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Turning Point for Nigeria on Diaspora Policy

The saying that you can hardly conceal pregnancy with bare hands runs true with the depreciating value that the Nigerian Diaspora Day adds to national development. Despite its commendable vision and sparse achievements, the humongous shortcomings of the Diaspora Day are threatening in 2015 to explode in the face of all stakeholders. There are certainly no winners but the biggest looser is the Nigerian state. If the government of President Muhammadu Buhari had the benefit of good counsel, 2015 should have been used as an interregnum to evaluate what had gone on for the last decade, measure the benefits of the Diaspora Day against the huge expenditure. It is certainly ill-conceived to have changed the date of the event from the traditional 25 July (as is in the national calendar) to 25 August, all because at all cost, the event must hold. The question is: why must it hold at all cost? At whose benefit?

Before delving into whose benefit it is, it is perhaps instructive to pour the whole affair into the right context. The National Diaspora Day of Nigeria was instituted in 2005 by the government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who inscribed 25 July as a day in the national calendar for Nigeria to celebrate its Diaspora. The purpose of the day is to reflect on the contributions of Nigerians resident outside the country to national development and to dialogue with peers at home, government and private sector on gainful collaborations going forward. Following the identification of Science & Technology as an imperative of national development at the time and in a bid to make Diaspora Day more purposeful, in 2006, Science & Technology was added to the package. It thus became Diaspora Day / Science & Technology Conference with the Federal Ministry of Science & Technology as principle partner

Achievements

Diaspora Day – Science & Technology Conference has been praised for the pull factor it represented in attracting back home, Nigerians who otherwise had literally hung up on the country. Due to the opportunity it provided for facilitating interface between Nigerian professionals in the Diaspora with the public and private sector, the day became a fertile recruitment ground for employers in Nigeria (private & public) who saw value in the international exposure of Nigerians based abroad. Away from hearsay, it gave Nigerian Diaspora a unique opportunity to assess situations in Nigeria first-hand and determine how best to plug into the developmental process of the country. Between 2005 and 2010, it could be argued that nothing galvanised the Nigerian Diaspora better than the Diaspora Day and facilitated the reversal of brain drain to brain gain.

Challenges

Despite its commendable vision and achievements, there are a number of shortcomings of the Diaspora Day. Out of a long list four of the challenges posted on the wall of Diaspora Day (DD) are more nagging. Firstly, the DD, over the years, began to lack purpose and focus. For example, for no justifiable reason the focus on Science & Technology was dropped without replacement. Style became increasingly more important than substance as fewer efforts were expended on attracting the best and the brightest in Diaspora to drive the developmental agenda of the country. Secondly, the event became incrementally inconsistent. For no genuine reasons some years are skipped or planning stopped and event cancelled. Thirdly, lack of follow-up on conference resolutions or recommendations is a hallmark of DD. There is neither evaluation nor monitoring and implementation of conference outcome is non-existent. In some cases conference reports are not issued or published. Last but not least is the issue of ownership. Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) the official Diaspora body feel dangerously marginalized in the planning of the event. Some have described the situation as absurd and cannot justify how the Nigeria National Volunteer Service (NNVS) under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) would hijack an event which is meant to be for the Diaspora. In the early years, the Diaspora co-owned the DD both in terms of content development and presentations at the event itself. In recent years, even the leadership of the global Diaspora struggle for visibility at the event. Prime speaking slots are dominated by political figures who depart the scene along with their advisors before it is the turn of the Diaspora to share the ideas that brought them home in the first place. The Diaspora are often left talking to themselves.

Diaspora Day 2015 (DD2015)

A combination of the challenges highlighted above and more, which had been brewing over the years, reached a climax in 2015 when calls from NIDO for an early start in the planning of DD2015 were either ignored or not adequately responded to by government represented by the NNVS. The leadership of the organisation, consisting of the continental heads in Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific & Europe, constituted a global planning committee and worked out what appeared to be a robust set of events spanning nearly a week to commemorate the DD2015 with 25 July, the official day in the national calendar as the focal day. In a move that vexed the NIDO leadership beyond pardon, the NNVS announced that government has postponed the DD2015 to 25 August. A meeting between NIDO and the NNVS to find a common ground ended in an impasse. According to NIDO, it went ahead to hold what it claimed to be a scaled down DD2015 on 25 July and announced that it will not only boycott the planned 25 August event by the NNVS but issued a statement warning its members to stay home. Truth be told, the leadership of NIDO has every reason to be upset but the boycott and the call to members to do same – which by the way was later retracted – is another kettle of fish. There have been several important voices that spoke up in condemnation of NIDO action that it is of no effect to add to those voices here. Suffice to say that intelligent leadership calls for pragmatism and ingenuity. A leader that acts in vengeance or for personal gratification is only digging his grave.

