President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declined to receive a special delegation from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over the recent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa. Daily Trust gathered that the President instead directed the visiting envoys to meet with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye. Sources familiar with the development said the delegation, led by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja at the weekend with a message from President Ramaphosa. However, the delegation was directed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deliver the message to the minister.
When contacted, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the development to Daily Trust. Onanuga said the envoy arrived on Friday without prior notification to the Nigerian government and insisted on meeting President Tinubu to personally deliver the message. He said officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs considered the request inappropriate. “First of all, the envoy arrived on Friday, without prior notification to the Nigerian government. He insisted on meeting the President on Friday to deliver his Message. “The Foreign Affairs Ministry said the request was out of order. The ministry scheduled the meeting for Monday.
But President Tinubu asked the envoy to deliver his message to the Foreign Affairs Minister,” Onanuga. He added that the President directed the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Enikanolaiye, to engage with the envoy and brief him afterwards. Nigerians and other African nationals have recently come under renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa.