A delegation of the House of Representatives,led by the House Leader, Rt. Hon. Alhassan Ado- Doguwa, Thursday,arrived Bucharest, Romania,to commence oversight and assist in the process of evacuating Nigerian nationals,who are mainly students,fleeing Ukraine as a result of the 7-day old attack on the country by Russia.
Following the resolution of the House at plenary last week, the Rt. Hon. Speaker,Rep. Femi Hakeem Gbajabiamila had mandated the House Leader ,Rt. Hon. Ado-Doguwa and Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Yusuf Buba Yakub, Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, to proceed to the war-torn region to ensure that every Nigerian that desires to return home from the epicentre of the conflicts is given the support to do us. A motion in that regard had earlier been moved by Hon. Ahmed Mannir representing Lere Federal Constituency of Kaduna State.
The lawmakers,who departed the country yesterday after very close monitoring of the degenerating situation in the last few days through which they maintained close contacts with officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,the Nigerian Missions in Ukraine, Bucharest, Budapest, Warsaw and other regional neighbouring countries to Ukraine, as well as the fleeing Nigerian nationals, were received on arrival by officials of the Nigerian Missions in the area. The delegation was subsequently led to meet with Nigerian evacuees who were already at the airport awaiting the first flight that would leave for Nigeria.
While interacting with the Nigerian nationals, most of whom are students,the delegation conveyed to them the goodwill of the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives,expressing the hope that the conflicts will soon be over and that no Nigerian national will have any cause to suffer any harm or deprivation in the end as a result of the conflicts.
It will be recalled that, both the Executive and the Legislature are united in the bid to ensure that no Nigerian life is lost in the Russia-Ukraine conflicts. The directive of the Speaker,House of Representatives,Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila at plenary last week had indicated that nothing would be spared on the part of the Green Chambers to evacuate Nigerian nationals from the theatre of conflicts to safety.
By the flight itinerary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,which was contained in a release signed by its Permanent Secretary,Amb.Gabriel Aduda, late Tuesday night, evacuation of Nigerians would be done via two Nigerian Airlines,Air Peace and Max Air. The both airlines via separate routes are expected to ,in the first batch, return to Nigeria today, Thursday,March 3.
Over 2000 Nigerian nationals fleeing the conflicts in Ukraine as at Tuesday midnight had been received by Nigerian Missions in countries around the area, including Slovakia,Romania,Poland and Hungary. According to official figures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria,there are about five thousand six hundred Nigerian nationals in Ukraine,most of whom are students.
Nkem Anyata-Lafia
Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to the Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
March 3,2022