The Future of Diaspora Day

As already mentioned, the vision behind DD is laudable. Indeed it made a good start and the establishment of a focus with the addition of Science & Technology conference a year later was brilliant. The modest achievements of the DD are dotted here and there in the country but obscured by the absence of evaluation and monitoring. The challenges facing the DD and indeed the entire Nigerian Diaspora politics is huge but mitigable. It is doubtful that the huge resources invested in the DD both by government as sponsor and the Diaspora who spend hard-earned resources flying into the country, has any significant return on investment. If the DD was a business venture it would have long gone bankrupt. There is no fancy way of saying that all stakeholders need to go back to the drawing board. Two great opportunities for reform of this whole business beckon. One, this administration is new and currently taking its time to hopefully put in place good governance architecture. There cannot be a better opportunity to get the broader Diaspora Policy right. Two and perhaps more importantly is the newly passed Nigerian Diaspora Commission Bill. Government must see this Bill as an omissible tool in finally getting the Nigerian Diaspora policy landscape right. You cannot continue to wish away the existence of other self-styled ‘Diaspora Organisations’ even when they are domestic entities but competing for relevance with NIDO. Or how do you as government recognise the plethora of community, social welfare, and cultural organisations in Diaspora without watering down the role of NIDO as official partner of government on Diaspora matters? If government does not see the Commission as avenue to create jobs for its boys and girls, it stands a chance of correctly re-drawing the Diaspora map for the good of nation. There are enough competent hands beyond the individuals currently posturing and positioning themselves for a seat at the Diaspora Commission table. A good homework by government is an absolute necessity.

In concluding it must be said that to get the Diaspora Day right, you must first get the Nigerian Diaspora Policy right. There is no scarcity of ideas on what an effective Nigerian Diaspora Policy should look like but that perhaps should be the subject of another pointed discourse.

Brussels, Belgium. 22 August 2015 | admin@collinsnweke.eu

Collins Nweke served Nigeria’s official Diaspora body first as Executive Secretary / Chief Executive starting from 2004 and later as General Secretary ( a Board position). He finally served as Board Chairman until November 2013

Postcard from Brussels on President Buhari U.S. State Visit

Belgium became my adopted home over 20 years ago. Since the last 9 years when I went into party politics, I have maintained a routine of coming together with friends, Africans and Europeans, on the eve of the National Day, which is 21 July, for a drink and a chat. This routine has slowly graduated to a tradition. I’d normally use the occasion to feel the political pulse of friends and take home some useful hints. How we are faring in the local legislature was always the overarching questions for me as we converge? However the drink and chat this year was different for two reasons. One, our drink was preceded by what the organizers called ‘Wake-Keeping for Greece’. I was invited as Municipal Legislator to deliver a short speech at the gathering meant to show solidarity for Greece on its current economic tribulations. Two, ninety per cent of our conversation centered, not on Belgian national issues, but curiously on Nigeria, my country of birth. In specific terms we talked about ongoing State Visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the United States, the same topic that had engaged me and a think-tank of Nigerians over the social media in the last week heightening a few hours before our drinks commenced.

I thought it meant sense to send this postcard to Mr President and people of Nigeria to summarize the preoccupations of people out here about Nigeria. Nearly 48 hours into what is meant to be a 96 hour official visit by President Muhammadu Buhari, there has not been visible international media coverage of a trip sold to Nigerians as ‘historic’. It should have been historic because it is Mr President’s first major state visit since assuming office about 2 months ago. My folks here seem to believe that the visit is indeed historic but for the wrong reasons. A European student of contemporary African history and an avid watcher of Nigeria said he couldn’t immediately recall any previous first State Visit in recent history that appears to lack this much vision and focus. I was at a lost for a response when asked what the strategic intent of the visit was. What is historic about this State Visit?

I attempted a response based on available media briefing from Mr President’s team and indeed in line with popular and reasonable expectations. The economy was meant as one of the major focus of this state visit. Indeed President Buhari is also expected to make public addresses at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC and at the Corporate Council on Africa to discuss international investment and Nigeria’s economy. The question that begs answer is how many members of the robust Nigerian Chambers of Commerce are in the delegation? Which business leaders of note are in the Presidential delegation? One is keen to know if Mr President shares the view that the most critical aspect of Nigeria’s economic concerns at present is economic diversification, away from the monolithic oil revenue. Which experts in economic diversification theory and professionals are in the delegation?

On the political side of things, we were told by the media team of Mr President that U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, and the U.S. Congressional Committees on Foreign Relations will also receive President Buhari to discuss political ties between the United States and Nigeria. The Congressional Black Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives will meet with members of Nigeria’s delegation as well. One astute Buhari supporter who jokingly said during the election campaign that Nigerians must vote anybody but Goodluck Jonathan felt strongly that it is only normal that for Nigeria to derive the best return on investment for this trip, members of Nigerian Legislature should have been part of the delegation even if there is a face-off between them and Mr President. If I ever get to see Mr President, he told me, I would probably ask him to consider sharing with me the rationale behind the exclusion of National Assembly (NASS) members in his delegation to the U.S. When asked, I had nothing to say except to deny that the President’s actions could have been dictated by bad blood between him, Senate President, House Speaker and other Legislators because of the way they ganged up against his party’s choices for the top positions in the NASS. Mr President, please tell me that I am right!

