Sendings of Uzoma Ahamefule: 19.3.2013: Scandal In Austria – Ambassador Maria Oyeyinka Laose Disgraced In Vienna

– 19. März 2013Eingestellt unter: english, International
>> Scandal In Austria: Ambassador Maria Oyeyinka Laose Disgraced In Vienna Part 2 By Uzoma Ahamefule

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>> December last year, I wrote an article titled “Nigerians In Austria Cry To President Jonathan: Ambassador Gbenga Take note” that was based on interviews some of the executive members of NANCA had granted to me expressing their anger and frustration on how the ambassador had unbelievably handled Nigerians in Vienna without regard and respect. Since then, the executive members of NANCA have been under immense pressure from Her Excellency and her agents to subvert the truth and to deny their interviews and tarnish my reputation. Thus, the Nigerian embassy Vienna has never been the same again and Her Excellency has been very restless, desperate, and uncomfortable with the exposure of the hard truth as her actions have proved.
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>> Fellow Nigerians, records available to me say that when my article was published in December 2012 the ambassador was in Nigeria for a Christmas holiday. But from there she bombarded some of the executive members of NANCA with telephone calls to help her get out of the consequences of the exposure of the true situation of her relationship with Nigerians in Austria under any condition that should include approaching me to indirectly retract my publication. If this could be achieved, amongst other things, she promised to officially see Nigerian communities in Vienna after returning to Austria.
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>> Fellow Nigerians, a few days after the publication, Jesse Ojobor, the NANCA PRO, called me and claimed that the president of NANCA Engr. Yemi Ogundele had asked him to call me. He pressurised me to write a rejoinder on the same article I had written which I queried him why when there was no reason for me to do that. He tried to convince me with flimsy excuses that included saving the image of the embassy and the ambassador and that things had changed since that interview. And I told him that it was nice to hear that things had changed but that if it was true that things had actually changed NANCA was supposed to write such a rejoinder and not me. Desperate to have his way by getting me to write the rejoinder, he did not want to give up as he tried to influence my conscience when he changed his tone and direction of approach in our discussion that lasted some reasonable minutes. He asked me, “What will be your condition to write a rejoinder?” I became at this point really infuriated having guessed right where he was coming from and his mission, however, I was now more calm but resolute in ending the discussion quickly. And I answered him that I did not know him and had not had any interview with him and did not have any condition except that the ambassador should have a meeting with Nigerian communities and settle their differences for the good of all Nigerians. At this juncture, I guessed that he sensed the harsh tone of my voice that I was no longer friendly. With the voice of a man who knows that he has been defeated but does not want to accept failure, he said, “If I come and tell you that we have had a meeting with the ambassador will you believe me?” And I made it clear to him that him telling me at any point that NANCA members had had a meeting with the ambassador would not be enough for me to believe as I would still go back to the people I had interviewed before and get their positions, and would also contact the embassy after which I would write a rejoinder without waiting for anybody to tell me.
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>> A few days later I got a message from Engr. Ogundele saying that I had been credited in my Vanguard interview to have spoken on behalf of NANCA and that I was not a member of NANCA but that the much he knew me that he had guessed that I had been misquoted. And I confirmed to him that I had never been a member of NANCA, never had claimed to be one, and could not have spoken on behalf of NANCA. I also wrote to the secretariat of NANCA and some of the executive members explaining the same thing.
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>> Surprisingly, I got an email again after a few days from Engr. Ogundele saying that I should see a press release they had written and go through it and let him know what I thought because they would not like to have any problem with me. After going through the letter, I called and told him that the rejoinder sounded too vicious and also pointed out a few things to him that would mean that they would be denying the interview they had had with me if they should go ahead and publish the press release as it was on their website and that if that should happen that I would also go on press. He agreed and told me that he did not think of it in that direction and that he was on his way to where an executive meeting had been convened because of the press release and that he would make sure that everything about the press release would be forgotten as that might not be necessary again but that it was not a decision he would take alone. He promised to get back to me immediately after the meeting, which he never did.
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>> According to the executive members the meeting was full of commotion and brouhaha after members felt insulted when they learnt that the same press release that had made them fix an emergency executive meeting had already been given to the Nigerian embassy Vienna by Engr. Ogundele without their consent. Executive members suspecting that Jesse Ojobor has special interest in the issue having written the first press release they condemned because for no just reason he castigated and rubbished my name, collectively decided that the press release (which is on the Nigerian website now) did not represent the opinion of the majority and would not be published anywhere. They equally agreed that there was no reason even for any press release on this issue. But Engr. Ogundele and Jesse Ojobor had sensed that that would be the decision of the house and decided to play a fast one by giving out the letter to the ambassador through one Sunny Akpan before their executive meeting.
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>> I guess that Engr. Ogundele having done the damage by giving the press release to the embassy which had been his primary target felt that everybody could be fooled if he supports the idea that there will not be any press release by NANCA, or if I should use his words, “we will stop further dissemination of this press release” as if it was ever agreed by the members to send out any press release. But by now, I guess he must have realised that everybody cannot be fooled at the same time.
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>> When I contacted Engr. Ogundele on why he had not called me days after their meeting, he made a very important confession and I quote, “The pressure of that press release was too much for me.” Why was he under pressure? Who was putting him under pressure?
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>> These were the few lines of one of the mails I sent to him, “… However, dear Engr. Ogundele, what you, this so called Jesse Ojobor and maybe other people behind shadow could not achieve through my rejoinder, you all want to achieve that now through the back door as you see the tag “spoke person of NANCA” accredited to me by Vanguard which I have explained to be a mistake as an opportunity to achieve whatever aims you have through your press release. The venom in the content of this your press release, the way you tried to attack my integrity and puncture my reputation does not show that your objective was only to make it clear to the public that I am not the spokesperson of NANCA as you tended to craftily claim. Your action on this issue especially with your intended press release speaks volume of your person and your intent and also betrayed all what you had told me on phone. But I want to remind you that you were on tape during the interview. …” The full part of this letter and other correspondence I have had with Engr. Ogundele and other NANCA executives regarding this issue, I will make public if necessary.
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>> Please click here (THE INTERVIEW) to listen to parts of the interview with Engr. Ogundele that has impregnated Nigerian community in Vienna.
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>> Uzoma Ahamefule, a concerned patriotic citizen writes from Vienna, Austria.
>> Uzomaahamefule@yahoo.com
>> +436604659620

