Politics
HUMAN Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the Chinese supermarket in Abuja for allegedly barring Nigerian customers, describing their actions as racism.
HURIWA has also flayed as racism, the practice of a Lagos based Indian school that rejects Nigerian applicants. HURIWA also cited national security interest as a fundamental principle why no educational institution should operate in Nigeria if Nigerians are not admitted as staff or students.
HURIWA has asked the Federal Government to revoke the licence authorising the operation of the Indian Language School should the school proprietors fail to immediately halt the discrimination against Nigerians willing to enroll at the language college. The Rights group has also asked the federal Capital Territory Administration to compel the Chinese supermarket to either comply with the relevant laws governing commerce and trade in Nigeria which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity or gender or the supermarket should be immediately shut down.
Following reports of Nigerians being barred from Indian Language School in Lagos, Nigerians have expressed outrage with the government ordering the ministry of education to commence an immediate investigation just as the Rights group stated that the investigation must be open, transparent and accountable so there is no possibility of compromise or collusion with certain government officials.
Some Nigerians have expressed outrage over suspected discrimination against Nigerians at the Indian Language School, Ilupeju, in Lagos just as the Lagos State Government condemned the development and subsequently ordered a probe. HURIWA said the Lagos State Government should take steps to correct the anomaly and to safeguard national security interest that is endangered if Nigerians are not part of the school operating within our jurisdiction.
HURIWA recalled that the Indian High Commission vowed to sanction the workers at the school who refused some journalists access to the school facility for inquiries. The rights group is asking the Indian High Commission to practically redress and remedy the discrimination against Nigerians because it is unthinkable that a Nigerians only school can be permitted to operate in any part of India. It’s also impractical and impossible for a Nigerian to run a supermarket in China and then refuse to allow Chinese buyers access to the place.
On Tuesday, the press officer of the Indian High Commission in Abuja, Vipul O, said the commission was shocked by the experience of our reporter vowing sanctions.
HURIWA through the national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said allowing schools to run in Nigeria that bar Nigerians from attending is a threat to national security and shouldn’t be allowed.
“Aside the fundamental problem of racism that such a decision not to enroll students of Nigerian origin entails, permitting such educational institutions to continue to admit only persons from a foreign designated nation to the total exclusion of Nigerian natives, is a grave threat to our national security because supposing there is active anti-Nigerian indoctrination going on there in a school located within our Territory, how safe is Nigeria and Nigerians? This is absolutely intolerable just as government must take a decisive action to sanction the Abuja Chinese supermarket if it fails to give access to Nigerian clients,” HURIWA said.
A.
-April 28, 2024 @ 17:21 GMT|
Tags: Emmanuel Onwubiko HURIWA
