Nigeria Advocates Mutual Ties With South
Africa
Speaker
of Nigeria's House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji
Bankole, has expressed concern over the lopsidedness
of the socio-economic relations between Nigeria and
South Africa since the establishment of their
Bi-National Commission.
The Nigerian MP, who is visiting Cape Town to
participate in the 10th anniversary celebrations of
the commission, wants the imbalance addressed
quickly.
While visiting his South African counterpart,
Maxwell Sisulu, Bankole said that since the
establishments of the Bi-National Commission 10
years ago, many South African companies have been
awarded licenses for businesses in Nigeria but the
same could not be said of Nigeria.
He said that parliaments of both countries should
facilitate a balance in relations, explaining that
both had enormous potential that would aid each
others' development.
Bankole called for better diplomatic cooperation,
especially in the areas of immigration and consular
matters. Recalling the xenophobic attacks on foreign
nationals in South Africa last year, he urged
parliaments of both countries to work together to
avoid its repeat.
His South African counterpart, Maxwell Sisulu said
there was a process to extend collaborative
relations, which had always existed between the
executive arms of government, and the parliaments.
Maxwell Sisulu noted that both countries play
pivotal roles on the African continent, especially
as members of the Inter Parliamentary Union, the Pan
African Parliament and the Commonwealth
Parliamentary Union.
NAN/Yinka