 Let's see all the breakfast and plus TV Africa and we're looking at the first conversation. This morning we stay with Nigerian students that are trapped in Sumi that's in Ukraine and what would be the process I mean what is the standard, what is the way out to help these kids return back to Nigeria. Now many Nigerian students have been trapped in Sumi that's in Ukraine and they have called for urgent evacuation back home a Mithya Russian invasion. Sumi in North East Ukraine is close to Russian border now this video obtained online is making the rounds as students said they have been dwindling access to food, water and electricity. They also said they wake up most mornings to the sound of explosion and spend hours in bomb shelters beneath their hostels. The federal government has also said that they've evacuated 1,000 Nigerians who made it out of Ukraine to neighboring countries such as Poland and Romania. The students in Sumi are yet to find their way out of the war-torn Ukraine. We took a look at the evacuation process joining us this morning is an international affairs analyst Paul Ejime. Let's go to have you join us this morning. Thank you. All right. So let's look at it now what do you make of the fact that Nigerian government says she has evacuated 1,000 Nigerian students so far although we still have some persons being trapped. So I think you found that some students have been not only students but Nigerian citizens have been evacuated is a good thing but in situations like this required proactive planning and then moving very fast because you never know remember the time that President Biden asked all Americans to leave and people thought that perhaps he was being it was all crying wolves and that is the kind of you know proactivity that one should have expected from Nigeria to make sure that you don't leave citizens on the line of fire. So one would understand that there perhaps there will be some logistic problems and then the fact that perhaps not all the students are registered with the embassy and so coordinating from Abuja or Lagos and then all those capitals where the Nigerians are supposed to assemble before evacuation but I think the earlier that is done the better. I saw the same video where the students were saying they were now having to work and once said that he came close to solve some Russian troops and all that. That is not good for the psychology of this people because the trauma that we go with it even when they don't die could live with them for the rest of their life. So I think those the foreign ministry and all the you know once you congratulate them for the fact that I think two airlines, Airpeace and Max Air have been charged with that responsibility but they need now to make time is some of the essence. They need to do the evacuation as quickly as possible. Okay so I like the fact that we're also not just limiting it to students but we're looking at Nigerians who are in you know this particular space now. Now but this all this this particular one where you have a student from Nigeria recounting the fact that he spent four days 590 miles Johnny trying to escape the war-torn area. My question now would be we have seen this video of students in Sumi who are saying that they have been trapped and sometimes they have to take a shield they have to run to the bomb shelters and what have you just to protect themselves and they have just been without food and it's very cold out there. What is the rule of engagement at this point in time where you know the Nigerian government on the other hand is trying to evacuate you know has citizens in this country's. Well in a war situation and that is why you know the wars should try as much as possible because those who haven't seen war they joke with tits they think it's a child's play or walk in the park no when the bullet does not respect anybody and then suffering and what comes with war is so devastating and unpredictable so you needed to even when you prepare for it it can take you by surprise there are rules of engagement yes those fighting the Ukrainians and then the Russians that are fighting by the way these are supposed to be cousins they are related but this is what war if now family in the family they can fight themselves imagine what will happen to people from other places and you have seen the level of racism that has also played out in the way the whole thing is being reported as if black lives don't matter some journalists very uneducated some of them will be saying that these are europeans in mind you these are supposed to be democracy they have blue eyes they have their blonde hair it's not iraq it's not afghanistan as if those areas or it's not a third world country as if those areas they're mentioning are not human beings but that is the reality of the world that they as much as they deny that there is racism it is that you know it's a reality the same thing when it comes to rule of engagement in wars you never know what the truth they say is they update this writer Philip Knightley it said that truth is the first casualty of war they see the propaganda going on today Ukrainians we say they have killed thousands of Russians and Russians will say you know you know so and in that mix you you you just pray that you never get caught up in that kind of crossfire because you know everybody can tell their own story and it is those who survive that can tell stories they say that dead men or dead women that tell no tales so rules of engagement yes the international the UN and all that's humanitarian I think they are trying to get a ceasefire to have a humanitarian corridor but this you know but it's easier said than done what is on the ground is different said those who have experienced it that is when they you know if you survive then you give God the glory but prepare you know once you find yourself in that situation find your way the exit point is what you you are not part of it Africans or Nigerians are not part of it so they shouldn't get themselves mixed up in them there has to be coordination coordination from Nigeria to with them those both states Poland and all those that are where they have asked them those in Ukraine or who want to leave Russia to go and assemble apart from just a blaming government or blaming anybody those who are also involved have a duty to also help themselves to make their way to a safe place where it will become you know safer to evacuate them rules of engagement yes you mentioned that but in war like I said the bullets or the missiles they don't they don't respect color they don't respect anybody so you pray never to be in that kind of crossfire all right so apologies just before I mean just before we actually look at the the students of Nigeria would definitely wrote that tip in no time are you