Closely related is the concern that any deal reached by Mr President with both President Obama and the Congressional leadership would have to be ratified by the same Nigerian Legislators that have been excluded. Characteristic of these Belgian friends out here, is how they can put you on the spot with very uncomfortable questions. And directly too! This one got me struggling: could it be that considering the majority lead of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upper and lower Houses, an easy ratification by the NASS of any agreement reached by Mr President during this visit with U.S. Congress may be expected? If so, shouldn’t we be concerned that our Legislators would be ratifying an Agreement on a position of weakness and lack of knowledge? How good is this in developing the legislative capacity of Nigerian Legislators? These guys could be polite as well because I believe the question they are not asking, out of politeness, I think is: for how long will Nigeria put up with Legislators who have no clue of what is going on at the floor of their legislative Chambers?

Getting mildly irritated, I told my pals that I am conscious of the fact that this administration came into power on a promise of change. And for heaven’s sake, they have been in power for just 2 months and it’s unfair to expect magic as of yet. In a somber tone, the otherwise loud chap behind me in the bar, bent over, his neck slightly bent and almost whispering reminded me that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of Greece took only a week or so to constitute his cabinet. That aside, he asked if I was willing to swear on the head of my first son (he understood the place of first sons in my culture) that the few appointments so far made and the composition of the delegation to the U.S. were based on meritocracy? Do you now support political patronage, against the gospel you preach to us in the City Council because it’s about Nigeria, he asked, a bit agitated. I retorted that a selection based on who represents a better comparative advantage for the nation is my preference and I have no evidence that the President has done things differently here.

I send this postcard conscious of the fact that Mr President has information that I am not privy to, which may have dictated his plans and actions but I felt a sense of responsibility, maybe obligation, to convey these raw thoughts considering that I am unable to reconcile a few available and obvious facts with the principles of good governance and strategic planning. It should be noted that friends of Nigeria, but particularly its critiques need to gain deeper understanding of the rationale behind the policy path Nigeria chooses to walk so that proffering constructive solutions for the plethora of issues retarding Nigeria’s national growth, could be made easier.

Brussels, Belgium 22 July 2015

Collins Nweke is Municipal Legislator at Ostend City Council Belgium and former Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Europe

Europe – an even bigger failure than Greece

Earlier in the evening I took a few minutes to study and sign an online petition on the Greece debt crisis. I also made the bold statement of changing my Facebook profile picture to a sticker expressing solidarity with the Greek people. As I went back to the desk to complete a report with an imminent deadline, I had problems concentrating because of the numerous questions and thoughts that kept whirling round inside my head about Greece. I am supposed to resist the urge to write about the unfolding menace until after the Sunday referendum, I reminded myself. What’s the point of waiting? The referendum won’t change everything, would it? And anyway, I need to clear my head of these nagging questions, these thoughts…

The founding fathers of the EU will be turning in the grave right now pondering about what has become of the Union they created? As if the inhuman treatment of refugees in the Mediterranean isn’t enough naked dances in the market square, there are subtle, yet concerted efforts now by the traditional conservative powers to oust the popular Syriza Government of Greece through sabotage. Truth be told, no government within the European Union has ever dared challenge the status quo in the manner that the current Greek government is doing. They are feared as the biggest threat to renewed growth, job creation, economic prosperity, political integration and peace in Europe. That is untrue and it reminds me of a Nigerian Igbo adage to the effect that when a peer fetches better firewood, he’s accused of fetching those in a forbidden evil forest. The truth is to be found in the story of how Greece got to where they currently are.

So how did the Greeks get here?

After Greece joined the monetary union of Europe in 2001, the tiny country of 10 million (about same population as Belgium and smaller than Lagos State, Nigeria) was flooded with money from elsewhere on the Continent. Over the course of the decade that followed, Greek leaders, who can’t be said not to be corrupt, ran an economy long rife with patronage and tax evasion. They borrowed billions from their imprudent friends at European banks, and then perfected a culture of non-disclosure to EU officials about mounting debts. When the financial crisis finally rolled into Greece in 2009 and 2010, the country was in an estimated $430 billion in debt^{^[i]}, a staggering figure that imperilled the economic health of its near and distant neighbours — indeed, all of Europe. The European Commission, International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank (often referred to as the Troika) agreed to bail out the sinking economy by loaning it $146 billion. The bailout was not without a price tag, which was fixed by the bailers (Troika) and signed by the bailed (Greek Government).

A bailout with huge price tag

The strangulating price tag for the Greek bailout had nothing seriously to do with raising new funds, through proper corporate taxes or social security contributions but had mainly to do with austerity measures that meted out untold hardship to the hardworking Greek men and women. Let’s look at just a few of them and what they resulted in. One of the effects was reduction in state spending by slashing pensions and wages, eliminating jobs and unreasonable rise in wage taxes. As if the 2009 austerity measures were not bad enough, in 2012 an even larger rescue provided only temporary succour. Major infectious diseases soon came fully back in Greece, the figures for HIV and tuberculosis went sky high and malaria made a nasty return after 40 years of absence. Meanwhile spending on mental health care fell between 2010 and 2011 by 20%, and another 55% between 2011 and 2012 resulting directly in a rise in depression and suicides by as much as 45%. Very quickly it became clear that the spending cuts are producing what many Greeks consider to be a humanitarian crisis. It is apparent from all objective analyses that the core beneficiaries of the so-called bailout were Greek, German, Dutch and French big banks, who had to be rescued partly on the back of the ordinary Greek citizens. The best that could be said about the bailers is that they made some wrong choices but it could very well be a case of criminal negligence.

