Former Enugu State House of Assembly member and former South-East spokesman for President Bola Tinubu, Denge Josef Onoh, has rejected South Africa’s reported move to seek reimbursement from Nigeria and other African countries for expenses incurred in repatriating foreign nationals.
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South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs reportedly spent about R292 million, approximately $18.5 million, on repatriation and deportation operations and has approached Nigeria, Malawi and Ethiopia over reimbursement of some of the costs.
Reacting in a statement issued from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Onoh argued that Nigeria should not accept any financial liability without first establishing the legal and diplomatic basis upon which South Africa is seeking reimbursement.
He maintained that expenses incurred by a sovereign state in enforcing its immigration laws should not automatically be transferred to the governments of the affected foreign nationals.
Onoh consequently urged the Federal Government to formally demand clarification from Pretoria on the legal basis, applicable agreements and computation supporting any financial claim against Nigeria.
He said questions surrounding the responsibility of host countries for migrants and foreign nationals should be addressed within the framework of applicable international law, regional treaties and bilateral agreements rather than through unilateral financial demands.
Reports indicate that South Africa incurred substantial expenses on transportation, temporary accommodation, repatriation facilities and personnel while processing thousands of undocumented foreign nationals for return to their countries.
South African Home Affairs authorities reportedly told lawmakers that about R292 million had been spent on the exercise, substantially exceeding the department’s allocation for deportations.
Onoh, however, argued that any attempt to recover such expenses from Nigeria must be backed by clear documentation and an identifiable legal obligation.
He also called on the Nigerian Government to broaden any diplomatic engagement with South Africa to include longstanding concerns over the treatment and protection of Nigerian nationals and businesses operating in the country.
According to him, Nigeria should work with Malawi, Ethiopia and other affected African countries to establish a coordinated position on the reimbursement request rather than addressing the issue in isolation.
Onoh further called for a proper assessment of verifiable economic losses suffered by African migrants and businesses during incidents of unrest and attacks in South Africa.
He maintained that any claims arising from such incidents should equally be supported by documentary evidence and pursued through recognised diplomatic and legal channels.
Onoh said Nigeria should engage South African authorities on the welfare, property rights and business interests of Nigerians living in the country, insisting that migration-related disagreements should not be considered separately from the broader obligations of both countries towards each other’s nationals.
He also invoked Nigeria’s historical role in the struggle against apartheid, arguing that the country’s decades of political, diplomatic and material support for South Africa’s liberation should form part of the broader context in which relations between Abuja and Pretoria are considered.
According to Onoh, estimates of Nigeria’s cumulative contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle between 1960 and 1994 run into billions of dollars when financial contributions, diplomatic interventions, humanitarian assistance and other forms of support are taken into consideration.
“ Nigeria spent over $61 billion, which does not represent a single direct cash payment. Instead, it is a cumulative estimate spanning the years 1960 to 1994,” he said.
He maintained that Nigeria’s contribution went beyond direct financial assistance and included diplomatic pressure against apartheid, humanitarian support and solidarity with South African liberation movements and affected citizens.
Onoh argued that this historical relationship should encourage both countries to resolve contemporary disagreements through dialogue rather than measures capable of creating fresh diplomatic tensions.
He urged Nigeria, Malawi and Ethiopia to consult one another and develop a coordinated diplomatic response to South Africa’s reimbursement request.
According to him, any financial demand should specify the expenses attributed to nationals of each affected country, the legal obligation requiring reimbursement and the procedure through which the claimed liability arose.
Onoh also called for stronger bilateral mechanisms between Nigeria and South Africa to deal with migration, trade, investment and the safety of nationals of both countries.
He maintained that the objective should be to resolve the disagreement through established diplomatic and multilateral channels while protecting the longstanding political and economic relationship between Africa’s two major economies.
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