saying that as as at this point during the time of war that we can't have you know different government engagement for instance we hear that Joe Frioyema is having some diplomatic talks as regards you know the student right now with the government and I mean of Ukraine and what have you and those in Russia at a time you know to evacuate are you saying that's not possible to have conversations with this person to the government different diplomatic talks to go on at a time like this no there is I mean but that is the whole thing about coordination these countries that I mentioned in Poland and others they have embassies in Nigeria and that are also in contact with their countries back home so Nigeria should have there has to be that coordination talk with them before you you learn you don't just go there without informing them that is important and tell them that these are Nigerians that are under distress or in distress so how do you how do they assist I have seen that Poland in one one or two video clips they have shown some people have also commented them for taking in them african and you know if a quiz but the point is we say it's not a normal situation so what is what nobody should pray for that is what we keep saying it and perhaps Nigeria the Nigerian government authorities didn't act early enough but they say better late than never they should find a way of getting in touch with those students those that have now complaining that they haven't been they are not reached or because of where they are to be able to reach them get in touch with them those countries that share borders with Russia and then Ukraine to be able to and then make adequate announcement communication is very key you can have the best plan but if you don't communicate it then there is a problem so how do the students get to know that this is what the Nigerian government has in place for them that is the duty of Nigerian missions in Ukraine and then Russia or Poland or in the area this area of conflict so there has to be that coordination to make sure that the planes do not even come home empty without carrying them taking those who are in distress that is one thing because you can have that plan and then you go there you are not able to communicate and make sure that you have enough people that are coming even though when even though government has already I heard that the president has signed off some 8.5 million US dollars for the evacuation so I don't think it would be nice or fair to let that money go or go into private pockets without doing the job so let's bring the Nigerians home those who are willing to come come home because don't be surprised that some may have a reason to remain those who have families or ties or so so it's not everybody then they don't have that is their free choice but let the Nigerian government they have a responsibility to all citizens of Nigeria everywhere in the world that is what government is about not just those within the borders of Nigeria but outside every Nigerian that is why you talk about Nigerians in diaspora that is why you have a commission that is in charge of Nigerians in diaspora and you have the foreign ministry this is their job let them step up to the plate and then get Nigerians evacuated Nigerians that are willing to come home and in time time of the is of the essence so coordination timeliness and then you know respecting international best practices so we have a breaking news saying that the Nigerian government has started evacuating students from Sumi I mean Nigerians and not necessarily students and that's a very great one but would let's just quickly take a roll the state of Nigerians who have been trapped and the messages that you're putting across we'll be right back after this time out we do not ask we do not tell them to stop their work they can't come see are we begging them do they have do we have any personal interest no what are we getting from me so we can't go home because I'm really not interested in coming back early this morning five a.m. four a.m. we are woken up with how many bombs six it was six I counted each and every one of them six next thing we want to go home and you're telling us first of all they increase the price of taxi who pays almost two million naira to go back to Poltava a two-hour journey anybody that's hearing this from Koduna to Abuja two hours you're telling me to pay a million naira for like the past two weeks now since this war started apparently there has been a route to leave Sumi since but school has refused to provide us with buses with transportation to leave this place we know about like almost 50 students that have left from this sumi unit and sumi to go to Poltava at any amount we do not care what they have left now they have decided to go and block that route at this point I don't know what is going on and we are not going to be used as beds please you must go please let us go we do not want to be a part of your war please how would you do this you could reach agreement with the ukrainian government the russian government a serious agreement just create a humanitarian corridor so we can live here we are tired a lot of people are gonna develop ps today after this and it's gonna be very serious on this and that can be very emotional uh paul ajima international affairs analyst is still with us uh paul are you still with us this morning yes i am i am messy and uh so yeah go ahead so you actually heard from the student i'm sure you probably would have heard of of of of you probably would have seen that video and had your thoughts and the fact that you're calling but we have feelings saying that at this point that the Nigerian government has actually waved and then they're trying to evacuate the students have been stranded in sumi we're hoping that everyone every Nigerian is actually evacuated in this war-torn area uh but let's share your thoughts on some of the concerns that they have raised they talked about the fact that the roads have been blocked and and that they don't want to be used as a bait yes they they should also behave themselves where you are in a foreign country you also have to respect the the rules and um let's face it there are things that are also outside the control of the Nigerian government let's give me you know they are not in control of uh uh russia or ukraine or poland so the students should also exercise some patience and behave themselves not um talk um you know say things that can um aggravate the situation let them be i know you know it's um uh you is normal for human beings when they are stressed or when they're in that kind of situation to um react but they should also be mindful of the fact that they are very far away from home these they are not dealing with Nigerian government in in Nigeria so