In my May 2014 bid for a seat at the European Parliament, I was asked during a debate with colleagues of the liberal democrats political family, to adduce the basis of my social policy agenda. I recall drawing attention to the growing inequality between people within Europe, but also between European citizens and people from other countries. The traditional parties won’t ever own up the fact that their neo-liberal and conservative social and economic policy path since the 1980s is the direct cause of the financial crisis of 2008, the euro crisis of 2010 and rising poverty (25% or 121 million poor Europeans) especially youths and infant poor. Today Greece has 59.1% youth unemployment, Spain 55.9%, Italy 38.4%, and Portugal 38.3%. All efforts by the European progressives, and the genuine humane reform agenda of the Syriza government to institute people-centered economic and social policy driven by fair and equitable policies were all thwarted then as they continue to be thwarted today. The large European political families are award-winners in blocking progressive Bills. Dr Elizabeth Mestheneos, an Athens based British sociologist couldn’t be clearer when she said “It is a nasty game and of course going to the Drachma (the Greek national currency before the Euro) is not easy. We have few resources and a very split society. Politicians have often colluded in taking loans nationally and using them inappropriately, appointing Kin to jobs – I think this is familiar in Nigeria! And still going on! There are too many ideologies of diverse types. We even have Stalinists, Nazi types and plenty of anarchists. Too few people who know how to cooperate. Too many (mainly but not exclusively) male egos. I think most of us want the EU to work but it has been hijacked and the politicians are another generation without the same commitment to the European ideals. We are fighting for a better Europe, not run by bankers and big businesses” Greek debt exploded over a seven-year period up to 177%. The huge private debts in Greece were built by irresponsible behaviour of large European banks providing cheap credits. Of all the billions that have been made available in recent years, about 90% flowed back to the banks and other creditors hence Paul De Grauwe, a leading Belgian Professor of economics had this to say “The creditors have not learned anything from the crisis. With their demands they push the Greek economy deeper into trouble and yet they manage to make the media believe that the Greeks are unreasonable, and not themselves”^{^[ii]}

The Troika miscalculations

The way and manner Eurogroup Chairman, Jeroen Dijsselbloem and EU Finance Ministers are conducting their negotiations with Greek’s Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis, is as though economics is an end in itself. There is no realisation that economics should be fashioned to serve people. They are beclouded by a tunnel vision resulting in unacceptably high human toll. The authoritative medical journal The Lancet reported that since 2008 the number of stillborn children increased by 21%. More and more pregnant women lack the resources for prenatal testing. Infant mortality increased by 43%. In many schools, private sector food banks are organised to stop school kids from fainting during classes.^{^[iii]}

It is not only Greece that needs saving. Europe needs to save itself too and all attentive watchers of Varoufakis would notice that he’s determined to lead that agitation to save Europe from itself and by so doing save Greece and others along with it. He ran his 2014 election making no secret of his agenda. In a book^{^[iv]} he co-authored in 2010 and revised in 2013 I read the following “Europe is fragmenting. As this happens, human costs mount, and disintegration becomes an increasing threat. . . . The fallout from a Eurozone breakup would destroy the European Union, except perhaps in name. And Europe’s fragmentation poses a global danger.”

I share these sentiments and would see the Greece troubles beyond my nose. It is Europe’s troubles too and by extension a global trouble. As all hands are put on deck, whatever the outcome of the July 5^th referendum, a write-off of some parts of the Greek debt should not be ruled out. Except of course we want to rule out a sustainable solution to the crisis.

The author, Collins Nweke, was a 2014 candidate Member European Parliament and currently serves as Municipal Councillor at Ostend City Council. He made this contribution from Brussels Belgium

^{^[i]} Suzy Hansen (New York Times, 20 May 2015)

^{^[ii]} Paul De Grauwe in an interview in De Standaard, Belgium of 16 June 2015

^{^[iii]} The Lancet medical journal 2008

^{^[iv]} Y. Varoufakis, S. Holland and K. Galbraith: A Modest Proposal for Resolving the Eurozone Crisis, 2010, revised July 2013

Diversity is a Reality

A brief statement at the Grote Markt Bruges during the Hart boven Hard Manifestation on 25 March 2015

Hart boven Hard is a public interest group. Though initiated by a couple of free citizens, Hart boven Hard is driven by the public. I can attempt an English translation of the name for the Anglophone community but I should not do that because I am sure I will not sufficiently capture the essence of the name. Permit me therefore to simply express my personal understanding of Hart boven Hard as a name, as a project. For me, Hart boven Hard is a mirror through which all world citizens could see the warm hearts of those behind the initiative. It is for me nothing less than an expression of the heart in the right place.

