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.
Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Worldwide has nominated its representatives to the Federal Government’s Board of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).
Kenneth Gbandi, the Chairman of NIDO Europe, said on Monday in a press statement that the nomination was in line with the act establishing the commission.
He said the representatives, two from each of its continental bodies, were nominated through internal democracy mechanism.
The nominees are Kenneth Gbandi and Lola Visser-Mabogunje (Europe), Obed Monogo and Samuel Adewusi (North America), Darlington George and Philip Eto (South America) and Kingsman Chikelu Aremu Rafiu (Africa). Others are Ochade Osekwe and Emenike Ejiogu (Asia) and Linus Unamadu and Chidiebere Ezeugo (Oceania).
The NIDOE chief said that the list of the nominees had been forwarded to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the two chambers of the National Assembly.
Gbandi urged the Federal Government to ensure that enough professionals from the Diaspora human resource pool were also appointed to manage NIDCOM.
He commended stakeholders who contributed to the establishment of the commission to fulfil the yearnings of over 22 million Nigerians in diaspora.
Gbandi pledged the commitment of the leadership of NIDO Worldwide to work with the three arms of government for national development.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for kick-starting the implementation of the NIDCOM Act by recently nominating the Chairman/CEO and Secretary for the commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa and Mr Sule Bassi respectively, for an initial term of four years.
According to Gbandi, with that move by the Presidency, there were high expectations that the commission would fully take off in the first quarter of 2019.
The Diaspora Commission Act establishes the commission under the supervisory jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“It has the responsibility to coordinate and organise Nigerians in and from the Diaspora to contribute human capital and material resources, including their expertise, for the development of Nigeria and its constituent states,” Sen. Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), said in a statement in July 2017 announcing that the then acting president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, had assented to the Bill.
“It will also provide a database of Nigerians on various fields and potentialities as resource base for Nigeria and the world to draw from, as well as protect the interest of all Nigerians,” he added.
Sola Jolaoso with Monday Ijeh (NAN)