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Please Note! Threee articles are included in this post
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Scandal In Austria : Ambassador Maria Oyeyinka Laose Disgraced In Vienna By Nigerian Communities – Uzoma Ahamefule
Nigerian Embassy in Vienna, Austria
Photo: by Uzoma Ahamefule
Dear Mr. President, Honourable Members of the Assemblies, Foreign Affairs Minister, fellow Nigerians, I humbly wish to use this public medium to inform you all that the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Austria and to Slovakia, Her Excellency, Ms Maria Oyeyinka Laose has been disgraced in Vienna by Nigerian communities after she belittled her exalted office and abused her power.
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Fellow Nigerians, if one goes to the Nigerian embassy website Vienna(www.nigeriaembassyvienna.com) and clicks on “All News,” one will see a publication from the ambassador with the headline “Nigerian community in Austriadenounces Uzoma Ahamefule”. And in reaction to this publication, the umbrella body of Nigerian communities in Austria, National Association of Nigerian Community Austria (NANCA) the body the ambassador claimed that denounced Uzoma Ahamefule reacted angrily over such mischievous claim from the ambassador with a publication on NANCA’s website that disclaimed in totality all what she credited to them or wrote about Uzoma Ahamefule that included a “NANCA Press Release” dated “3 January 2013” that was signed by NANCA PRO Jesse OJobor also published at the embassy website. But immediately the truth from NANCA was made public through their counter publication on their website, the ambassador became very worried and disappointed of those she had thought that would have blocked such publication and intensified pressure on them to get it removed from NANCA’s website. After the president Of NANACA Engr. Yemi Ogundele who had earlier told me that he was “under pressure” because of the press release had tried to get the support of many members to withdraw the publication from their website and failed, he ordered the webmaster to remove it on flimsy excuses. Because of this singular act there is no peace in NANCA.
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I wrote to the NANCA executives, I told NANCA members in their general assembly last month, and once more, I am emphatically saying that I am not a member of NANCA and never claimed to be the spokesperson of the group neither did I at anytime claim to be a member. So, the issue of speaking on behalf of the body as a reason for the ambassador, Engr. Ogundele and Jesse Ojobor to hold hand and callously deceive Nigerians and blackmail a sincere patriotic citizen is unpatriotic and a bunkum that demands condemnation from every good spirited Nigerian.
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In some of the points of the ambassador’s publications on the Nigerian Embassy website, she wrote, and I quote, „The National Association of Nigerian Community in Austria , NANCA has denounced one Uzoma Ahamefule …”. And in reply to this NANCA wrote, and I quote, “Sequel to the article published by the Nigeria Embassy Vienna on their Website on 22/01/2013 saying among other things that “Nigerian Community in Austria denounces Uzoma Ahamefule”, the National Association of Nigerian Community Austria (NANCA) would want our dedicated members, friends and well-wishers to know that NANCA did not …”. In another point the ambassador published and I quote, „The Organisation in a statement issued after a crucial meeting of its Executive members on 3rd January, 2013 in Vienna over the publication in the Vanguard, described Mr. Uzoma Ahamefule as representing himself sending out baseless stories to journalist on behalf of Nigerians in Austria.” And NANCA replied her and her agents, Engr. Ogundele and Jesse Ojobor, and I quote, “This does not represent NANCA’s position. The bedrock of what makes NANCA NANCA has been her credo to stand for the truth.” Again the ambassador claimed in another point and I quote, „Leaders of the Nigerian community also revealed that on confronting Mr. Ahamefule with the fact there was neither a rift between Nigerians and the Embassy nor with Her Excellency Ms Maria Oyeyinka Laose, Ambassador/Permanent Representative, he however denied the claims in the publication adding that he was misquoted ….” And NANCA replied her and I quote, “Furthermore, NANCA would like to distance herself from the claim …”
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Fellow Nigerians, it is imperative to note that since the first official week of the ambassador into office in Vienna , Austriain 2011, she has used eventually every weapon she could lay her hands on that included lies, intimidation, and blackmail to attack my personal integrity and honest reputation. All the insults she has hipped on meeach time she called me because of my article to warn me,all her abusive wordsall this while, I have kept mute because of the respect I have for her office and because her insults to my person when she severally called me were only known by me and her, thus, I respected her position and remained silent. But since she has now decided not only to insult me publicly but also to tarnish my imagelike she did in 2011 when she betrayed my kind gesture and abused my privacy to the press when I replied to her mail she had sent to me.I am irredeemably condemned to also speak out publicly. For her, my selfless and patriotic services as a concerned citizen are devilish and evil that my reputation must be crushed. With the help of Jesse OJobor, and unpredictable Engr. Ogundele, her recent shame of show and press aggression are meant to mislead Nigerians including occupants of Aso Rock in Abuja that all is well and smooth with her and Nigerians in Austria against every evidence that it is not true. But no matter the size of a cloth, pregnancy cannot be covered for too long as Nigerians in Austria spoke their minds during their interview with me last year and in their NANCA publication countering the dubious NANCA press releaseonthe Nigerian Embassy websitedated 03.01.2013and also the ambassador’s publication that I have been denounced by Nigerian communities in Austria.
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It is not a secret that I openly make use of my fundamental human right to freedom of speech and express my contrary views on government policies or methods of execution when I deem such necessary and if time permits. Fellow Nigerians, it is not my nature to attack the office of my leaders or dubiously attack their characters and personalities for any reason. There is no controversy that I have enough evidence and genuine reasons to attack Her Excellency, Maria Oyeyinka Laose openly the same way she has been attacking me since 2011. But because the interest and the dignity of Nigeria or Austria comes first and supersedes my personal interest in all my actions, I humbly appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister,Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru and eminent citizens of the federal republic of Nigerianto critically look at this issue and hook Nigeria off this embarrassment by calling Ambassador Maria Oyeyinka Laose to order and compel her to withdraw the shame she publishedonthe Nigerian embassy website about me in her moves to assassinate my reputation and thwartthetruth.Those blatant liesonthe website of the Nigerian embassy in Vienna does not in any way bother me on personal ground, but I feel ashamed and uncomfortable as a concerned Nigerian that such embarrassment could be boldly advertisedonthe official website of a country before the eyes of international communities.
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Before this article, I advisedly contacted some top officers of the embassy and told them to tell the ambassador to withdraw the publication because they are lies and that if I should go public, it would be obvious that people would acknowledge the truth easily and that I did not think that it would be good for her position, herimage and that of Nigeria. Since I would not like to be seen to be rubbishing my ambassador or her office even when I know that she has done something very bad to me and that I am right, hence I took all these steps. But it was either they did notadviseher or that they did but she refused to adhere to their wiseadvice andthus,the decision to come to the public through this medium in defence of the truth becomes necessary.
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Fellow Nigerians, the content of the press release as seen publishedonthe Nigerian embassy website and signed by Jesse OJobor is not the stand of NANCA members as stated above. The truth is that Engr. Ogundele and Jesse OJobor dubiously connived in trying to defeat the truth thinking that their positions in NANCA were good enough to influence so much against the wishes of the members. Therefore, Jesse OJobor wrote the press release and Engr. Ogundele against the stand of NANCA members smuggled the “Press Release” to the embassy through one Sunny Akpan that nearly made some members of NANCA executivesresignfrom their positions.And that was why the real and genuine press release from NANCA was the one that was published on NANCA’s website against the rejected and manipulated one on the Nigerian embassy website. And when I contacted Engr. Ogundele to know why he should behave the way he had done to a man that has only helped him knowing that he also had granted an interview to me. He told me plainly that he was “under pressure from the ambassador”.