In the summer of 2014, I recall reading about rumours of far-reaching austerity measures and cuts being planned by the negotiating partners towards the formation of a new Flemish and Federal Government in this country. My immediate reaction was that of disbelief. Things are already hard enough as they are. Why would anybody with the “Heart in the right place” contemplate cutting so close to the bones of the hardworking but socially traumatized citizens of this country? Depressed as I was, I drew strength from the writings of social commentators, Wouter Hillaert and Hugo Franssen who would incidentally become the Founding Fathers of the initiative under whose umbrella we are gathered this afternoon in the ancient city of Bruges, the provincial capital of West Flanders.

As I pay tribute to Wouter and Hugo, I want to pay even bigger homage to Stefaan Verbeek, Johan Bultiauw, my fellow Ostenders but also Wouter Rommel, our host here in Bruges and his team. When you decided that the theme of our regional action will be “Diversity is a Reality”, you made a bold statement of fact because a little over 20 years ago, when I arrived at this beautiful country, walking through the Kapellestraat in Ostend or through this Grote Markt in Bruges, if you are lucky, you may come across one or two non-native residents of the city. It was predominantly a sea of European faces. To hold an intercultural event of this nature then was special enough, not to mention having an African and an Asian fellow citizens speaking at the event. That was unthinkable then! But that has changed for the better and that is good. Sometimes too, the change appears to be happening too fast and too furious for some good but genuinely concerned people to cope with. The mistake of years gone by is the illusion that through draconian laws, Government can hold back the ticking clock of interculturalism. What they did with such laws was that they increased the fears and insecurities of those good but vulnerable people. Hopefully, those in authority now are fast realizing that rather than strengthening the laws around diversity in our society, we need to work on efficiently managing it. This is what I believe that this event with focus on diversity as a reality is mainly about.

If there was ever a time when monoculture existed, that time is dead and buried. Diversity has caught up with us and has come to stay. It is up to us to manage it such that we derive the best out of it. I am sure that turning in the grave right now Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck would be encouraging us as we gather under their watchful eyes this afternoon. I am sure they would be telling us to spend more time discovering the things that unite us and spend less energy tirelessly looking for the things that divide us. By this manifestation taking off in Ostend, we have made a good start on this historical journey through Bruges, Gent and other beautiful towns and villages of Flanders to Brussels. The spirit of camaraderie is around us and will lead us safely to destination Brussels. I can predict the momentum awaiting us as the wind of righteousness blows behind and propels us to achieving our goal in the interest of our common humanity.

Thank you and wishing us a great sojourn!

Collins NWEKE | Councillor Diversity Affairs, Ostend City Council | Bruges, 25 March 2015

Diversity is a Reality

Since the start of the new regional governments of Flanders & Wallonia and the Federal Government the motto of Green has been: It Can Be Different. (Het kan anders). This is because the doomsday picture that the ultra-conservative government continues to paint gives nobody any pleasure. And this is not about saying it as it is. Government builds hope, gives people confidence and makes them believe in themselves rather than sell them depressing and intimidating stories. Things aren’t as bad as they make it look. I believe firmly in the role of public service in giving people perspectives, allowing them some breathing space.

The citizen movement ‘Hart boven Hard’ was founded on exactly these lines just after the summer of 2014 to draw attention to the plight of the common man, which obviously the newly formed regional and Federal Governments would rather not talk about. I know this firsthand as Councillor, of which social policy, the economy and minority rights are part of my portfolio. The individuals who are affected by these austerity measures share the same public transport with me, buy from the same corner shop as myself, are loyal clients of the budget shops, secondhand shops… as myself. We run into each other every day. I feel their pains and sufferings because we are in it together. Above all, as municipal legislators, we are often the ones left locally to clean up the mess made in Brussels by these disproportionate austerity measures.

This is why a Big Parade is being organized in Brussels on Sunday 29 March 2015. It is a parade with 10 heart desires for more social and greener policies. Ostend is giving the parade a special tint. We are setting off earlier, on Wednesday 25 March 2015 with the bike, yes with the bike on a four-day 115 km journey to Brussels. First stop is the beautiful ancient city of Bruges. We’d arrive on bike at 2.30 pm and at 3 pm at the Grote Markt I’m billed to address the crowd on the topic of “Diversity is a Reality” If you can, please join us because I do have a few interesting things to tell us about the fast changing demography of Belgium, of Europe, our changing world, our common humanity… The team Ostend will be joined by colleagues from Bruges and the crowd of bikers will thicken as more will join in Aalst, Gent and other towns and villages in-between until arrival in Brussels on Sunday the 29th.

Get your free badge #hetkananders at 1 pm at the Green Stand in front of the Brussels North station. Mayrem Almaci, the newly elected Green Party Leader will be there in person to receive you.

Finally, if you can’t join us in Bruges to hear the speech and take your copy but are interested, email Keji Safe at admin@collinsnweke.eu for your soft copy or check back on our website later this week to download your copy. Your presence is important. We must send a strong signal to those cutting close to the bones of the poor that there are alternatives to the current inhuman measures. I hope to see you on Wednesday in Bruges and hopefully you can join the Big Parade in Brussels on Sunday.

