Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu has lend his voice against the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian government, describing the act as illegal and damaging to global democracy.
Senator Kalu who spoke among other dignitaries to receive senior Ukrainian civil society delegation on visit to Nigeria in Abuja, said Nigeria stands resolutely behind Ukraine as he expressed hope of normalcy soon.
The high-level civil society delegation have met many Nigerian influential political figures and civil society organisations in Nigeria and across West Africa as part of a global outreach programmes to increase detailed knowledge of the war in Ukraine and its consequences worldwide.
The expert delegates have shared understanding of the global economic hardships that the war is creating, particularly the threats to African food and energy security; a focus on the thousands of war crimes committed in Russia’s illegal imperialistic war; and the levels of destabilising disinformation created by Russia in West Africa.
The delegation is also looking forward to increased co-operation and links between the two countries to cement the existing political support for Kyiv’s fight for its independence.
At a briefing in Abuja yesterday, a professor of Political Science, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (UKMA), Dr Olexiy Haran, who led the delegation appreciated Nigeria’s surport and position in the United Nations.
Prof Haran said event though Putin mission remains to crash Ukraine and deprived the country of its sovereignty but he expressed optimism that 93 percent of Ukrainian believe in the victory.
A member of the delegation and vice president of Economic Education, Oleg Nivievskyi who coordinate the UaFoodTrade Research Project, stated that the war potent negative economic outlook and would worsen food and energy crisis globally.
This is even as the delegation sought for global actions against several war crimes, violation of human rights, enforced disappearances and other atrocities alleged to have committed by the Russia military against civilians and vulnerable member of the society.
Head of board ZMINA, Information Centre for Human Rights, Tetiana Pechonchyk during the briefing said reports from Ukrainian persecutor-general show hundreds of new cases of atrocious act by the Russian military against civilian population.
According to data from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of October 7, 2022, the invasion of Ukraine has led to over 7.6 million refugees across Europe with more than 50 percent of those fleeing Ukraine being children.
In September 2022, United Nations investigators concluded Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine, including bombings of civilian areas, numerous executions, torture and horrific sexual violence.
Senator Kalu maintained, “Nigeria stands resolutely behind Ukraine at this time of war, which we denounce as illegal and damaging to democracy across the world.
We welcome the Ukrainian delegates, thank them for their relationship building across Nigerian society and look forward to the soonest possible return to normalcy and the status quo”.
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