they have to be patient and turn their grievances to the appropriate quarters Nigeria has a hope representative in them or representation in ukraine in poland and then in russia those are the ones that should um carry the message from these students back to abuja and then abuja will and we are not talking about wasting time now because there is no time uh you know so they they need to behave themselves and the government of Nigeria should act quickly um even though i have mentioned it that it appears that they are you know uh they've lost um some time uh when this thing because you are that is part of um uh governance look at him looking at the intelligence report information to know when you have to move otherwise if you move one second um you know late it can result in the disaster and catastrophe so uh but it's nobody's fault at this moment um but governments should now like thank god they have stepped up they are going to answer to the needs of these uh not just these students but every nigerian i also read somewhere that even nigeria uh is helping the the players that are sending they are sending to that region we can we'll be able to bring some equalized citizens yes but before you talk about uh equalized citizens let um nigerians be the priority because that that is nigerians nigerian money that is being spent the big brother rule can come um you know it's a secondary so we have to prioritize nigerian citizens first and then you can take on any other person that um uh you know you are able or capable to uh to assist that is good that is good in that in this kind of um uh humanitarian it's part of humanitarian um uh rule that you can play but for god's sake these students they should also behave themselves and channel their their grievances to the right um authorities right quotas and that will be related to nigeria and within this is the age of technology you know it doesn't take time to they can they have their phones they can call uh anybody uh if they have been able to establish a word in nigerian admissions authorities are in that region who will then uh send news across or even this video they have made is also one way social media nothing is a secret anymore so as it's happening i think they are getting it in the program that five minutes in abuja and the diplomatic community so what remains to be done now is not just talk but action action action to make sure that this every nigerian that is um uh who wants to come home and is under the stress that can be um uh brought home safely into safety um while uh the rest of the world begin to do what they have to do to end um this um uh senseless war it's all it's unnecessary actually it's avoidable well let's also let you know that the ukrainian government has approved the evacuation of nigerian students stranded in sumi following the invasion of russia into the country and this is actually necessitated you know the movement by the nigerian government or you have the nigerian minister of foreign affairs geofrey on yema announcing the entire process very commendable but um let me come back to you now apologize and this really breaks my hand because i'm having goosebumps right now in the studio and i'm feeling so chilled and i'm wondering what is all of this the big question here is what are your thoughts on the idea that nigerians would constantly have to leave nigeria to go to foreign countries russia um you know um ukraine the united kingdom nigerians are everywhere you know seeking for education or even a better life and necessarily for the fact that you have student moving it's been attributed to the fact that the poor standard of you know schooling and poor economy and what have you this does it break your heart well i think our hearts have become too um have become unbreakable by by nigerian standard things that happen in nigeria we have become unshockable nothing shocks now but um you are right normally that should worry any government or those who have been elected to look into those aspects all the aspects of governance but let's also face it let's begin by saying that mobility human mobility is can happen even during peace time even when things are going normal even when things are normal you can move from here you know you can't really stop people people move for different reasons family you know job opportunities and then education like you said but then i want you to call the pool and push factors what is it that is pushing nigerians to to go away and what is the what is pulling them what is pulling them is um they call it um greener pastures and what is pushing them out of the country these are what you have mentioned the fact that those things that they are looking for outside they cannot get it get them at home good education uh ministers and those um uh lawmakers they send their children abroad even to garner and other places why would you imagine that a minister for education will be sending his own children uh abroad what happens what is what is that one message is it sending to the to the country if you cannot fix it and then look at um uh health in the health center nigeria has become a very uh we pay so much in terms of uh what they call uh medical tourism you know from cutting across all um at times they tell you if you can afford it that is not the issue it is the fact that it does not exist you don't have it you don't have roads you don't have electricity there is no look at the queue um you know i just i left um i put up a few um about a week ago and you saw the the the the madness and filling stations and i thought we had passed that stage and why are we meanwhile this is a country that is producing oil we show if people are suffering in the midst of there is poverty in the midst of wealth the wealth is not going it's not spreading it's not going across there are those who are enjoying it the minority they have cornered they have captured the state they have captured state institution and they have captured the common wealth and they're spending it among themselves why the majority of the people are suffering that is why you find people do you know how much it costs to send a child uh uh to school in those places from 10 000 to 15 000 80 pounds or dollars or whatever they are using that is not small money you can with half of that you can have a working and a functional and effective education system that will limit these uh these uh mass exodus brain drain because you even find that even after training these people do not even come back they they take that those skills and what they have learned they remain there um so much so that um you find more uh medical skilled workers skilled manpower outside nigerians that are outside the country in the us in in europe everywhere and then you know what the weather in them in that