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Fellow Nigerians, the shameful questions begging forexplanationfrom the ambassador are these: If the press release signed by Jesse OJobor and publishedonthe Nigerian embassy website wasatrue position of NANCA; why did NANCA members not publish the so-called “Press Release”on their own website but instead they countered it with a publication? Jesse OJobor has been signing and publishing press releasesonNANCA’s website as their PRO; did the ambassador not ask him why he was not allowed this time to publish this press releaseonNANCA’s website? Are Nigerian embassy websites not meant to publish official issues that promote the image of Nigeriaand Nigerians and foster cordial relationships with her host countries or projecting distinguished Nigerians at different fields to the world? Why did the ambassador convert the official website of the embassy into her private attacking dog? It has never happened before that the embassy of Nigeriain Viennapublished a NANCA’s press release even under her. Why did she publish this very particular rejected press release if not because she wanted to cover the truth? Will she now continue to publish all the press releases of NANCA in order to cover this blackmail on me? Engr. Ogundele, how did I wrong you? What did I do that the ambassador got desperate up to this level of personal attack on my name based on deceit one may want to know?
To be continued
Uzoma Ahamefule a concerned patriotic citizen writes from Vienna , Austria .
Mail: uzomaahamefule@yahoo.com : Phone: +4366046596
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How To Attain Peace And Security In Nigeria By Uzoma Ahamefule (3)
Uzoma Ahamefule
Moral Decay, Celebration Of Criminals And Murderers In Nigeria , A Bad Omen
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When evil tends to become a culture in a society like it seems in Nigeriaover the years, or is seen to be glorified and worshiped by people youths look up to as idols or moral builders, futuristically speaking, the soul of that society is dangerously destroyed. The hearts of the generation of such a society are shattered because their future has been mortgaged into the hands of the devil incubating a full blown city of Sodom and Gomorrah. A city where anything goes, where immorality will be exhibited, pains, deaths and wailing will be justified.
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However, for peace and security to be achieved in Nigeria, the government cannot single-handedly do everything. Every individual andgroups of people have got responsibilities especially parents. As a matter of fact, the alarming and the shameful moral decay in Nigeria today cannot squarely be blamed on the government only. There was a time in our life as a nation that parents rejected money they suspected to be ritual money from their sons. By then chieftaincy titles were recommended and given only by the villagers with a name reflecting truly what that person had done for the people. While today chieftaincy titles are bought and given to criminals and ritual murderers against established traditional institutions, corrupt looters of public funds in the government and fraudsters aka “yahoo yahoo boys” or ‘419’ are celebrated and crowned kings against the customs of our forefathers because they doled out their ill gotten money to the traditional king makers. We cannot have peace and security in Nigeria when we celebrate thieves and criminals.
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Despite the above wake up call for people and parents to live up to their societal responsibilities and impact a respectable level of moral standard to our future generations for the benefits of all, it still does not take anything away from the fact that the woeful failures of the Nigerian various governments since1960 have contributed and are still contributing hugely to our state of shambles. Because there is no action without reaction, therefore, most of the heinous crimes some Nigerians commit are fundamentally engineered based on a situation where an individual whose source of income is not clear has built mansions and has different kinds of exotic cars unchallenged by the government, his community or his parents. It is very important to note that not all criminals will be caught at the scene where they committed their heinous crimes, but could be caught through their flamboyant life style of living above their expected income. But this can only be achievable inNigeria if Nigerian security agents will decide to be professionals and patriotic in their dealings in scrutinizing such people with questionable characters like it is in civilized societies. In Austria where I live for instance, the security agents will invite such a person for an explanation to his/her source of income, and if that person fails to prove his/her source beyond reasonable doubt, the law takes its place. But in Nigeria, these types of people are celebrated and honoured with the government giving them police security. This act has caused serious injury in the way Nigerian youths see money and life. Because of this failure, many Nigerian youths of today do not care much about morality or good name, thus, criminality and violence have become the orderof the day just to make fast money, take chieftaincy titles and drive exotic cars so that they may be recognized in the society since sincerity, patriotism and dignity have been relegated and rejected.
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Sincerity And Patriotism
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The citizens cannot be sincere andpatriotic enough when the leaders are not. Even though we still have quite a lot of principled and honest people, but so many Nigerians have a long time ago deleted sincerity and patriotism in their dictionaries since the people they know as criminals under their watchful eyes not only have been recognized and given chieftaincy titles and the first roll seats in churches and mosques, but have been equally promoted and bestowed with high ranking honours by Nigeria governments at various times.
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The people may never be obedient to the law or patriotic to the Nigerian course when they feel betrayed and neglected by their leaders. Just last week, a bill that would have made it possible for Nigerian undergraduates to receive social money was killed by the assembly members but bills to increase their own salaries and allowances have been many times sponsored and passed into law including billions to renovate their offices and private homes.
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For us to have peace in Nigeria , Nigerians should not be given the impression by the ruling class that it does not care about what happens to them and that it has got the monopoly of knowledge.
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Government Policies How Fare Have They Been To The Governed?
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The government should adjust its policies and give them human faces particularly at state levels because most of their policies in recent years have contributed to more than 70% increment in crime and social mayhem. For instance, according to one of the executives of the “Okada Association” in Lagos Statewho would not like his name in print, there are over two million motorcycle commercial users in Nigeriawhich I did not personally confirm. Now, why must one forcefully stop these over two million people from their legitimate source of living when one knows that one does not have alternative jobs for them? How much effort did the government make to fish out those bad eggs in their midst before the ban?
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I have said this before and I will say it again that WHO acknowledges that cigarette smoking is very dangerous to the health but yet it has not banned outright use of cigarettes because it has considered the social implication to be more severe if banned as when in circulation, thus every producing company is only compelled to inscribe on their packets that “cigarette smoking is very dangerous to your health.” WHO is trying to tell us that it is not reasonable tosolve two known problems and create twelve unknown and complicated ones. The business of ‘okada’ in Nigeria was a result of a failed system, thus it is addressing a problem and one cannot ban it when the system that gave birth to it is even worse now than it had been before its birth.
I am an agent of positive changes, thus, I recognize that there must be a price for proper changes to take effecteffectivelybut they should be planned and executed cautiously and reasonably.
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Nigerian leaders especially the governors behave like Nigerian fraudsters aka “419″ or „Yahoo Yahoo Boys“.When a Nigerian fraudster writes a letter especially if he succeeds in defrauding his victim, the content of that same letter and its style will be what all the other fraudsters will use for a long period of time sending out the same content to the same people with the same mail addresses in different names.
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One governor has made a mistake of banning ‘okada’, therefore, all the other governors must ban ‘okada’ with the same flimsy excuses ofaccidents and bag snatchings. The ban of ‘okada’ in Nigeria is as bad as the banning of mini-commercial buses in Abuja without any alternative provided by the government. Theimplications of all these policies in Nigeria are severe as the reasonsadducedfor the banning.
