Ghanaian Students Head For Poland
By A.R. Gomda
TRAPPED GHANAIAN students have arranged buses to evacuate them from war-torn Ukraine.
Information reaching DAILY GUIDE has it that even before official assistance comes; the leadership of the students have arranged an evacuation to nearby Poland. One of them was reported to have said that “We had to make the decisions ourselves.”
The President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) in Ternopil City, Richard Ofori, said Ghanaian students in the region, numbering about 250, are expected to be safely transported by Tuesday to the safety of Poland.
“Buses have been booked for tomorrow (Saturday) and Tuesday to transport students to Poland,” Richard said, adding the students number between 200 and 250.
There are over a 1,000 Ghanaian students in Ukraine, most of them in the country’s medical institutions.
Following the Russian invasion of the Eastern European country, parents and other Ghanaians have expressed concern about the safety of the Ghanaian students as it were, entrapped in the turmoil.
President Akufo-Addo has himself expressed a similar concern as has the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
Government has promised to do all that is possible to ensure the safety of the students, in a statement issued shortly after the military campaign by Russia commenced.
With the airports shut, departure from Ukraine is especially an impossible feat, leaving road evacuation the only viable option.
Western countries especially, the US and their allies like Germany and Britain, have announced sweeping sanctions against Russia.
The Russian invasion, which involved air, sea and land operations, has seen the capture of important assets of military value. The Chernobyl nuclear reactor scene of a major accident some years ago has been captured by the invading Russian soldiers.
Air defences have been destroyed, making the Ukrainian Air Force and ground forces especially vulnerable.
A statement issued yesterday by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)’s Heads of State and Government on Russia’s attack on Ukraine stated that, “We stand in full solidarity with the democratically elected president, parliament and government of Ukraine and with the brave people of Ukraine, who are now defending their homeland.
Our thoughts are with all those killed, injured and displaced by Russia’s aggression, and with their families.”
“In light of Russia’s actions, we will draw all the necessary consequences for NATO’s deterrence and defence posture. Allies have held consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty. We will continue to take all measures and decisions required to ensure the security and defence of all Allies. We have deployed defensive land and air forces in the eastern part of the Alliance, and maritime assets across the NATO area.”
It added, “We have activated NATO’s defence plans to prepare ourselves to respond to a range of contingencies and secure Alliance territory, including by drawing on our response forces. We are now making significant additional defensive deployments of forces to the eastern part of the Alliance. We will make all deployments necessary to ensure strong and credible deterrence and defence across the Alliance, now and in the future. Our measures are and remain preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory. Our commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty is iron-clad. We stand united to protect and defend all Allies. Freedom will always win over oppression.”