Best regards

Collins NWEKE | Municipal Councillor Ostend City Council

Real Estate Project ‘The White’ Back in the News

The prestigious project The White on the site of the former Media Center has been taken over by Allfin, a real estate development company. Allfin is 14 years old and has a presence in coastal towns of Knokke and Koksijde. The White was the largest largest private residential project in Ostend city and would provide for 800 apartments overlooking the sea. Initiated by Group Sleuyter, The White was launched in 2014 without an application for building permit. Allfin has indicated that it has signed a deal with Group Sleuyter and Belfius Immo for acquisition of an option on the ground. The White has currently contrued will drastically change the skyline of Ostend. Both the Green Party and some neighborhood groups around the site are protesting against the project.

Personal Reflections On Peace

In suing for peace for Nigeria, we are reminded of the mess that high handed military operations have left behind in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan and other forgotten war zones. In suing for peace for Nigeria, we are encouraged by the success of peace agitations in Hong Kong, we draw inspiration from Aung San Suu Ki’s Burma and the many marches of Martin Luther King, particularly the one in Selma.

Full text of the opening remarks of Collins Nweke at the Peace March for Nigeria held in Ostend, Belgium on Saturday 28 February 2015

My appreciation for my adopted country, Belgium, hit an all time high in April 2014 when news broke of the kidnap of some 270 girls in Chibok, North of Nigeria. I recall that while discussions centred around military intervention and deployment of international troupes to go out there and teach Boko Haram, a decisive lesson, the unique response, characteristic as it were, of Belgium was to send a team of non-military personnel to Chibok on a fact-finding mission, to investigate the the set up of humanitarian operation around Chibok. The whole idea was for Belgian psychologists and medical personnels to provide counselling to the families of the kidnap victims and to stand ready on the ground to provide counselling and medical help to the girls as soon as they are released.

While for some, that action was a drop in the ocean, it was for me strongly indicative of a country with its heart in the right place. Let us also place the situation in its right perspective: Nigeria is 17 times the size of Belgium and Belgium as a country is even smaller than one of the affected North-Eastern States of Nigeria. The Little Brave Belgium was at it again, I thought at some point.

I literally became an adult here in Belgium, having moved into this country in my mid-twenties. Most, if not all that I know today of peace as a concept was shaped here in Belgium. Maybe this is what age does to one but as I hit my 50th this year, I have more faith and confidence in the use of peaceful process to achieve even the most complex crisis. We have seen it at work in our very own Nigeria and elsewhere. After years of military cat and mouse in the creeks of the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria, it was the amnesty brokered by the Yar’Adua Administration that brought some calm there.

Whatever became of the planned humanitarian intervention by Belgium is for me currently unclear but I do have one piece of advise here: Belgium must continue to go the way of peace in helping to bring solace to the troubled region of Nigeria. Nigerians in Belgium have come out en masse today to sue for peace. But more importantly, as you can see from the colourful participation of our Belgian friends, we are not alone in suing and demanding peace. We are supported by a formidable army of Peace Lords!

In suing for peace for Nigeria, we are reminded of the mess that high handed military operations have left behind in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan and other forgotten war zones. In suing for peace for Nigeria, we are encouraged by the success of peace agitations in Hong Kong, we draw inspiration from Aung San Suu Ki’s Burma and the many marches of Martin Luther King, particularly the one in Selma.

In closing let us draw strength in the legacy left behind by the man, after whom this bridge was named: Nelson Mandela. A bridge binds two separate land masses together. The bridge that binds us is our common humanity and peace is needed to keep it intact. I wish us peace. I wish Nigeria peace and finally and indeed most importantly, we wish the good but traumatised everyday Nigerian, priceless peace.

Europe’s Diaspora and Community Cohesion

In this speech delivered in Ghent at the launch of a self-help group of Sub-Sahara Africans in Belgium, I argued essentially that achieving social cohesion in Europe requires its Diaspora to take their life into their hands. Community based, self-help organisations is one of such engagement tools and a purposeful Europe should take this into serious consideration so that its Justice & Home Affairs Directorate is adequately empowered to develop sharper tools to cut through the current Diaspora integration bottlenecks

Full text of the speech is as follows:

Protocols

I am happy to be present with you today to chair the official launch of this great initiative called Amicable Association of Belgium. I thank you, Mr Chairman, for the invitation but more than that I wish to express delight at the fact that you deemed me worthy, out of a host of other supremely qualified individuals, to preside over this historic occasion.

This occasion is historic for several reasons but before delving into the reasons, allow me to remind us of why we are gathered here; this on the risk of boring you with something you already know. Clarity demands that I do so. We are here to launch the Amicable Association of Belgium vzw, an Association with the good peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa as members.

One of the reasons today is historic is that it does not often happen that Belgian-Africans take time to study their intending operating environments carefully before embarking on permanently establishing their organisations And projects. But you chose to do things differently. The Amicable Association of Belgium was initiated 4 years ago. To be precise, it was founded on 24 April 2010 and its founding fathers and the leadership have spent the past 4 years studying the grounds on which they wish to be operating, building and expanding their networks and on the basis of the positive responses they got, they felt that the idea is beyond a one-night stand.

The ideas that propelled the founding fathers to form the Association still hold through today as it did yesterday and will do tomorrow. I will briefly be examining those ideas with you shortly but let me stay a while, if I may, on why today is special and historic.

