The Third Force Movement has warned protesting youths and students against the destruction of South African properties and business interests in Nigeria operated on franchise by fellow Nigerians.
The warning came against the backdrop of the retaliatory actions of Nigerians over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Intervention Movement under which Third Force Movement, Olusegun Awe Obe, the group said it “fraternally” appreciated the ongoing reprisal action in Nigeria initiated to compel governments of both South Africa and Nigeria to take effective actions towards halting and compensating the xenophobic attacks on Nigerian Citizens in South Africa.
The Third Force Movement which described itself as an an umbrella political platform for youths and mass of the Nigerian vulnerables, said following a thorough and wholistic review of the various reprisal mass actions carried out by irate youths across the country during the week, it was perturbed by reports of wrong-headed actions.
The actions, it said included looting and vandalisation of properties and businesses owned by innocent Nigerians.
It therefore appealed to protesting youths to be more discreet about their targets during their principled retaliatory mass action against South Africans interest in Nigeria.
While reaffirming its solidarity for the ongoing mass action of Nigerian youths and students for fellow Nigerians, said to be currently under xenophobic attacks in South Africa, it warned against counter-productive picketing and erroneous actions directed at businesses and properties owned by fellow Nigerians.
Their actions, if not curtailed, it said, would only further hurt Nigerians and the country.
“Therefore, we wish to advise and appeal, at this point, that the ongoing retaliatory protest should henceforth be tactically directed essentially at South African diplomatic and individual interests in Nigeria as most businesses of South Africans like Shoprite, MTN, DSTV among others are operated here in Nigeria on Franchise by our Nigerian brothers and sisters, who are associates and partners of South African business conglomerates, which provides jobs and sustenance for mass of our Nigerian workers.
“To this end, is evident that looting and vandalisation of business interests owned or run by private Nigerian investors and workers on franchise because of their link with South African economic interest are not in any way helpful to our response against the xenophobic attacks of our brothers and sisters in South Africa. To that extent our engagement must be tactically targeted at individual businesses and projects of South Africans as well as their diplomatic mission in Nigeria.”