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In a state where the government startsdestroying people’s houses and properties without enough information or notice devoid of adequate compensation just to build government secretariats, or destroying markets and people’s goods because the government has planned to relocate such markets, meanwhile the planned new markets are notready for use or are still even on the drawing boards, honestly, I find such rascality and abuse of poweregregiousand unacceptable. We cannot have peace if government policies are seen by the people to be cruel to them.The governments are destroying the goods and properties of the people in the name of building secretariats that one could execute without causing the masses such untold hardship. But the governments refused to provide essential amenities like water, good roads and health care etc. that have got direct positive effects on them or provide opportunities that could bring food on their tables.
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It beats my imagination most times to understand how some Nigerians tend to believe more the lies of the governments or those in authority than the naked truth before them. How would one convince me to believe that a notice to demolish a particular house at a particular time for instance was properly served or brought to the notice of landlords/ladies or tenants and yet at that same very particular time the demolition will take place the same occupants will be busy eating, drinking or receiving visitors in their sitting rooms. Something most be wrong here, it is either the government actually did not give them any pre-information or that they did but their agents lied to the people and collected money from them as bribe and told them that the house/s would not be demolished again. And because the governments never cared whether their information got to their governed or not, their caterpillars must raze down any structure at site on the appointed day with military men flogging senior citizens and children they have rendered homeless. Which ever way one sincerely looks at this situation, it still shows the exposure of the failure of the government leaders and their agents that they do not care what happens to us the masses.
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Please, it is egotistically wicked, uncivilised and an absolute abuse of power for any government to demolish a house of somebody simply because a tenant used such a house for evil doings like kidnapping or ritual killing when no evidence linked the landlord/lady with such atrocity or iniquity. Landlords/ladies are not soothsayers to know what somebody is doing in his/her flats or houses. If any government must practice this kind of un-thoughtful and backward law, at least, please let such government first enact a law empowering landlords/ladies to compulsorily search the houses/flats of their tenants at a specific number of times in a month, and still if any evil is found to have been committed in such houses/flats, let it be thoroughly investigated before the execution of this obnoxious law.We have witnessed situations weregovernment agents acted on merely hearsay and such houses were demolished two days after the crime without any or proper investigation.It is wicked and uncivilised to see uncompleted buildings of people razed down within minutes just because one criminal has used that building in his/her nefarious kidnapping business as a camp. In a situation where the owner of such uncompleted building is probably living and struggling in aplace like Sokoto or Lagos, and the house he/she is struggling to build is situated at Akwa Ibom or Onitsha and perhaps he/she comes home once in a while especially when little has been saved to add one thing or the other in the building. How would this person know within this period whatpeople were doing in this building? How would one justify this high level of cruelty and injustice?
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The responsibilities of the security agents and their failures have nowbeenshifted to innocent Nigerian house owners.But the various Nigerian governments forgot that it was because of the romance of their security agents with criminals and theircollaboration with saboteurs to unprofessionally and unpatrioticallybetray honest and patriotic Nigerian citizens that have shared vital information with them to help curbing crime that many Nigerians keep mute even when they know that atrocities are being committed at their backyards on daily basis.
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Objectively speaking even when landlords/ladies are part of the evil,the demolition of any of such housesisa hugeloss to the society and not the solution to the problem. Those who are committing these crimes are not the owners of these houses and as such do not care what happens. What makes the government think that the destruction of such houses is the remedy to stop such heinous crimes? It will not work just as it does not work in Malaysia for instance where people have not stopped carrying hard drugs into the country. Despite the warnings and announcements at the airport that the penalty for illegal trading on hard drugs is death, people still pick their briefcases with their death right inside and queue up praying that God will blind the eyes of the microscope not to see their concealment.
I feel sad about this because I thought Nigeria was growing, but no wonder Nigeria is still called a third world country.
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This kind of lawmakes the peopleantagonistic towards the government and its policies. Instead of building bridges between the government and the governed, it widens gaps and it is not good for the growth of any society. We cannot have peace and security until the government shows enough commitment to the feelings and welfare of the people. We need a change.The Nigerian governments at various levels are too arrogant and reckless with their policies. They make soft laws against corruption by allowing someone to steal billions and if caught the person faces a maximum imprisonment of two years or an option to pay a few thousands of naira as penalty. But they enacted harsh laws they know that are for poor people. For crimes like stealing a goat, pickpocketing in crowded bus stops or stealing something worth of 10-20 thousand naira, the offender faces a minimum of two years imprisonment with hard labour or the hands of the person or legs are chopped off in the name of Sharia law. They make this kind of laws knowing that no National Assembly member, governor or president etc. will ever steal money at Oshodi bus stop.
We need a change because one can only achieve peace when one’s neighbour has peace.
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To be continued
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Uzoma Ahamefule
A concerned patriotic citizen writes from Vienna , Austria
Phone: +436604659620
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 Saheela Ibraheem Is A Pride To Nigeria By Uzoma Ahamefule
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15 Year Old Saheela Ibraheem Is A Pride To NigeriaBy Uzoma Ahamefule
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15 year old Nigerian girl, Saheela Ibraheem who secured admission into the influential Harvard University in Boston with the plan to become a research scientist and study the brain as reported last year, is a pride to Nigeria .
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She was said to have applied in 14 different respected universities in the world and was accepted in 13 but that she resolved to stay in Harvard University after having fallen in love with the environment of the campus during her visit.
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I want to use this medium to encourage other Nigerian youths to shun violence, alcohol, hard drugs and high life if they want to be successful in their lives and emulate Miss Saheela Ibraheem who could not have achieved this feat if she had not been serious and dedicated to her studies.
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Most girls at her age may have been too preoccupied with the thoughts of boyfriends and parting but not Saheela Ibraheem who had advised other children to listen to their parents most of the time because “they know what they’re doing.”
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Even though I acknowledge that Miss Saheela Ibraheem may have been a child blessed with extra ordinary talents, but credit must also be given to her parents who equally helped to mould her talents to limelight. We have heard and seen a lot of children in many homes who were very much talented to do many amazing positive things in the world that got wasted. Painfully it was so because some parents had been too busy with their work or had selfishly chased after money against the welfare of their children when they had jumped out every early morning leaving the children in the hands of their nephews and nieces and had come back very late in the evenings when the children perhaps had gone to bed. It is equally pertinent to note that some parents also have the habit of waking up their children every morning as early as 5:30 am and rushing them to kindergarten or school even sometimes without showering them or brushing their teeth. They also make special arrangements where the children will stay after closing from kindergarten or school and will only turn up to take them home around 6 pm or 7 pm.
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Some parents are also failures in these primary responsibilities of taking proper good care of their children and spending quality time with them by providing enough chocolates, food, enough house maids and providing the latest films for them to watch as substitutes to their presence.

