By Yahaya Idris
Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, Ph.D., has called for the global condemnation of attacks and alleged ill-treatment of Nigerians living in South Africa.
Jatau, who is the Number Three Citizen of Nasarawa State, made the call at the 55th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region Conference currently holding in Malawi.
The Speaker urged members of the CPA to speak with one voice against attacks on Nigerians in South Africa and adopt a common position aimed at promoting peace, unity, mutual respect and brotherhood among Commonwealth nations.
Jatau, who led lawmakers from Nasarawa State to the conference, described the reported attacks and alleged mistreatment of Nigerians as unacceptable and called on legislators across Commonwealth countries to address the matter.
He said the CPA should first condemn acts of violence and ill-treatment before considering punitive measures or other mechanisms for finding a lasting solution.
“The act committed against most of our country people in South Africa should totally be condemned by this CPA first before taking any punitive measures or whatever you think of finding lasting solutions to it,” Jatau said.
The Nasarawa Speaker also expressed concern over what he described as attempts by some South African representatives to defend developments in their country, insisting that Nigerian lawmakers were aware of the challenges confronting Nigerians resident in South Africa.
“We should first condemn the act because, for all indications, it is like the South African parliament members here are trying to defend what is happening in their country. We Nigerians know what our people are going through there in South Africa,” he added.
Jatau recalled that South Africans had been welcomed into Nigeria and allowed to establish businesses in what he described as a conducive environment, questioning why Nigerians should allegedly face a different experience in South Africa.
“We hosted them in Nigeria, with love and brotherhood. They established businesses in conducive environments without any ill-treatment, but in our own case, the reverse is the case. Why? Therefore, we must condemn the act totally before finding solutions to it,” he said.
The Speaker further urged Commonwealth lawmakers to intensify efforts toward strengthening peaceful relations among member states and protecting the rights and dignity of citizens across borders.
The 55th CPA Africa Region Conference, hosted by the Parliament of Malawi, is themed “Renewing the Social Contract, Parliaments as Catalyst for Inclusive Growth and Citizen Trust.”
The conference was declared open by Rt. Hon. Sameer Sulaiman, Speaker of the Parliament of Malawi and President of the CPA Africa Region.
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The annual gathering provides a platform for legislators from Commonwealth countries in Africa to exchange ideas, share parliamentary experiences and develop practical solutions to emerging challenges confronting the continent.
Jatau is also a member of the Budget Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
The 2026 Malawi conference has attracted more than 300 delegates from CPA member countries across the region.