THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
As the campaign for Germany’s general election on 26 September hots up, a leader in the Nigerian community in Germany has spoken out in support of Olaf Scholz, the chancellor candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
In an interview with the Africa Service of German international broadcaster DW, Kenneth Gbandi, a former president of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Germany, said Scholz was the best choice for the country due to his excellent performance as the current finance minister, especially in the management COVID-19 pandemic-induced global economic crisis.
Gbandi, who is also a former member of the Integration Council of Hamburg (Integrationsbeirat), praised the SPD’s candidate for his pragmatic approach to the issue of environment and economic growth. “Olaf Scholz’s promise to pursue policies that balance economic growth with environmental sustainability as Chancellor is a win-win for all Germans,” Gbandi said.
He also believes that the policy of Scholz, a former Lord Mayor of Hamburg, would translate to affordable housing and a more fair wages for the country’s workers.
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Going by Scholz’s performance as Lord Mayor of Hamburg, his government would be favourable to people of migrant origin, Gbandi said. “He initiated the policy that led to the establishment of the Integration Council on which migrant groups are represented,” the Nigerian added. The Integration Council provided a platform for migrants to table the issues they care about for the Hamburg government to address, he explained.
Scholz, who is the deputy chancellor in the grand coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD, is currently leading the two other chancellor candidates – Armin Laschet of the CDU and Annalena Baerbock of the Greens, in the polls.
Germans will to the polls on 29 September to elect the 20th Bundestag, the federal parliament. The election will determine the successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel who is not seeking re-election after 16 years in office.
Sola Jolaoso
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