The lawmaker representing Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Engr. Chris Emeka Azubogu has counseled the FG to explore the possibility of partnering with the United Nations (UN) to move our citizens in the Ukraine to a neighbouring country like Poland through land border and from there airlift them to Nigeria.
Azubogu said on Saturday while reacting to the latest development regarding the banned and unsafe airspace of Ukraine noted noted that international law allows for such movement by refugees under war situations made the suggestion on the heels of feelers filtering in from Ukraine to the federal government that the country’s airspace is unsafe to fly at the moment.
“My suggestion, based on the latest development, is that the Federal Government should quickly explore the possibility of partnering with the relevant United Nations (UN) arm to move our citizens trapped in the Ukraine to a neighbouring country like Poland through land border, as war refugees under the cover of international law, and from there airlift them into the country.
”The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should mandate the Nigerian Embassy in Ukraine, as a matter of urgency, to coordinate the assemblage of Nigerian citizens willing to leave Ukraine to a safe location as the first leg of activateling what I refer to as ‘Plan B’. The goal is to do everything possible to keep Nigerians trapped in Ukraine safe, as a first step, before airlifting them to Nigeria”, the lawmaker said.
We had wanted direct evacuation from Ukraine; but with this development that Ukraine airspace is unsafe to fly, we have to evolve and activate an option ‘B’ which ultimate aim must be to move stranded Nigerians to safety in a neighboring country and from there bring them home to Nigerian, Azubogu concluded.
Azubogu had earlier while contributing on the floor of the House of Reps, called for urgent evacuation of Nigerians trapped in Ukraine while contributing to a motion on Thursday, 24th February, 2022.