As a parent, I acknowledge that parents must work in order to provide for the children but some parents are too greedy and without considerations to the feelings of the children because they want to build skyscrapers and ride the best car in the world, they have not taken their time to think deeply about the consequences of their best described distant relationship with their children.
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Parents, remember our children are the leaders of tomorrow and the quality of time we spend with them has effects of what they become tomorrow. Resolve today to be closer to your child, know his/her friends, know what he/she did in school and what he/she would like to do, play enough with him/her and don’t be a Sunday Sunday father/mother etc. to your child.
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Most times parents selfishly expect the children to understand like adults and behave maturely. They want to deny them the right to cry, they want to deny them the right to play and even sometimes they deny them their right to be pampered. My philosophy is that, if you know that you cannot take good care of the children, please do not bring them into the world.
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Kindly accept my belated congratulatory message, Miss Saheela Ibraheem and your parents.
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Uzoma Ahamefule a concern patriotic citizen writes from Vienna , Austria
uzomaah@yahoo.com (+436604659620)
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Uzoma Ahamefule: Foreign Affairs Visits: Temperature Of NigerianCommunities In Austria Rising Above Boiling Point, 10.2.2013
Since the news that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gbenga, plans to visit Austria in return to the similar diplomatic related visit from his Austrian foreign affairs counterpart, Michael Spindelegger in June last year, the tension has been very high amongst Nigerian communities in Austria. While the adrenaline of those in asylum process pumps higher for the fear of the purported reasons of this visit, many Nigerians are displeased with the attitude of the Nigerian ambassador to Austria, Her Excellency, Ambassador Maria Oyeyinka Laose and her refusal to see Nigerian communities in Vienna she is supposed to represent close to two years of her stay in Austria as ambassador disregarding every move that included a letter written and signed by all the executives of Nigerian ethnic nationals requesting her attention.
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The fear of Nigerians is not unconnected to reports in some Nigerian media houses last year immediately after the visit of theAustriaforeign affairs minister quoting that arrangements had been concluded and agreements had been signed to deport any person toNigeriawhose identity was not clear inAustria. In the report of the Guardian, it was stated that, “About 1,000 Nigerian asylum seekers in Austria may be deported following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by Nigeria and Austria . The agreement was signed last week inAbujaby Austrian Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger and Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru.
“The agreement exposes these persons who are without clear proof of Nigerian citizenship, most of them living inAustria for many years and well integrated (but not accepted as refugees according to the Geneva Convention).”
.
As Nigerians gather in their clan/town meetings, or with their friends in coffee bars to discuss the uncertainty of these bilateral agreements in fear and anger based on the fact that they are yet to wholly understand this kind of agreements that trample only on their fundamental human rights, many concerned Austrians and patriotic citizens are appealing for clarification.
.
Nigerians in Austria especially those living in the capital city, Vienna, are not accepting the explanations given to them so far that the same agreements they are worried about had been signed before in Germany, Switzerland and some other European countries and that all hell did not break loose in those countries. Nigerians inAustriaare saying, for the fact that the same agreements as reported by the Guardian had been signed in some of the European countries before and there had been no question or protest against them by Nigerians did not make such agreements right and acceptable. And because so many Nigerians hold the Guardian at a very high esteem, therefore, if what it wrote has not been refuted by the government of Nigeria since July 2012 till now, any explanation given to us here in Austria in any town hall meeting whether in the city of Graz or Vienna will still be regarded by many as another Maradona goal from the hands of God.
.
In honesty and sincerity, we have not seen any benefit of the so-said signed bilateral agreements in those countries where the agreements have been used to cite as examples in the lives of Nigerian masses living there except cries, humiliations and inhuman deportations of the people. Thus, Nigerians living inAustriawould not need such agreements that would only expose them to danger without protection.
.
Without sounding ignorant of the facts that diplomatic contacts and bilateral agreements are normal and very important between two countries for diplomatic resolution of issues or conflicts, but the ideology of the friendship over the years has never changed from its fundamental goal of providing a considerable quality of life for the citizens of both countries based on mutual respect. Therefore, if the primary aims of diplomatic romances or bilateral agreements have always been to enhance official understandings for macro and micro growth of the countries involved for the benefits of her citizens; can one say the same thing aboutNigeriaandAustriaas a case study bearing in mind the report of the Guardian?
.
I want to use this medium to inform the honourable Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru that Nigerians inAustriawould like to know when he visitsAustriahow these agreements would directly affect their lives positively in order to calm tension and nerves. Nigerians would like to know if these agreements will make things easier for Nigerians who want to come toAustriaand study. Nigerians would like to know how these agreements will make things easier and faster for Nigerians looking for visas at the Austrian Embassy inAbuja. Nigerians would like to know if these agreements have now made it possible for Nigerian certificates to be recognized and accepted inAustria. Nigerians would like to know if these agreements now have made it possible that when a signed document from the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or any government agency gets to Austria that it will be acknowledged, accepted and honoured as authentic without referring such letter to the Austrian embassy in Abuja for verification that costs the affected persons more than N150.000 (over €800). Nigerians would like to know if there is any clause in these agreements that make it now easier and faster for Nigerian men who are legitimately and honourably living inAustriato bring their parents for a visit or to unite with their wives and children.
.
Honourable Minister Sir, you know Nigerians are law abiding citizens and they would like to know everything so that they would also know their limits. The explanation given as reported by the Guardian was not enough for any citizen who cares about the dignity of his/her country and the welfare of all. It would have even been better if nothing had been explained to us so that we would have to take it as the normal bilateral agreements between two countries, but since the cat has been let out of the bag, please tell us more because we are curious.
.
I love Nigeria and I am a very proud Nigerian no matter the circumstances because the creator has got His reasons why my placenta was buried in that country, though Nigeria took care of me and protected me to grow, but sadly and suddenly she abandoned me like many at the middle of nowhere when I needed her most, and I ran to Austria for cover and Austria did not disappoint me as she was magnanimous enough to welcome me and gave me hope. Thus, I love my country Austriaand I am equally a proud Austrian. As a matter of fact, whatever affects these two countries affects me. On this note, I am irredeemably condemned and obligatorily compelled to use this medium to extend my absolute solidarity to those who in defiance of winter cold occupied the Votivkirche (church) in the 9th district of Vienna, in demand of better treatment for asylum seekers. Just as I equally and humbly appeal to the Austrian government as one of the benefactors of their goodwill to please always show high level of understanding and mercy on the plights of those seeking asylum inAustria if not for any reason at least on humanitarian grounds. On the side of African asylum seekers, while in their bids to escape hunger and starvation, or war from their respective countries because of bad leaderships, many were food for crocodiles and ants on their way without any second chance in life or the opportunity to tell their terrible woes, just as many of them also survived death in the Mediterranean Sea, and scorpion and snake bites in the Sahara desert before they got here.
.
In another development, since the publication of the article titled “Nigerians In Austria Cry To President Jonathan”, the umbrella body of Nigerians in Austria, National Association of Nigerian Community Austria, (NANCA) and the Nigerian embassy Vienna have never been the same again as the president of NANCA Eng. Yemi Ogundele claimed that he had been “under pressure from the Ambassador,” Her Excellency, Maria Oyeyinka Laose. A pressure that nearly forced him to deny the interview he had granted to me. This pressure was really so strong and powerful that it steered a lot of dust within NANCA executives that generated to an astonishing breaking level. It will be very interesting for the general public to read and see how an attempt was made by somebody for me to sell my conscience and also to understand that the problem withNigeriais not only leaders but also followers.
.
It would be recalled that in December last year, in my article as headlined above, I had elaborated the cat and mouse relationship between the ambassador and Nigerians in Austria. A step expected by many to be a tonic towards reconciliation. But the Vice president of NANCA “Ozo Muonyiroha” of Unube, Louis Asuzu said that nothing has officially changed between the Nigerians umbrella body, NANCA and the Ambassador, Her Excellency, Mrs Maria Oyeyinka Laose, a development he was still very dissatisfied with. “… How can the ambassador know us and our problems if she has not met with us since she came here? How can you lead people you do not know”, he queried. For further information on the stained relationship between Nigerians in Austriaand the ambassador, the vice president of NANCA can be reached on this number +436766333946
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Meanwhile information available to me said that, Her Excellency, Ambassador Maria Oyeyinka Laose started her official duty as the ambassador ofNigeriatoAustriaeffectively on 27/06/2011 and will officially be going on retirement next month March 2013.
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Because ministers and government representatives have been coming fromNigeriaand going with NANCA members and the ambassador putting up artificial faces to welcome them and entertain them, Nigerians inAustriawould not like the coming of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to be the same deceit of reception again because the settlement of this crisis falls into his portfolio. On this note, I appeal to him to please use his official position and power when he visitsAustriaand see to the end of this rift for the good image ofNigeriaand protection of Nigerians.
When I remember amongst other things the role and the stand of the Minister during the diplomatic rift betweenNigeriaandSouth Africa, I am proud to say, welcome in advance my honourable Minister to the land of peace and friendship,Austria.
May God blessNigeria, my father land and blessAustriamy adopted country.
.
Uzoma Ahamefule, a concerned patriotic citizen writes fromVienna,Austria
Phone: +436604659620

