The House of Representatives in a resolution on Thursday called for the immediate evacuation of Nigerians, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, said the process will commence once airports in the country were open.
Some Nigerian citizens currently trapped in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, have ruled out the option of returning to their country, a report by Daily Trust stated.
The House of Representatives in a resolution on Thursday called for the immediate evacuation of Nigerians, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, said the process will commence once airports in the country were open.
But reacting, some of the Nigerians in Ukraine expressed cynicism about the federal government’s promise to evacuate willing Nigerians from the war-torn country following Russia’s invasion.
One of them, Edidiong Cyprian said the promise was unrealistic as he promised his belief on past unfulfilled promises of evacuation.
He was quoted as saying, “I was here in 2013 during a similar crisis when they promised to evacuate Nigerians and they never did. So, this is the attitude of every Nigerian in Ukraine that they will promise and not fulfill.”
Cyprian described the circular from the Nigerian embassy calling on Nigerians to be responsible for their protection and safety as appalling when “other countries are making provisions on how to evacuate the citizens, providing phone lines to call, shelter and aids to their people and the Nigerian government is telling us ‘You are on your own’.”
“Let’s tell ourselves the truth, there is no airspace, America evacuated her citizens a long time ago, and other countries.
“Now Russian troops are all over Ukraine already. We rely on the prayer of Nigerian pastors and bishops to save us from this. The Nigerian embassy here doesn’t want to hear the truth.”
Meanwhile, a medical student in Kyiv, Treasure Chinenye Bellgam, said the government’s gesture was good but, “I am a believer in Christ Jesus and I have to ask God for direction whether to return to Nigeria or not.”
“But most Nigerians who are here on hustle are not willing to leave, they prefer to die here. It’s like after God has lifted you one step higher, you want to go two steps backwards, it’s like being demoted. But you need a lot of humility to go back because some people sold lands, cars, and the rest to come here and they have amazing stories.”
Similarly, Julius, a Nigerian living in Kyiv, said the announcement to evacuate Nigerians was a good idea but would not be heeded by Nigerians in that country.
“Considering the economy of Nigerians, I think a lot of people would look for the safest place here than returning to Nigeria,” he said.
“They should do it (supply of aircraft) so that it becomes a choice for those who would want to stay back or those who want to return.”
He said the situation escalated in the capital city on Thursday with crazy queues of malls as a lot of people move to stock up on provisions.