A group of eminent Nigerians who are dedicated to peacebuilding and national development under the umbrellas of Center for Peace Reorientation and Human Development (CPRHD) otherwise known as Nigeria Peace Group, NPG, has called for renewed sense of patriotism among Nigerians in the wake of recent Xenophobia attacks, while commending the gesture of the Chairman of Air Peace Nigeria, Chief Allen Onyema following recent volunteered evacuation of fellow Nigerians who were stranded in South Africa.

Xenophobia

The group notes that for Air Peace Airline, under the leadership of Chief Allen Onyema to have single-handedly airlifted stranded Nigerians from South Africa, at no cost to the returnees, shows that there are still Nigerians with a deep sense of patriotism and the love of nation. It says that the gesture is timely and should serve as a motivation for others to do likewise and through any channel.

In a statement issued in Lagos, and made available to the press, the president of the NPG, Ikem Ume-Ezeoke, called on well-meaning Nigerians everywhere to show faith and volunteer more resources to enable Nigerians stranded in South Africa who wish to return to Nigeria to do so, while urging that same help be extended to those who have returned, to enable them settle back in quickly.

READ ALSO: ECOWAS single currency will reduce dependency on the West – Sierra Leonean envoy

Calling on other well-meaning Nigerians to emulate the philanthropic act of Chief Allen Onyema, Ume-Ezeoke expressed confidence that if all Nigerians were to put their resources together, fellow citizens living in South Africa, some of who are currently under the threat of death, would not but have the means to return back home safely. He, therefore, called for a support system to be created for the returnees in such a way that it would make it easy and quick for them to re-integrate back into the Nigerian system.

The statement went further to commend the Nigeria government for maintaining what the group describes as ‘diplomatic maturity’ in not allowing the issues emanating from the attacks on Nigerians to degenerate into greater crises and for quelling reprisal attacks on South African businesses in Nigeria. It notes that the solution to the crises is not to escalate it but to find a peaceful means in ensuring that the situations are restored to normality so that citizens can return to normal lives again.

The statement in part states that “we the members of NPG are proud of the actions taken by the Chairman of AIR PEACE, Chief Allen Onyema, in evacuating Nigerians who were stranded in South Africa. We believe that this kind of gesture deserves mention because it goes to show that there are truly patriotic Nigerians out there. We, therefore, urge all well-meaning Nigerians everywhere to see the need and commit to supporting Nigerians who have been hit badly by this wave of Xenophobic attacks in South Africa” it reads.

VANGUARD