>>> Foreign Affairs Visits: Temperature Of Nigerian Communities In Austria Rising Above Boiling Point By Uzoma Ahamefule
>>>
>>> Since the news that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Gbenga, plans to visit Austria in return to the similar diplomatic related visit from his Austrian foreign affairs counterpart, Michael Spindelegger in June last year, the tension has been very high amongst Nigerian communities in Austria. While the adrenaline of those in asylum process pumps higher for the fear of the purported reasons of this visit, many Nigerians are displeased with the attitude of the Nigerian ambassador to Austria, Her Excellency, Ambassador Maria Oyeyinka Laose and her refusal to see Nigerian communities in Vienna she is supposed to represent close to two years of her stay in Austria as ambassador disregarding every move that included a letter written and signed by all the executives of Nigerian ethnic nationals requesting her attention.
>>>
>>> The fear of Nigerians is not unconnected to reports in some Nigerian media houses last year immediately after the visit of the Austria foreign affairs minister quoting that arrangements had been concluded and agreements had been signed to deport any person to Nigeria whose identity was not clear in Austria. In the report of the Guardian, it was stated that, “About 1,000 Nigerian asylum seekers in Austria may be deported following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by Nigeria and Austria . The agreement was signed last week in Abuja by Austrian Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger and Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru.
>>> “The agreement exposes these persons who are without clear proof of Nigerian citizenship, most of them living in Austria for many years and well integrated (but not accepted as refugees according to the Geneva Convention).”
>>>
>>> As Nigerians gather in their clan/town meetings, or with their friends in coffee bars to discuss the uncertainty of these bilateral agreements in fear and anger based on the fact that they are yet to wholly understand this kind of agreements that trample only on their fundamental human rights, many concerned Austrians and patriotic citizens are appealing for clarification.
>>>
>>> Nigerians in Austria especially those living in the capital city, Vienna, are not accepting the explanations given to them so far that the same agreements they are worried about had been signed before in Germany, Switzerland and some other European countries and that all hell did not break loose in those countries. Nigerians in Austria are saying, for the fact that the same agreements as reported by the Guardian had been signed in some of the European countries before and there had been no question or protest against them by Nigerians did not make such agreements right and acceptable. And because so many Nigerians hold the Guardian at a very high esteem, therefore, if what it wrote has not been refuted by the government of Nigeria since July 2012 till now, any explanation given to us here in Austria in any town hall meeting whether in the city of Graz or Vienna will still be regarded by many as another Maradona goal from the hands of God.
>>>
>>> In honesty and sincerity, we have not seen any benefit of the so-said signed bilateral agreements in those countries where the agreements have been used to cite as examples in the lives of Nigerian masses living there except cries, humiliations and inhuman deportations of the people. Thus, Nigerians living in Austria would not need such agreements that would only expose them to danger without protection.
>>>
>>> Without sounding ignorant of the facts that diplomatic contacts and bilateral agreements are normal and very important between two countries for diplomatic resolution of issues or conflicts, but the ideology of the friendship over the years has never changed from its fundamental goal of providing a considerable quality of life for the citizens of both countries based on mutual respect. Therefore, if the primary aims of diplomatic romances or bilateral agreements have always been to enhance official understandings for macro and micro growth of the countries involved for the benefits of her citizens; can one say the same thing about Nigeria and Austria as a case study bearing in mind the report of the Guardian?
>>>
>>> I want to use this medium to inform the honourable Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru that Nigerians in Austria would like to know when he visits Austria how these agreements would directly affect their lives positively in order to calm tension and nerves. Nigerians would like to know if these agreements will make things easier for Nigerians who want to come to Austria and study. Nigerians would like to know how these agreements will make things easier and faster for Nigerians looking for visas at the Austrian Embassy in Abuja. Nigerians would like to know if these agreements have now made it possible for Nigerian certificates to be recognized and accepted in Austria. Nigerians would like to know if these agreements now have made it possible that when a signed document from the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or any government agency gets to Austria that it will be acknowledged, accepted and honoured as authentic without referring such letter to the Austrian embassy in Abuja for verification that costs the affected persons more than N150.000 (over €800). Nigerians would like to know if there is any clause in these agreements that make it now easier and faster for Nigerian men who are legitimately and honourably living in Austria to bring their parents for a visit or to unite with their wives and children.
>>>
>>> Honourable Minister Sir, you know Nigerians are law abiding citizens and they would like to know everything so that they would also know their limits. The explanation given as reported by the Guardian was not enough for any citizen who cares about the dignity of his/her country and the welfare of all. It would have even been better if nothing had been explained to us so that we would have to take it as the normal bilateral agreements between two countries, but since the cat has been let out of the bag, please tell us more because we are curious.
>>>
>>> I love Nigeria and I am a very proud Nigerian no matter the circumstances because the creator has got His reasons why my placenta was buried in that country, though Nigeria took care of me and protected me to grow, but sadly and suddenly she abandoned me like many at the middle of nowhere when I needed her most, and I ran to Austria for cover and Austria did not disappoint me as she was magnanimous enough to welcome me and gave me hope. Thus, I love my country Austria and I am equally a proud Austrian. As a matter of fact, whatever affects these two countries affects me. On this note, I am irredeemably condemned and obligatorily compelled to use this medium to extend my absolute solidarity to those who in defiance of winter cold occupied the Votivkirche (church) in the 9th district of Vienna, in demand of better treatment for asylum seekers. Just as I equally and humbly appeal to the Austrian government as one of the benefactors of their goodwill to please always show high level of understanding and mercy on the plights of those seeking asylum in Austria if not for any reason at least on humanitarian grounds. On the side of African asylum seekers, while in their bids to escape hunger and starvation, or war from their respective countries because of bad leaderships, many were food for crocodiles and ants on their way without any second chance in life or the opportunity to tell their terrible woes, just as many of them also survived death in the Mediterranean Sea, and scorpion and snake bites in the Sahara desert before they got here.
>>>
>>> In another development, since the publication of the article titled “Nigerians In Austria Cry To President Jonathan”, the umbrella body of Nigerians in Austria, National Association of Nigerian Community Austria, (NANCA) and the Nigerian embassy Vienna have never been the same again as the president of NANCA Eng. Yemi Ogundele claimed that he had been “under pressure from the Ambassador,” Her Excellency, Maria Oyeyinka Laose. A pressure that nearly forced him to deny the interview he had granted to me. This pressure was really so strong and powerful that it steered a lot of dust within NANCA executives that generated to an astonishing breaking level. It will be very interesting for the general public to read and see how an attempt was made by somebody for me to sell my conscience and also to understand that the problem with Nigeria is not only leaders but also followers.
>>>
>>> It would be recalled that in December last year, in my article as headlined above, I had elaborated the cat and mouse relationship between the ambassador and Nigerians in Austria. A step expected by many to be a tonic towards reconciliation. But the Vice president of NANCA “Ozo Muonyiroha” of Unube, Louis Asuzu said that nothing has officially changed between the Nigerians umbrella body, NANCA and the Ambassador, Her Excellency, Mrs Maria Oyeyinka Laose, a development he was still very dissatisfied with. “… How can the ambassador know us and our problems if she has not met with us since she came here? How can you lead people you do not know”, he queried. For further information on the stained relationship between Nigerians in Austria and the ambassador, the vice president of NANCA can be reached on this number +436766333946
>>>
>>> Meanwhile information available to me said that, Her Excellency, Ambassador Maria Oyeyinka Laose started her official duty as the ambassador of Nigeria to Austria effectively on 27/06/2011 and will officially be going on retirement next month March 2013.
>>>
>>> Because ministers and government representatives have been coming from Nigeria and going with NANCA members and the ambassador putting up artificial faces to welcome them and entertain them, Nigerians in Austria would not like the coming of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to be the same deceit of reception again because the settlement of this crisis falls into his portfolio. On this note, I appeal to him to please use his official position and power when he visits Austria and see to the end of this rift for the good image of Nigeria and protection of Nigerians.
>>> When I remember amongst other things the role and the stand of the Minister during the diplomatic rift between Nigeria and South Africa, I am proud to say, welcome in advance my honourable Minister to the land of peace and friendship, Austria.
>>> May God bless Nigeria, my father land and bless Austria my adopted country.
>>>
>>> Uzoma Ahamefule, a concerned patriotic citizen writes from Vienna, Austria
>>> Mail: uzomaah@yahoo.com
>>> Phone: +436604659620

