Olushola Omogbehin
More than 700 citizens of Nigeria are still stranded in South Africa as the June 30 deadline given by anti-immigration groups draws closer, with delays in the government’s evacuation plans leaving many exposed to growing xenophobic tensions.
As information revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved funding for four additional evacuation flights, bureaucratic bottleneck have reportedly prevented the release of the funds to Air Peace, thereby delaying rescue operation.
Officials information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), and the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa said over 1000 Nigerians registered for evacuation.
Among the 1000, only 324 have returned home with 258 through Air Peace and 66 on a privately sponsored ValueJet-assisted operation, thereby arriving at the 700 people awaiting evacuation.
The Officials information also showed that Air Peace has not deploy additional flights because payment has not been confirmed, while the administrative delay has disrupted scheduled departures and forced some evacuees to seek temporary shelter at the Nigerian High Commission in Johannesburg.
According to the President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, the delay in evacuation has caused a renewed wave of xenophobic attacks which has claimed the lives of more than 20 Nigerians with different levels of assault reportedly melted on others.
Assuring that evacuation process remains ongoing, government officials have expressed optimism that issues causing delay would soon be resolved to allow the commencement of rescue operation.
