A few days ago, news began to circulate that Putin had put his country’s Nuclear forces on high alert. Concurrently, he began peace talks with the “enemy,” while at the same time, bombings were being conducted throughout Ukraine. As all these events played out, people, young men and women were resigning their jobs in the peace, and quiet of foreign countries in which they reside to catch a plane to Ukraine to fight alongside their fellow Ukrainians. This has been quite a week, the like as we have never seen in the history of mankind. People usually run away from wars, not into wars. There lies the paradox of this war.
What is responsible for this paradoxical phenomenon? The easy answer that comes to mind is the theory of the underdog versus the bully or Goliath. Among many other meanings, we would be looking at the underdog, (in this case, Ukraine), as the victim of bullying, oppression and persecution.
Officials at the Polish/Ukrainian border are reporting a surprising sight—-long lines of people moving back to Ukraine to fight for the motherland. Essentially therefore, this invasion is being seen as a trampling on the independence of Ukraine and has therefore become a war of independence.
Historically, small countries fighting for independence have always prevailed against large and more powerful armies. The battles may be hard, and painful, but for the freedom fighter, the prize is to win the war—the marathon objective.
The grave fear, and now, slippery slope of this invasion is what it might morph into. In modern times, mankind has delved into its darkest recesses to create weapons of cruelty, not designed to kill people on impact but to create a phenomenon of slow death. While the nuclear bomb is the ultimate bomb of evil, designed to end civilization, Russia is increasingly stepping up the types of weapons they are deploying in Ukraine. One of such is the Thermobaric bomb which works by sucking the air out of the atmosphere. These weapons are banned by the Geneva convention, but Russia is an outlaw, ruled by a Czar who has no sense of history. It is for this reason, I believe we may be on the cusp of a worldwide conflagration as the continuing use of these weapons will inevitably draw in more countries.
We may therefore soon begin to see a gradual change of language being employed by the United States, despite repeated assertions by President Biden that the US does not plan to engage Russia with ground forces.
Let us not forget our history. The United States never planned to fight in the First World War. They were pulled in when the Ship Lusitania, was sunk by German U Boats leading to the death of over 128 Americans. Also, the United States did not intend to join the Second World War until the Imperial Airforce of Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on a day that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt referred to as a day which would forever “live in infamy.”
The reason for the President’s repeated assertions is because America, unlike Putin’s Russia, is a democracy. In order for the US to enter a war, it must find justification. Congress must approve.
Enough of international politics.
Back home in my native Edo State, last week, we experienced mind-blowing profiles in courage as brave Esan boys stopped a convoy of daylight armed robbers in their bid to escape with their loot. The robbers had invaded six banks simultaneously, and carted away millions of Naira while leaving many men and women dead in their trail of bloody barbarism. I salute our brave Edo citizens, as we also mourn those who were killed in the dastardly operation. May the families of our slain compatriots find peace in this hour of pain. God bless Edo State, God bless Nigeria, and may God save the earth from the evil machinations of wicked men.
▪︎ Chief Owen Chamberlain Obaseki, JP
Otaifoh of Uromi.
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