Letter to Nigerians: Let’s Love on the South Africans
My dear Nigerian Brothers and Sisters in Nigeria, I write this letter with regard to the issues going on between our country and South Africa; to remind us of who we are and what we stand for. We are a people of integrity, lovers of peace and unity. Isn’t this what our country’s motto stands for? Those are not just words on our Coat of Arms, they form the DNA of who we are as Nigerians, one of our many tremendous qualities.
We may have forgotten, don’t even know or may even doubt this identity, but it is who we are and we need to start believing this regardless of how other countries perceive us and even how we perceive ourselves. The only way to change this perspective is to change our behaviour to reflect this true identity.
I know the extra judicial killings and the xenophobic behaviour by South Africans on Nigerians is unjust, unfair and has put many lives at risks; but inspite of all of this, we must not retaliate. Let us put peace and unity to action by loving those who hurt and persecute us. In doing this, I know we will reverse the wrong perspective they have of us and we can begin to show that we are a people of peace , unity and progress; not of war and revenge. Let us remember what Sir Nelson Mandela taught us, we must always seek for peace and retaliate with love.
There is no need to retaliate by rioting at MTN offices and asking South Africans to leave our country. Really, what good will this do? Revenge only fuels more hate and anger. We must not allow hate to destroy the bond Nigerians and South Africans have shared in the past as we bore each other during our struggles. We continue to share this bond, even if we do not realize it. We share a bond that can and will liberate our other African bothers and sisters from our long-term perils of socio-economic and political development.
Please, we must not allow hate rob us of this huge opportunity to restore peace, unity and progress to our continent. We can stand for our true identity. Yes we can and we can start by apologising to the South Africans in our country that we’ve wronged and take back asking them to leave Nigeria. If South Africans are hating us in their country, we must love them in ours. I believe this action has the power to do more harm than good.
Let us pray for and allow our leaders, police force and the courts of law to operate in divine wisdom as they do their job to ensure justice in this matter.
God Bless Nigeria, God Bless South Africa.