged that the policemen dragged Eloh on the ground until he started foaming and suffocated to death on the spot.

    “This is not the first time such senseless killing of innocent Nigerians was carried out by South African police officers.

    “We have reported similar killings to the South African Government and Nigeria High Commission in South Africa and nothing was done to bring the culprits to book.

    “We want the Nigerian Government to intervene to stop this brutality against innocent Nigerians and stop killing Nigerians out of hatred, racism or xenophobia,’’ he said.

    Ikechukwu Anyene, President of Nigerian Union in South Africa, who also confirmed the incident, called for an end to the incessant killing of Nigerians in South Africa.

    “Our government needs to do something urgently to make it clear that Nigerian lives matter.

    “We have made suggestions on what can be done, but it is now clear to us that the endless talks cannot yield any positive result,’’ Anyene said.

    He said that the union had engaged a lawyer to take up the case against South African Police Service.

    “But, this kind of legal service should form part of consular services to provide legal services to victimised Nigerians,’’ Anyene said.

    The union said that the police have opened an inquest into the case.

  • South African communities give Nigerians quit notice

    The Nigeria Union in South Africa on Wednesday accused two communities in that country of ordering Nigerians to quit the territories.

    President of the union, Mr. Ikechukwu Anyene, said the Kuruman community in Northern Cape Province gave Nigerians till Thursday to leave the place.

    Anyene also said the Klaafontein community, Extension 5, Johannesburg, directed landlords not to renew the rent of Nigerians in the area.

    He said the grievance of the South Africans was that Nigerians were responsible for some social vices such as illicit drug trade and prostitution.

    Anyene said: “The Nigeria union held series of meetings with the affected communities as well as police and local authorities on the recent threats to Nigerians.

    “We have also written reports on these incidents and sent to the Nigerian Mission and the South African police.

    “We recommended interventions before the June 16 deadline to the mission and we are waiting for their response.

    “The union is worried that any incident involving non -South Africans are attributed to Nigerians.”

    Anyene said a Ugandan man, who allegedly raped a girl in Kwazulu Natal Province, was described as a Nigerian in the media.

    “The union believes that the Early Warning Unit set up by Nigerian and South African governments has not been effective.

    “We are yet to have any meeting since the ministers of the two countries met.

    “Since then, there have been sustained media propaganda against our people here,” Anyene added.

    NAN

  • Xenophobia: Nigeria, South Africa set up early warning unit

    Xenophobia: Nigeria, South Africa set up early warning unit

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyema, said on Monday that Nigeria and South Africa have agreed to set up an early warning unit to check future xenophobic attacks.

    Onyema, who is leading a Federal Government delegation to that country, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on a telephone from Pretoria, South Africa.

    The minister said the early warning unit would comprise representatives of the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  Home Affairs, police, immigration, representatives of Nigerian High Commission, consulate  and Nigeria Union.

    “ They will meet every three months and that will be a framework within which the Nigeria Union in South Africa will be able to engage on a permanent basis with the main high-level government officials of this country.

    “ We believe that it will enable them in sharing intelligence, information and being proactive to prevent this kind of thing ever happening again, he said.

    Onyema said the delegation had positive discussions with the South African Foreign Affairs Ministry and  Home Affairs Ministry on how to protect Nigerians and their property.

    He said the meeting agreed to set up the early warning unit to dialogue quarterly to prevent such incident.

    The President of Nigeria Union, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, said Nigerians in South Africa appreciated the delegation’s  visit.

    “ The spirit of our people here has been lifted. The mood has changed and our people are happy,” he said.

    Anyene said the early warning unit set up by the two governments was a positive development because the union would be in a position to interact with top government officials regularly.

    “ On our part, we will advance social cohesion between Nigerians and South Africans,” he said.

    The delegation visited business premises and homes of Nigerians attacked during the xenophobic incidents in  February.

