The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has said he never said that Nigeria was ready to impose sanctions on the Russian Federation for invading Ukraine.

Onyeama, in a statement issued in Abuja by his media aide, Sarah Sanda, said the Minister clearly stated that Nigeria would act in the framework of the United Nations.

“The attention of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has been drawn to an online publication where he was reported to have said in an interview that Nigeria was ready to impose sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine.

“The Minister clearly said we would act in the framework of the UN, and if there was a UN Resolution, we would be obliged, but there would not be because Russia has a veto power,” Sanda said.

For clarity, Sanda reproduced the portion of the interview below:

Question: Several countries have imposed sanctions on Russia. Is Nigeria making any practical move in that direction?

Answer: This is going to be a collective action. The UN has to act, and we are going to act and engage within the framework of the United Nations. So, if UN, for instance, adopts and imposes sanctions on Russia, we will comply with UN resolutions on any matter.

Question: How detrimental would that be to our investments concerns with Russia?

Answer: Certainly, it will have an impact. I’m not sure that we have huge investments in Russia. It’s not a country in which we have huge investments. We have good relations with Russia, but as I said, Russians vetoed the Security Council. They are chairing the Security Council. So, it’s gone to the General Assembly.

Question: Can we bear the anger of Moscow based on our relationship, Nigeria we go the way UN goes?

Answer: You won’t have sanctions because Russia has the veto power in the Security Council. So, you will not have a situation when the Security Council is going to accept to impose sanctions on Russia because Russia has the veto power and is chairing the Security Council.

(Daily Sun)