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Uzoma Ahamefule: Nigerians In Austria Cry To President Jonathan – Ambassador Gbenga Take Note  
 Nigerians In Austria Cry To President Jonathan: Ambassador Gbenga Take Note By Uzoma Ahamefule
  • “I have declared war already today, … this is too much and unacceptable“ NANCA president
  • “The Nigerian ambassador has neglected the Nigerians“ NANCA vice president
Uzoma Ahamefule
All is not well between Nigerians in Austria and their embassy, and when a kingdom is divided against itself, the center cannot hold.
The officials of the umbrella body of Nigerians in Austria, “National Association of Nigerian Community Austria, (NANCA)” have not hidden this unhappy and uncomfortable state of things as they have used this medium to cry to the federal government of Nigeria to help them un-code the unprecedented scenario that has badly dented their official relationship with the embassy and made them to live like cat and mouse with their ambassador, Her Excellency, Mrs. Maria Oyeyinka Laose. They are bitter as they have also claimed that the ambassador had unbelievably for the first time in the history of NANCA denied them their birth right when she had not extended the invitation of the Nigerian 52nd independence celebration to them. Irrespective of any circumstance, it is a deed they have considered a grievous error and cannot fathom out why.
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They equally have accused the ambassador of not showing any interest towards the complaints of their plights as she had only been too busy signing the deportations of people without proper investigation. In a similar development, they also query the federal government of Nigeria what they have done wrong that has made the government to abandon them to be discriminated and maltreated so badly by the authority of their host country without any resistance or protest from Nigeria.
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When I went to the embassy to get the other side of the story on the issues raised, sadly and disappointingly all what I got were insults from a rude receptionist of Asian origin who is also well known by many Nigerians for his impatience, arrogance and lack of respect when talking to Nigerians whether on phone or at the embassy. Sadly, according to information reaching me from impeccable sources this receptionist derives the impetus to let Nigerians down the way he does of which I have been his victim two times, because of the protection he feels he enjoys from the connection that brought him to the embassy and his color, a development that no Nigerian ambassador unfortunately seemed to have been able to deal with.
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It would be recalled that I had earlier this year written an article titled “1,000 Planned Deportations of Nigerians from Austria, Nigerian Communities Boiling” which elaborated on the ‘I don’t care’ attitude of the Nigerian embassy in deporting people. The situation has not changed as deportations of people to Nigeria continued still without contact or proper identification of their nationalities by the embassy. Some of the people they could claim they identified went through charade and shameful predetermined interviews conducted outside the premises of the Nigerian embassy. A trend that is very peculiar to some African embassies around Europe.
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With the look of things, the situation of the unpleasant experiences of many deportees without the sincere opportunity to defend themselves or face the scrutiny of many issues like their identities before the Nigerian embassy officials will unfortunately not change at least for now. Information around Nigerian communities in Vienna has it that the ambassador, Her Excellency, Mrs. Maria Oyeyinka Laose, is carefully trying to avoid the politics and pressure from certain quarters and to evade the kind of trouble the former ambassador to Austria, Dr Jerry Ugokwe, had ran into that had brought squalor and palace coup that had contributed to his untimely withdrawal as ambassador from Austria. Available records showed that the sin of Dr. Jerry Ugokwe had been that he had sincerely and reasonably maintained that all the rights of asylum seekers regarding their deportations as enshrined in the Geneva Convention had to be respected especially with his blunt insistence that those cases still in court had to be exhausted and all protocols adhered to before he could sign their deportations. A commendable decision that had for unknown reasons to many Nigerians in Austria triggered the anger of the then officials of the Foreign Affairs Ministry under the leadership of Chief Ojo Maduekwe who is currently the Nigerian ambassador to Canada, to order three wise men from Abuja without regards to protocols to Austria and they had disgracefully and painfully done the work of the ambassador by cruelly signing thousands open deportation papers of Nigerians without expiry dates that had led to indiscriminate and massive deportations of people at that time.
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 In a move that may look smart but shallow to those close to these vulnerable victims, mainly asylum seekers, investigation centered on some of the deportees revealing that, if forty people are presented to the embassy for deportation, the ambassador usually signs the deportations of about twenty of the people in order to avoid pressure from one party while leaving about twenty other people also as evidence of defense to any question that may come from whomever it may concern that they did their job well, when in the actual sense the whole processes before their decisions had been rather unprofessional and shabby. Many Nigerians in Austria have chorused that the impression they have is that, as long as the powers that maybe are happy with the official conducts of the embassy officers and their places of work secured, the pains of ordinary Nigerians and their complaints are secondary and very much irrelevant.
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Never in the history has NANCA had it so bad with the Nigerian embassy and their ambassador like they are having things now with the current ambassador. The relationship has gone so sour and bitter. The NANCA version of the Nigerian independence celebration which took place on 12th October, 2012 in Vienna where many distinguished Nigerians like the first Nigerian Olympic medalist in Tokyo 1964, Mr. Nojim Maiyegun, Mr. Georgr Alaba, father of the millionaire Austrian National team star, David Alaba, Dr. Smart Eze, ex-Biafran soldier and host of others that included NGO’s were recognized and honored with awards afforded many Nigerians the opportunity to express their anger and surprise over the ambassador’s action to celebrate the Nigerian independence without Nigerians when they spoke to me.
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Some of the questions on their lips were: Why did their ambassador neglect them on that special day for Nigeria? Why did she take their independence party to somebody’s gallery that could also not comfortably contain 40 people? Was there any deal before this special favor to advertise somebody’s business? How much would the Nigerian embassy claim that they spent in that gathering in the name of their independence party when they only wined and dined with their close friends? Is the ambassador here to represent her personal interests alone without regards to the feelings and opinions of many Nigerians in Austria? As many whys reigned the air, one thing was obvious, the relationship is stained, trust lost and there seems to be no door open to bridge this widening dangerous gap unless through the intervention of a higher authority. In consequence, Nigerians in Austria through the officials of NANCA sensing the sad effect this situation would have if not urgently checked, have cried to President Goodluck Jonathan and Foreign Affairs Minister Olugbenga Ashiru to come to their rescue as the NANCA President Engr. Oluyemi Ogundele said that he had “declared war” and threatened to organize a protest to occupy the Nigerian embassy.
Group photograph of those honoured with awards and NANCA officials
Here are the things some of the NANCA executives and few Nigerians had to say about the whole brouhaha:
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General Secretary NANCA, Mag. Leonard Kazie Obiagwu: “In the history of NANCA in Austria, this is the first time NANCA and Nigerians at large were not invited to the Nigeria independence celebration. It has not been the nature and the culture between Nigerians or NANCA and the reason we were not told and we do not feel good about it. The last celebration under her she sent a very few invitations and the celebration was done during working hours which was unusual and we were also very sad about it. The relationship we enjoyed with the embassy is no longer what it used to be as it looks collapsed. We do not know whether they are actually here to represent us and we are not happy about the whole thing. Information reaching us said that the Nigerian independence celebration 2012 was for them and their friends and not for the purpose.
“My message to Nigerians is that, there is power in unity and NANCA is for all of us and if we should rally round NANCA and make it great, we will have a voice both home and abroad.”
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Vice Chairman NANCA, „Ozo Muonyiroha“ of Unube, Louis Asuzu: “We were not informed and were not invited to the Nigerian independence celebration party organized by the embassy and I think that it is a very bad and a very wrong thing to do. I believe strongly that they are moving in a very wrong direction.
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“The Nigerian ambassador has neglected the Nigerian association here in Austria and has neglected Nigerians, she is not interested in whatever opinion we have, she has never bothered about us, she is only interested in signing the TC’s (traveling certificates-deportation papers) and we really don’t know why. My message to the ambassador is that she should come down and listen to the Nigerian community here, we are all human beings. We know that she will not be staying here for a very long time, maybe she is doing it probably as a response to the reactions from the Austrians. But she should also understand that we are living here for a long time and we know the Austrians and the way they act, she is not going to get what she thinks she will get. First of all she has to listen to us because it is very important that she listens to what we have to say and it is also very important that she works with us because a very old woman has more broken plates than the younger one because it has been long she started cooking. […] She should understand that she is a career diplomat and not a politician because if she is a politician it is a different thing. We had a politician like Dr. Jerry Ugokwe who was here, he did fantastically well and we know why he was taken out because people like her back sided to work against him. So, we know why and we have the documents, we are not afraid to give out the documents or to say why he was taken away. “.
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A Nigerian guest at the party: “I am Tajudeen Bello, a Nigerian, and I have been living here for the past 32 years and I work for United Nation Industrial Development Organization. I am very happy that we are celebrating our independence and I wish Nigeria a happy birthday.”
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When asked to comment on the controversy trailing the embassy version of the Nigerian independent celebration, he said, “I was invited officially by the embassy and my understanding of what happened there and the reason the venue was chosen was because a Nigerian was exhibiting his arts and they wanted to encourage him. We all have different opinions about things that transferred there but I did not see it negative because the person who was exhibiting his art is also a Nigerian. I believe that it was good for us in Austria because Nigeria has been associated with negative things and this is something positive, a Nigerian artist showing his art to the Austrian world. So I did not feel that it’s worthy criticizing it. We should all work together, if people have grudges against the ambassador they should ask for a meeting and tell her what they are not happy about but I do not think that that action was bad.”
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Social welfare of NANCA, Edwin Nwaka: “Nigeria did not celebrate the independence here in Austria because embassy officials only went to a man who was opening a gallery and the man was the one that invited people. Nobody is happy the way the ambassador is treating Nigerians because the embassy is supposed to care for all Nigerians in Austria. She does not care and we appeal to the federal government to take care and seriously look into this matter before it gets out of hand.”
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Financial secretary NANCA, Chukwuka Emmanuel: “Everybody has got his own view but for me I think that Nigeria celebrated independence here in Austria in a low key, but I do not see anything we are celebrating actually. We are trying to use this medium (NANCA) to bring Nigerians together.
“For the Nigerian embassy not to invite Nigerians to the Nigerian independence celebration, honestly I am not happy as a Nigerian because without Nigerians there would not be an embassy here. The embassy should recognize us. […] What is happening between NANCA and the embassy now I do not see it to be a problem but I rather call it a challenge.”
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Unanimous contributor: “Whether the embassy celebrated in low key or high key, why did the ambassador not invite at least the executives of the ethnic groups? May God have mercy on this country!” Many like him have lost hope and fate at the embassy.
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NANCA Presidednt, Engr. Oluyemi Ogundele: “We ask for one thing, that is, they should treat us (here in Austria) equally like any other citizen of any other country but they refused. When the Nigerian government says that a document is genuine […] with the official stamps of the Foreign Ministry the Austrian authority here does not recognize that until the Austrian embassy in Nigeria asks the person involved to pay around N150, 000 (around €800) for a local lawyer to go and verify such document.
“We wrote a simple letter to the Minister and in order to make sure that it got to him we sent it through the embassy and up till today no single comment about it. We have been pushed to the wall and we are law abiding citizens here and for more than 22 years now that I have been living in this country we never demonstrated once but this time we are going to change. Since they do not want to reply to our letter maybe they will react to our action because action is better than letter.
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“I have declared war already today and have told them that this is too much and unacceptable. We have been discriminated and treated badly […] and for the authority everything that came from Nigeria is counterfeit and our government is looking and they are allowing us to be exploited. For this issue, I went to the National Assembly asking them to help us and beg the presidency. Nigerians are complaining that they are being maltreated and on some issues Nigerians will be treated separately and other countries separately; what have we done wrong? And if our government does not defend us; who is going to defend us?
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“For the celebration of the 52nd Nigerian independence day organized by the embassy we were not part of it, we were not invited and we were not in support of it. The owner of the gallery himself invited me and I only went there to honor him and left after about five minutes because I was not happy since all Nigerians were supposed to celebrate. The gallery is so small that not even up to fifty people can go inside and how many Nigerians do we have here? Last year was the same thing and this year the same thing again. The ambassador may not be here next year and it means during her time no interaction.”
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United we stand and divided we fall. I join many concerned Nigerians to appeal to the federal government of Nigeria to please look into the issues raised hereof by these honorable Nigerians. Every reasonable government cannot just wave grievous allegations such as the ones stated above. Irrespective of different views we may have, I also appeal to Her Excellency to play the mother role to all as the ambassador of this great country in Austria and also to accept good criticisms as part of her status and call NANCA officials to a round table discussion. And because it takes two to tango, NANCA officials should equally understand that Her Excellency, Mrs. Maria Oyeyinka Laose is the ambassador and accord her the due respect and recognition that goes with her profile and work together in order to achieve great results in most of the cases they have complained here.
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May God bless Nigeria my father land and bless Austria my adopted country.
Uzoma Ahamefule, a concerned patriotic citizen writes from Vienna, Austria
uzomaah@yahoo.com (+436604659620)