    [news_box style=”2″ display=”tag” link_target=”_blank” tag=”Xenophobia” count=”8″ show_more=”on”]

  • Nigerian shop, others looted in fresh xenophobic attack

    • Dabiri-Erewa criticises minister Gigaba over comments
    The Nigerian community in South Africa said yesterday that another shop belonging to a member was looted in the latest xenophobic attack at Jeppestown, Johannesburg.
    Besides the Nigerian shop, police said no fewer than 100 people ransacked shops in Johannesburg overnight, in the latest wave of looting incidents in South African cities.
    President, Nigeria Union, South Africa Mr Ikechukwu Anyene told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the telephone from Pretoria that the Nigerian shop was looted on Sunday night.
    “We have received information that there was an overnight attack on shops belonging to foreigners at Jeppestown, a business district in Johannesburg.
    “A shop belonging to a Nigerian was affected.
    “The goods in the shop were looted by the attackers. The Nigerian was not hurt during the attack,” Anyene said.
    But South African Police spokesman Brig. Mathapelo Peters said security agents were following on leads and were expecting to make more arrests.
    She said she did not know the nationalities of the shopkeepers and police were waiting for owners to come forward, so that they could open cases of violence and damage to property.
    Similar incidents have taken place in Pretoria this month, but police have been reluctant to characterised the attacks as being directed against foreigners.
    But the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Diaspora Affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa yesterday criticised the South African Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, over his comments on the killing of Nigerians.
    Gigaba was quoted in a statement in the aftermath of the xenophobic attacks that “such issues were better discussed at the diplomatic levels”, when more than 100 Nigerian lives have been lost in South Africa.
    Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa said: “It appears that Mr. Gigaba would rather dwell on and entertain himself with diplomatic niceties when the welfare of Nigerians resident in South Africa are at stake now more than any time in recent history.
    “His response to the xenophobic attacks, which has now become a recurring decimal on Africans, most especially Nigerians living peacefully in their host country of South Africa was indeed unfortunate.
    “While it’s no longer news that law-abiding Nigerians in that country have borne the major brunt of these attacks, the news by the Home Affairs Minister that his country is trying to get rid of criminals in his country at the time when indiscriminate mayhem and looting of law-abiding Nigerians is very suspicious, to say the least.”
    She restated her earlier call on the African Union (AU) to take up the South Africa’s xenophobic issue as a matter of urgency.

  • Nigerians in South Africa hail liberation of Sambisa forest

    The Nigerian community in South Africa has commended the Federal Government for flushing out Boko Haram insurgents from the Sambisa forest.

    The President of the Nigerian Union, South Africa, Mr. Ikechukwu Anyene, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on phone from Pretoria on Thursday that the routing of the sect members from Sambisa came as a welcome development.

    “The Nigerian community in South Africa commends the Federal Government for this great military accomplishment,” he told NAN.

    “This feat has restored the pride of the Nigerian armed forces and we plead that this victory be sustained so that these terrorists would have no space on Nigerian territory to regroup.”

    The latest victory, he said, would send a strong signal to other terrorist organisations that there would be no breeding ground for them in Nigeria.

    Anyene called for the setting up of a military base, including a training school for special forces, in the forest to prevent the remnants of the insurgents from using the area for their camp.

     

  • 10 Nigerians hospitalised in South Africa after gang attack

    No fewer than 10 Nigerians are now hospitalised while 25 shops owned by Nigerians have been looted following attacks by organised gangs in South Africa.

    The President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Mr. Ikechukwu Anyene, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on phone from Pretoria, at the weekend, that the attack penultimate week in Johannesburg and later spread to Pretoria last week.

    He said commercial taxi drivers led the attack against Nigerians in Pretoria while unknown gangs attacked Nigerians in Johannesburg.

    Anyene said a Nigerian was in coma in the hospital when officials of the Union and the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa visited the injured.

    He said: “Officials of Nigerian mission in South Africa and Union officers went round today (Friday) to assess the extent of damage done to business centres and shops owned by Nigerians.

    “In Pretoria, 25 shops belonging to Nigerians were attacked and looted by the gang. 10 Nigerians are now receiving treatment in some hospitals while one of them is still in coma.”

    Anyene said the gang accused the Nigerians of selling drugs to South Africans and used the opportunity to attack and loot their shops.

    He added: “We have reported the incident to the police in the central business district of Pretoria, where the bulk of the attacks took place. The South African police have made entry of our report and pledged to investigate the attacks.

    “We have also appealed to our people (Nigerians) to be calm and law abiding because the Union and the Nigerian mission were handling the situation. As we speak, we have not recorded any attack today, April 4, and everywhere is calm.”

    The President said the Nigerian mission in South Africa has also pledged to take up the matter with South African authorities.