The second reason I believe this occasion is historic is because the initiators and the Executives in my humble opinion, have not committed the error of judgment common with most Associations of Africans before them. That your members have African background does not automatically qualify you as an expert in international development matters. You took the conscious decision to localise your operations within Belgium catering for the welfare of Sub-Saharan Africans here. Agreed, some of the judgments of most African Diaspora organisations to also delve into developmental projects are driven by an uncontrollable urge to see an improvement in the lots of our brothers and sisters back home in Africa. However the truth of the matter is that as the Associations are struggling to settle matters back home in Africa, they are equally struggling to irk out a living for themselves out here. Often, the result becomes the same with a footballer that attempts to kick a ball with both feet: you miss the ball and fall flat. In other words the Amicable Association of Belgium understands what prioritisation is all about and has made it the cornerstone of their aims and objectives. Considering your natural disposition to collaborating with others, let me hope at the same time that you will close ranks where the needs arise with relevant authorities or organisations if you see worthy projects to be implemented back home. Sometimes playing a secondary, rather than a leading role, contributes immensely to the success of developmental projects particularly when international development is not part of your core business.

There are numerous other reasons this occasion is historic but for reasons of time constraint, I shall limit it to above two and this third and final one. Looking round, you will notice that there are numerous leaders of African organisations. It is often difficult, if not impossible, to see leaders of African Associations converge together, united by a common goal. There is an air of camaraderie which resulted from the fact that leaders of Amicable Association Belgium crisscrossed the length and breadth of this country, inviting the leaders of the organisations and reassuring them that the winning formulae of tomorrow is not competition but cooperation. The competitive spirit of yesterday will have to make room for spirit of cooperation that rules today and shall determine the outcome of tomorrow. They have listened to the able Chairman and the General Secretary and are justifiably part of the history-makers of today.

The main aims of the Amicable Association Belgium are simple, maybe generic, but very important, if approached properly. The Association wants to unit specifically the Sub-Saharan Africans. Once united under a platform, they then would inform, educate, facilitate better understanding of and interaction with, the host community. Finally they would aid better integration. The immediate question that arises is how exactly do you intend to do this? Precisely what are the means through which you would be achieving your organisational aims? In my interactions with the leadership of the Amicable Association Belgium, I came to know that they know that emancipation does not come easy. Can anyone point me to any individual, group or community on whose laps power just fell without having to agitate for it? Political, economic or social power never come cheap or easy. You do not wait for it. You go for it through little steps, one at a time.

Drawing from my experience, first and foremost as African, a founding Chairman of Ostend Municipal Advisory Council for Ethnic Minorities and currently an elected Municipal Legislator on a second term of office in Ostend City Council, I understand the dire need for a self-help Association with the aims and objectives that you have set forth.

Unity of Purpose
It is heartwarming that the Amicable Association Belgium is not just talking about unity as one of its core businesses but is already taking actions to bring it to live! I like the mindset that we can achieve more when united. Your decision to cooperate rather than compete is laudable. You have also not spread your fishing net so wide such that you impede the volume of fish to efficiently catch. You have deliberately targeted the Sub-Saharan Africans as a specific group. That is very good. From a management – marketing perspective, it is always better to identify your target market. I must say well done

Information is Power
That you have included information as part of your core business is commendable. The more you inform our people about their rights but equally importantly, their obligations within the host community, the more they are sensitised and the closer you come to an empowered community. Yes empowerment, because when you empower a people, you have sent ignorance and poverty further away from their doorsteps.

Education is Key
I am sure that the inclusion of education as an area of concentration by the Amicable Association Belgium is deliberate. Education, just like information is power. I can only hope that the sort of education that Amicable Association will devote time to will include issues that target our children, the second and third generation Africans here in Belgium. When you begin to develop your programme of actions, I do expect that the following questions will arise:

How do I as African parent facilitate the education of my child?
Do cultural differences, ignorance or racism play a role in the choice of studies that schools recommend for African kids?
To what extent is education key to emancipation?

It is my hope that Amicable Association will begin to ask penetrating questions about why we as African Diaspora are over-represented in the Belgian unemployment index, why our kids are more likely to end up in vocational education classes even when their natural talents could accommodate academic lines of study, if they remain in school at all; why are our kids less likely to pursue higher education than their non-African peers? Is it us or is there something fundamentally wrong with the system that things are tilted against us? These are bits and pieces of issues that need to be explored.

It may be too late for some of us as first generation African Diaspora but please let us, together ask the right questions as responsible parents and by so doing, we will be able to prevent the woes that befell us from befalling our children and generations to come.