There Is Power In A Name: End Colonial Identity And Re-Baptize Nigeria By Uzoma Ahamefule

Uzoma Ahamefule

Every name has a meaning but the name Nigeria cannot say to be the same.  No Nigerian can tell you the meaning of Nigeria without having any problem.

As we found it necessary and important to change the national anthem given to us by the colonial masters so it is extremely very important that we change these confusion, hatred, corruption, poverty, disease, violence etc. in the name Nigeria to something more reasonable, meaningful and identical to our culture and heritage because there is power in a name.

According to history the name Nigeria was first made public in the “The Times” colonial newspaper in 1897 by the Editor Flora Shaw who later got married to Lord Lugard the Governor General that amalgamated all the nations to one Nigeria in 1914.

Name plays important role to someone’s life you can ask President Goodluck Jonathan who was a deputy Governor but with luck in his name he later became the Governor and he was a vice President and again with luck in his name he became the President out of the doctrine of necessity. Because of Goodluck, he may one day become the UN Sec. Gen. However, now that he is the president Nigerians are yet to see the luck that catapulted him to these high positions in their lives.

There is power in a name, re-baptize Nigeria and end this colonial identity so that Nigeria can be free.

Join the campaign of renaming Nigeria.

Uzoma Ahamefule, a concerned patriotic citizen writes from Vienna, Austria

uzomaah@yahoo.com (+436604659620)