Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obsanjo, on Wednesday blamed President of South Africa (SA), Jacob Zuma, and other SA’s leaders for the spate of attacks on Nigerians and other nationals living in their country.

Obasanjo said if the South African youths are violently striking at Nigerians and other African nationals out of immaturity and ignorance of what Africa and its continental organisations stood for, are the leadership and elders of the country also ignorant?

The ex – President who apparently expected Zuma and the country’s  elders to educate their youths to see Nigerians and other blacks as their brothers that should be protected, accommodated and loved, made his position known in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, when the leadership and officials of the Nigeria  Institute of Policy and Strategic Study (NIPS), kuru -Jos, visited him.

Obasanjo told the NIPS’ team led by its Chairman, Major General Laurence Onoja (rtd) that the current unpleasant development unfolding in South Africa betrayed the struggle and sacrifices made to set the country free from the yoke of Apartheid regime.

According to him, the immaturity and ignorance of the South African youths should also be blamed for their hostility towards Nigerians and other nationals.

While calling on African leaders to work harder to develop their respective countries and make it better for the youths to succeed, he urged Nigerian youths to shun risky migration abroad, saying “there no more green pastures anywhere". 

The elder’s statesman said he felt disheartened to know that many of the nation’s youths perished while crossing the Sahara desert or the Mediterranean in search of non-existing greener pastures.

Obasanjo said: “youths can be so immature, they may not understand what Africa stands for, what our continental organisations stand for. But if the youths do not understand, what happened to the elders? What happened to the leadership?

“I will blame the youths of the country for the attacks but I will also blame the leaders more in any country that allows xenophobic attacks against fellow Africans for whatever reason.

“Having said that, it is also the responsibility of everyone of us  in our different countries to  prepare our countries  so that those  our youths  that think that there is an Eldorado  somewhere outside their countries will be made to know that there is no  green pasture  anywhere, the green pasture is here in your country.

“I feel disheartened to know that many of our youths perished while crossing the Sahara desert or the Mediterranean.”

The Nation