BY: Manoah Kikekon
 |
| Prof Bolaji Akinyemi |
Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, a former Minister of External Affairs, has stated clearly that the African Union does not allow invading other countries, just as Russia has done by invading Ukraine.
Akinyemi, disclosed this on Friday at the second lecture series of the Department of History and International Studies, Lagos State University, Ojo. On the topic 'Competing Narratives on the Russian-Ukraine War,' said that African countries should be geared towards preventing external infiltration rather than touching the colonial boundaries.
According to Akinyemi, the African Union's binding principle prohibits each African country from extending its border into another, as Russia has done.
"We have a binding principle adopted way back when the Organization of African Unity was established," he said. "This is the sanctity of the boundaries we inherited at independence. You don't go invading another country's border because you have Nigerien and Beninua in your country; instead, you extend Nigeria's border."
"No, we foresaw it and we said those boundaries were artificial and we've got to keep them. As a result, many Africans believe Russia should not have invaded Ukraine. But we all know where our own shoe is hurting us."
According to him, the media portrays an edited version of the war's facts.
"Nobody can change the fact that there is a war going on between the two countries," the ex-minister added. "As academics and students, don't just say, I heard this on CNN, BBC, and Aljazeera, and then draw a conclusion. The media presents an edited version of the facts. There are also various interpretations and presentations of the same event.
He further advised that African countries should concentrate on improving their security system in other to combat external or internal aggression, rather than planning to invade neighboring countries.
"Nigeria must focus on its own security because combatants are leaving Europe and entering Africa," he said. "That is why the Sahel region is becoming unstable. So you must secure the country while also increasing agricultural production. We must store them because a hungry nation is an angry nation.
"The country must invest in the security sector. Our troops are effective if they are well-equipped and motivated. The new leader must be prepared to put in a lot of effort.
"So, in a way, all of us, whether media or analysts, it is either we are speaking for the global South or the global North, but university scholars tend to move to where I call the integrity middle. We could use publications to draw attention to areas where there may be interpretation issues, but the integrity of a scholar and the integrity of a university environment requires declaring where you stand in terms of analysis upfront.
"You must also be wary of the mainstream interjection fallacy. Every event starts somewhere. You arrive in the middle of the fight and begin to draw conclusions. That is a component of the war's problem. Your conclusion should be based on the war's historical precedents."
As the general elections approach, he challenges Nigerian youths to fight for what is rightfully theirs, emphasising that the struggle for democracy was not won on a silver platter.
Associate Professor Adewunmi Falode, Head of the Department of History and International Studies, LASU said, the lecture was inspired by the need to send warnings to some Nigerians who were fanning the embers of war.