very far place is uh is not what somebody can contemplate coming from a tropical climate but they are forced that is the push factor what is pushing them away that you concern those who are managing the economy those who are in charge of governance from um you know the executive the legislature and then the judiciary because those who are there they have their children outside the country why do they send their children outside the country and pretend that they are supposed to make they are supposed to make this walk in nigeria it is because it's not working i think um nigerians should ask questions another election is coming uh 2023 blue the the recruitment process who are those what is the quality of those that you are bringing are you going to get an education minister that will be sending happy and then it's convenient for him or her to be sending his own children abroad who are the ones that will go to public schools the private ones are not uh cheap either so they have we naturally has the resources to make this work when you hear about what some individuals have the world they control that is why they are not in the west when you go to beg or when you go to ask for loans they know that bring two or three nigerians or those in the in government what they have is enough to run this government that even more many countries but is ending up in private pockets greed corruption nepotism you know and wickedness i think i have to add wickedness because they they possess the the the the the the the the the garter more than they need you know acquisition you want to want you know what do you people need that you for you have houses you can only sleep in the on the bed in one room you have so many vehicles some even take their vehicles into their into their you know they have into their bedroom to show to show off ostentatious living when some people cannot feed when people are virtually feeding from the dustbin i mean that is how bad it can be but but but quality yes go ahead i'm sorry but just to add this to you i don't know if you are in the know that efforts have been made and there's this bill that has been rejected the reps actually rejected the bill seeking to stop children of public office holders from schooling abroad and so this is how you know you try to want to change the situation but that bill was rejected and it feels like we probably might just continue in this circle it's a case of a light and self-interest they will never allow that kind of thing because they know they are trapped in it that is would you expect them it's like somebody where you say where they are shopping they you want to close their place their workshop they wouldn't let it happen but that tells you the the kind of hypocrisy the kind of unseriousness the kind of a unconscionable type of people that you have in governance i mean why would it if if they meant well if they were sincere they will let it they will pass that bill but they cannot and that is the the reason the ball is now in the court of nigerians those the electorate that one is not enough for that to you to sell your vote during election for five thousand one thousand or a bag of rights and then until the next four years ask questions demand accountability the money that has been voted for education what has happened to it actually actually is a perpetually on the on strike that even when those who are supposed to be in school if you are supposed to graduate within four years they are spending about ten years for for a course of four years is that not that's part of the reason the push factor that is part of what is pushing people to go abroad where the calendar academic calendar is respected you go for four years you finish and then you are sure but not when you go in a you start one course and it takes you ten years to graduate and then even after graduation where is the job so there is so much um um you know insincerity and then hypocrisy and then on seriousness among those who are in charge of uh uh among the authorities and that has to change and who can change it it is the people ask questions what they say they have their constituencies why can't those people ask them they go back to them when they come they say rank a day they say they are hailing them you know you saw a place where a policeman was even carrying them food played for an officer is that the kind of place we want in this country police that is supposed to be protecting protection of people of the citizens would his job or her job was not to be carrying something is that what is these are some of the you know uh uh what you consider that you know that that unconscionable kind of things that are happening in the system that system is dysfunctional it has to change beginning from uh the the top to the to the lowest because leadership is not just about those who are in government it has to start also from the family how are they from how parents uh uh uh training their own children when you train your child to not to respect institution they have money these ministers what do they do they have their children uh they are spoils they they are the kind of cars they ride because they are not they have the money they have even foreign currency when um uh ordinary Nigerians are begging and trying to make ends meet their parents are treating them in a way that um but whatever goes around comes around if you look at them i'm not um wishing anybody ill but look at the kind of uh children that is uh that turn out from some of these people who steal money either that is common apart from just um not justice now they don't remember let them remember god that what they do to other people will come back to them you know if they steal the cream it's not going to work for them it won't work let me not sound they begin to sound philosophical but um but in uh in actual lives and then in spiritual lives they everybody will pay for whatever they have done mr paul jimma thank you so much for being part of the breakfast this morning and we appreciate your thoughts every one of it on the show we look forward to having more of you on our show and we wish you a very beautiful day ahead thank you mesi and may god have mercy on us and the whole world thank you so much and how he ended that one but the big question here is i mean there's a lot of questioning he's talked about the calendar being distorted academic calendar been distorted and what is the faith of the nigerian student that are back in niger what happened we already know that you know the negotiations ceasefire between russia and ukraine doesn't seem to be making any progress but that would definitely be a discussion for another day in the meantime let us just quickly take this break when we return we'll head straight to a second conversation please stay with us