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In response to the SOS message from Nigerians in Ukraine, the government did not respond immediately nor offer any assurance of security to its citizens. This improvident and apathetic response has further shown the incompetencies of the federal government of Nigeria led by Mr Buhari. It took a public outcry from Nigerians to awaken the government to its responsibilities; that the number one duty of every government is to protect its citizens. Despite the warnings from the United States and European Union that Putin was likely to attack Ukraine, it was painful to note that the Nigerian government were taken aback by the situation of things in Eastern Europe. There were so many signs that Russia’s attack was imminent: first, Russia was building up its military bases around the borders of Ukraine with over 200,000 military personnel insight. Secondly, on Monday, 21st of February, Mr Putin recognised the two Russian-backed regions in east Ukraine, the self-styled Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic, as independent states. All these were gathering clouds, something that was predictably responsible for the ongoing war. Nigeria slept right in the face of impending doom.
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On the other hand, in the weeks of Russia’s military buildup around Ukrainian borders, the United States, EU, Japan and Canada closed their embassies and evacuated their citizens. Nigeria did not see this until Russia attacked and began to scramble around right in the heart of the conflict. This again has shown the government’s incompetencies in reading the dynamics of international politics. Responding to this entrapment, the Nigerian government through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked Nigerians in Ukraine to be responsible for their security. In the official statement released through the Ministry, it had read “you are responsible for your safety”. Thankfully, Nigerians have joined Ukrainians fleeing to neighbouring countries, while some tertiary institutions have provided securities of underground bomb-proof bunkers according to reports from students living in Ukraine who posted on Twitter. It took the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian War for the Nigerian government to release its hotlines. One can only shake one’s head. In conclusion, this indecisive step on the part of the Nigerian government has cast our attention to the forthcoming general elections in 2023, that Nigerians must vote for a president who, first, understands that his primary responsibility is to protect the lives and properties of his citizens anywhere in the world, secondly, must understand the dynamics of international politics and will be able to read the trends in the international system, and thirdly, must have on ground proactive facilities that can protect its citizens anywhere in the world. Featured Image Source: The Cable
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