By Ike Mgbatogu
Staff Writer

Onumba.com —– Trying to unpack the saga of the Nigerians now returning home from xenophobic South Africa unveils a bizarre twist of irony recognizing that they are coming back to a country that might not even be any safer.

But all told, taking into account a convergence of myriad factors, true, home is home and does offer a warmer, fuzzier refuge. So —– it makes sense to escape the painful ululation there and come back home. But while returning is not exactly a leap from frying pan into fire, a little caveat is noteworthy as it could well be from South African frying pan into Naija style skillet.

In short, Nigeria is not totally safe, either. Nigerians who are able to do so are absconding for their safety.

But as a wave of these folks continue to ‘jakpada’, obviously forced to do so, there is a profound lesson it teaches all Nigerians, particularly those who are often quick to ditch the motherland for the so-called greener pastures elsewhere, dismissing and disrespecting Nigeria, which is the only swath of the global real estate they are free to legitimately claim as their own.

But please understand me. No one is opposed to Nigerians leaving for better opportunities elsewhere, but for heaven’s sake, refrain from foul-mouthing the country on your way out.

True, Nigeria is being battered by a tsunami of social problems and economic morose, but it is still the only country we must embrace as our own. The embodiment of that patriotic dogma is staring all of us in the face. Check this out. These guys are fleeing South Africa quicker than you say ‘hegira’ after facing grave threats to their lives. But notice one thing. They are not making a beeline to Madagascar. No. Rather, all roads for them lead to —— you guessed it —— the good old Naija for refuge and peace of mind ——- the same damn Naija some of these hypercritics spit on after kvetching about safety and everything else before skedaddling out of the country.

As Igbos would say: Ndi bulu ogili aso na alacha zi nyabu ogili.

Translation: Those who spit on a smelly spice Igbos use to prepare bitter leaf soup are now coming back for a taste of the same maligned spice.

Reportedly, a throng of Nigerians, numbering 1000 have registered with the consulate in South Africa indicating interest in returning home, citing xenophobic threats and attacks against immigrants. Thus far, a total of 268 Nigerians are now back home. Those interviewed noted that they were no longer safe in South Africa, a country they had called home for decades, some going back to the post apartheid era, ironically a struggle against the minority White government in which Nigeria footed a significant cut of the financial backing.

But unfortunately, these Nigerians are returning to a government grappling with a smorgasbord of challenges in a country that has morphed into a beehive of insecurity, frightening the hell out of some into fleeing while discouraging those outside from visiting.

It is a mess, to say the very least.