THE RECENT PROTEST IN THE NIGERIAN EMBASSY MADRID

Great Nigerians in Spain, my attention has been drawn to a recent protest staged at the Nigerian Embassy Madrid, as a result of what the organisers termed to be an injustice meted out to them. I want to make it clear that as the leader of the Nigerian communities in Spain, I will not speak against, nor criticise anybody who is exercising his fundamental and inalienable rights to protest against a perceived injustice as it is enshrined in the Constitution of Spain. I am however constrained to react to the rancorous and incidious manner the protesters used the occasion of their ill adviced outing to cast aspersions and malign the good name of our dear Ambassador.

Calling for the recall of the Nigerian Ambassador to Spain who in his short time here has done so much for Nigerians and for the embassy as an institution, is beyond comprehension. It smarks of puerile, ignoble, mischievous and blind adventurism. It is therefore my duty as the President of Nigerians in Spain to call on these few individuals to immediately stop this odious campaign of calumy and character assassination against our dear Ambassador.

Can anybody with any modicum of honour and integrity fault our Ambassador, who out of his great sense of patriotism and love for the embassy as an institution, decided to sanitise the embassy and put measures in place to make the mission as efficient as possible. Unfortunately, part of this well thought out measures included reorganization of the work force in the embassy, which ultimately led to the termination of the contract of some of the local staff.

As a leader, I emphasize will the few workers that were affected by the reorganization that took place in the embassy. But the question we would ask ourselves is whether these individuals are the only people that would lose their jobs in any institution in Spain. People have had their contacts terminated in this country without the heavens falling. Why would the case of these few local staff of the embassy be different? Another question we would ask is whether the termination of their contact followed due process, as it is stipulated in the Spanish labour laws.

The reliable information I got is that the Nigerian embassy followed the due process in all matters relating to the termination of their contact, which included adequate payment of their severance fees, this according to the source was calculated by the Spanish labour lawyer. Thereafter, all those who were affected got all their monetary entitlements. The money paid to the affected workers varried according to the number of years each worker has put on in the work.

A case where some of the workers got paid over 30, 000 euros each cannot be said to be unfair in any way at all. It is incomprehensible then that these are the same workers that are hauling all kinds of insults to the Ambassador for no just cause. It is totally clear that these few individuals are only out to cause some mischief and to ridicule themselves in the process, as Nigerians know better.

It is important to note that the vast majority of Nigerians are so happy with his Excellency, Ambassador Seriki for the bold step he took to bring sanity in the mission in Madrid. Prior to this time, some local staff in the embassy have given a bad name to the embassy as an body, through the unprofessional way they have been discharging their duties, which leaves much to be desired. Unfortunately, most of the complaints against some of these local staff, which include extortion of Nigerians, lackadaisical and non chalant manner they attend to their job, debased and lack of regards for Nigerians who go to the embassy for one intervention or another, were all ignored till this great man came to put sanity in the embassy through the laudable reforms he made.

I made an official trip to the embassy last week to have a meeting with His Excellency the Ambassador. I could not believe the transformation that has taken place since the reforms he initiated in the mission. For the first time in a very long time, I saw a very efficient local staff discharging their duties with professionalism, courtesy, dedication and respect to Nigerians and other foreign nationals who came there. At last, we now have a dedicated staff, ready to do the job they are paid to do, that is, to serve those that came to the mission with dignity and respect.

This total transformation would not have been possible without the sterling and uncommon courage shown by the Ambassador to put the interest of the mission and that of Nigerians above some few individuals who thought that the status quo of inefficiency and lack of dedication to their work would not change. Yes it has changed for good. No name calling on our Ambassador would return us to the old and decadent ways of the past.

I made sure to convoy my sincere appreciation on behalf of Nigerians in Spain for this laudable initiative that has suddenly transformed the work ethics of the local staff during my meeting with the Ambassador and some of the senior staff of the embassy.

For those who are trying to tarnish the good name of our Ambassador, they should note that this good man is on a mission to leave a lasting legacy in the Nigerian mission in Spain's. It would be recalled that he went round some key provinces in Spain immediately he assumed office, in order to meet and interact with Nigerians and to know their problems.

This is the first time since the time of Her Excellency, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, that the head of the Nigerian mission in Spain is going out of Madrid to have town hall meetings with Nigerians in different cities. This is what leadership is all about. Through these meetings, he was able to have first hand information about what Nigerians need. Since the arrival of the Ambassador to Spain, he has not hidden his passion for the general well-being of Nigerians here.

We are therefore praying that God will continue to give him the wisdom and courage to achieve everything he has proposed to do inorder to bring about a great turn-around in the embassy. Finally let me make it clear that Nigerians in Spain under my leadership will not allow further insult and ridicule against our Ambassador in any way or any form.

Those who feel aggrieved with whatever issue they have, should remember that they can seek redress through the judicial process rather than making wild and baseless allegations against our Ambassador. I encourage all Nigerians in Spain to continue to support the initiative that is being embarked upon by the Ambassador, as they are for the good of the mission and that of all Nigerians.

Thank you all and God bless you.
I remain your servant leader

JohnBosco Okeke
President Nigerian Communities Spain.

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