Integration is inevitable
There is a huge danger in the ‘we’ and ‘them’ mentality. We and them discourages inclusion and encourages segregation. The bridge is integration. There are sets of rules that make this society the relatively peaceful haven that it is, where everyone can pursue his or her dreams in freedom and with liberty. I cannot make excuses for racism but we must differentiate racism from citizens who are genuinely concerned about some of us who show no respect for the values that make this society a peaceful and lovely place to reside and work. Thankfully such individuals in our community are in the minority but unfortunately such minorities mess things up for the majority of us. They breed reactions that can be construed as racism. We all have a collective responsibility to work against such behaviours. More efficaciously, we have a responsibility to prevent such behaviours from rearing their ugly heads in the first place. The answer is INTEGRATION. I define integration simply as a process of adapting your way of life to suit the norms and values of the host community. Does this mean that overnight we would have to give up eating pounded yam with egusi / ogbono and embrace frietjes with half-done meat and mayonnaise? Certainly not. Keep eating your pounded yam if frietjes is not your thing but for a start, show some interest in understanding the cultures, habits, traditions and values of your host community. Show interest and learn the language. Incidentally the vast majority of members of the host community are not expecting you to speak in accentless dutch or French. An effort is enough, as I’m sure you know. After over 20 years of residence in Flanders, Belgium, I still struggle with my Dutch grammar but it has not prevented my constituents from electing me to represent them. I still get ‘harassed’ by a few who spot one or two language flaws in my work. When it happens, I smile and I am reminded of President George W. Bush on whose account some segments of the American press have a field day because of his ‘bad’ English. I recount this just to let you know that such things do not matter. The average genuine Belgian wants to see you make genuine effort to integrate starting with learning their language. I do not expect that Amicable Association Belgium will begin to organise language classes but I am sure you can support the numerous authorities and organisations that are specialised in that field of work. Through you, they can reach the Africans. With your cooperation Africans will see the need to voluntarily sign up without been prompted. Professional integration is also a major issue. You may not be in a position to take on all of these issues but you as a self help organisation can facilitate some of these efforts that will benefit one and all.

Conclusion
I want to conclude by saying that the central thesis of my message to you tonight is that we are all in it together. A self help Association like the Amicables has its role as a driver and enabler cut out for it. As an Association, you have your possibilities and limitations. Your limitations may be the start of an opportunity for public servants like myself. Through collaboration, we can achieve more. Your formal launch today is therefore the cement that binds several actors together for the benefit of both the Sub-Saharan Africans in Belgium and the host communities.

Congratulations on this launch. Thank you for the opportunity to be part of this historic event and for listening to what I have had to tell you.

Cutting Close to the Workers’ Bones

The combined impact of excessive fiscal and wage austerity of current Federal Government of Belgium is hurting the most vulnerable. The dual negative impact will be prolonged depression, low inflation and indeed outright deflation.

The Leopold Park Ostend was packed full on Monday, 15 December 2014 with friends from the social sector, the civil society, labour movements and ordinary non-associated workers. The occasion was a national strike. Corporate Belgium was paralyzed as workers downed tools, took to the streets and sent a strong message to government. The nucleus of the message was that it is unfair and therefore unacceptable for workers to be paying the bills while corporate Belgium is getting a free lunch. I happily joined the strike in solidarity with the workers because I have a problem with government taking undue advantage of an elevated level of public debt to institute massively disproportionate income redistribution. In an illuminating short analysis, Ronald Janssen, an economic adviser at the trade union movement in Brussels, opines that the current ultra-conservative Belgian government obsession with wage competitiveness is resulting in a policy mix that is seriously misguided. He discusses alternative measures that are less hurting to ordinary citizens… Read more: Wage cuts and austerity in Belgium

Human Capital Imperatives of Africa Social Policy Reform

That African countries have their unique brand of social welfare and policy systems is undoubtable. The question of whether the systems and policies in place are not missing their targets has continued to linger in the thoughts of a good number of key actors in and outside Africa. What is required to reform Africa social policy such that it becomes fit for purpose is now the key question. In addition to that, an assessment of the human capital imperatives of Africa social welfare reform is of cardinal importance. These were the focus points of the inaugural session of a summit on Africa Social Policy Reform which was held at the European Parliament on 10 November 2014. Supported by the Greens European Free Alliance and convened by Hon. Collins Nweke, the Summit was opened by Bart Staes, Member European Parliament.

Global Village (Belgium), partnering with the African Social Workers Association (United Kingdom) and Skills for Africa Coalition (United States of America) in collaboration with several African Embassies in Europe as well as some UK Government Agencies and Local Authorities, could count on the expertise of a target number of practitioners from the public and private sector. The theme of the summit is: Human Capital Imperatives of Africa Social Welfare Reform. The summit focuses on not only the reforms needed to make (ASWS) fit for purpose but also on the human capital required to successfully drive the reforms. During the summit the Human Capital requirement for achieving a robust Africa Social Welfare System (ASWS) received copious attention. Keynote Speakers included: Bart Staes, Member European Parliament, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, Chief of Staff, Africa, Caribbean & Pacific (ACP) Countries, Dr Diodorus B. Kamala, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to Belgium, Luxembourg & the Mission to the European Union, Collins Nweke, Councillor Social Policy, Economy, Int’L Dev. Ostend City Council and Megan Clement, President Association of African Social Workers UK.

In a closing remark, the convener surmised that ‘there is an emerging dominant thought that the low impact of social policy in Africa is not for lack of legislation or international conventions. The ratification of these international conventions and implementation of national legislation seem to be the major challenge. Process reform is therefore an area that Africa needs the requisite human capital to turn things around’ he concluded.

Click on the link for video of the interventions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbRitMPFEQQ&feature=youtu.be