I wish to thank my family, friends and well wishers for making my birthday the most special and making me recognize how important my existence is. Your wishes were all that was needed to make my birthday much more special.
I cannot thank you all enough for the unforgettable moments that each one of you made me witness, it gives me great pleasure to know that my personal relationship with people have added inestimable value to our lives, the scintillating memories created by virtue of pictures and “one on one” moments shared with different individuals makes me want to get closer to many more people as possible. “Thank you’ is too short for me to express my gratitude to you all for making my birthday such an eventful day.
To my political structures; Ifeanyi Ubah Solidarity Movement (IUSM), Afa Igbo Efuna and others, the outreach gestures which you all embarked on my behalf to various hospitals, prisons and orphanage homes did not only make my celebration unique but an outstanding event that I will cherish throughout the year and even beyond.
However, regardless of the celebration, my attention has been unavoidably drawn to the recent spate of mindless xenophobic attacks on Nigerians, the majority of which are my constituents from Anambra South Senatorial District. These baseless and senseless attacks which destroy the very fabric of our unity as Africans are highly deplorable and condemnable, to say the least.
South Africa seems to have forgotten so soon. Memories of their not too distant past appears to have eroded them. A country that Nigeria fought so hard, alongside other African countries to liberate from the apartheid regime have become the thorn in the flesh of fellow Africans, maiming and killing at will. Nelson Mandela would be weeping in his grave.
Nigeria and Nigerians are known to be very accommodating people. Some of the biggest businesses in Nigeria are owned by South Africans as well as nationals of other countries. Yet, we endeavor to always live in peace while being our brother’s keeper as we believe that economic migrants are contributors to the growth of our economy.
It is pertinent to state at this juncture that the South African Government have been complicit in this matter as no stern and firm step has been taken to stem the ugly trend till date. What is more disturbing is the fact that some elements of government have subtly called for the continuation of these attacks by failing to condemn them unreservedly. If a South African deputy commissioner of Police could make such an undemocratic and inciting statement and nothing was done to him, then our citizens and other Africans in South Africa are in grave danger.
Enough is enough! The killing of Nigerians and destruction of property and businesses belonging to Nigerians in South Africa must stop immediately as we cannot continue to sit back and watch men and women from my constituency and Nigeria in general being killed, leaving their families and businesses in unquantifiable ruins.
South Africans are by this statement hereby urged to cease and desist from carrying out further attacks on Nigerians. Failure to adhere to this advice would be met with stiff resistance which would certainly lead to robust reprisal measures of equal magnitude. While we have always been an advocate for peace as peace-loving people, we as Nigerians refuse to be taken for granted.
Africa is ours, we must therefore come together as one and build for ourselves a continent with love as a pillar of our existence.
A word is enough for the wise!
May God continually bless you all and crown our endeavours with resounding success.
Senator (Dr.) Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah;
Anambra South Senatorial District.
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