SA union wary of "imperialists" in Nigeria

Johannesburg - The South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU) said the Boko Haram sect might expose Nigeria to imperialists who it argued might make the most of the ongoing terror to impose themselves in the country. Oil-rich Nigeria has recently received support from a number of countries that have sent military personnel and arsenal to rescue the more than 200 schoolgirls Boko Haram abducted in Cibok, Borno State in April. "Boko Haram has brought shame, grief and instability to our continent by kidnapping these girls. This may have created an opportunity for the anarchist and imperialists to enter our continent to further and entrench their latent but mischievous agenda, under the guise of assisting the Nigerians to save and free the girls and combat terrorism," said Louise Thipe, SACCAWU President. "Whilst foreign assistance is welcome, it should be premised on the directive, leadership and coordination of Nigerians who must also work to clean up Nigerian military forces to eradicate any potential terrorist infiltration as is the case with Boko Haram" Thipe added after the just-ended Central Executive Committee meeting of the union. SACCAWU demanded the release of the girls amid rising terror in the continent's largest oil producer. "We call upon the Nigerian government to spare no effort, resource or ability to free the abducted girls from the hands of Boko Haram and provide a round the clock security to the vulnerable villages, as it has intervened to quell tensions in its neighbouring countries in the not so distant past," Thipe said.