Amadi Nwokocha- NIDO-Qatar Presidential Manifesto

The two-year restoration plan of Amadi Nwokocha, one of the presidential candidate of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Qatar (NIDO-Qatar) elections, scheduled to hold on 5 June.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation – Qatar Chapter (NIDO-Qatar) formerly the Nigerian Community in Qatar Association (Dohanaija) was formed by a group of eminent Nigerians in 2002 as a social, non-religious and non-political forum where members can mingle, get-together as well as provide support for one another.

The organisation operates as a charitable entity and its main financial sources are from fees, levies, voluntary contributions, donations and grants.

Membership is made  up of Nigerians, presently residing in Qatar and they are mostly professionals in different sectors including Oil and Gas, Education, Hospitality, Transportation, Media, Aviation, Engineering and Construction, Medical as well as Pharmaceutical fields.

 Among the objectives of the forum were:

To promote unity, love and harmony amongst all Nigerians living in the State of Qatar

To promote the image of Nigeria and protect her interest at all times.

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Nigerians resident in Qatar to vote new excos on 10 April

Just as Nigerians will go to the polls on Saturday, 11th April, 2015 to vote for gubernatorial aspirants in the 36 states of the federation, Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO-Qatar) will hold a general election for elective positions on 10 April 2015 for new executives, at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Doha

The wind of change occasioned by General Muhammed Buhari upstaging President Goodluck Jonathan as President-Elect, and Jonathan's acceptance and congratulatory message to the APC candidate has galvanised Nigerians home abroad, including Nigerian residents in Qatar to clamour for change. The over 7,500 Nigerians residents in Qatar have shown they too can elect theirs peacefully. The tempo is high with the electrifying campaigns, banners, SMS messages and meetings around town ahead of the election.

One thing is certain, Nigerian residents will be better for the whole process as the new executives will be tasked to clean up and positively promote the Nigerian image as a country of Good People and Great Nation. As part of making the process peaceful, the candidates for the different positions met and promised to work with whomsoever emerge as winners.

The highpoint of the election is the presidential race between Mutiu Adedeji, a Chartered Quantity Survey, and Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Amadi Nwokocha, a chartered Accountant, and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Speaking ahead of the election, Adedeji said, "I am one Nigerians who believes in our great nation, even though tribes and tongues may differ and despite the challenges we face outside our country, we remain a great people with zeal to excel in any field we may find ourselves. The Nigerian community in Qatar that I know even though far from being the ideal is good enough to identify with and be proud of. It is my belief that a big community organisation like ours needs VIBRANCY. On this note, I hereby seek your support and cooperation so that we can take NIDO-Qatar to a greater height."

"Within the 3 years that I have been in Qatar. I have had the privilege to visit and counsel people at detention camps, and have had several meetings with the Nigerian embassy officials on best ways to address some of the peculiar issues facing Nigerians in Qatar. I have also had the opportunity to assist some people, with challenges to relocate back to Nigeria," said Amadi Nwokocha. 

According to Princewill Mbah, a Nigerian, " As we go to vote on Friday, 10th April, 2015, let us have the mindset that we are all one family, we are not in any form of competition, ours supports and preferences for different candidates is not to set anybody or group against the other, or tear down NIDO-Qatar, but should be based on our knowledge and understanding of those candidates as regards leadership qualities and service, vis-a-vis meeting the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians in Qatar."

Other positions to be filled include vice-president, general secretary, assistant general secretary, financial secretary, treasurer, social secretary, public relations officers, welfare officer and chief whip.

The Nigerians Diaspora-Qatar Chapter (NIDO-Qatar) formerly the Nigerian Community in Qatar Association (Dohanaija) was formed by a group of eminent Nigerians in 2002 as a social, non-religious and non-political forum where members can mingle, get-together as well as provide support for one another.

The organisation operates as a charitable entity and its main financial sources are from fees, levies, voluntary contributions and grants.

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Nigeria names ambassador to Qatar

DOHA NIGERIA government has appointed a resident ambassador to Qatar. The ambassador-designate is Sanni Bala Salauwa, a career diplomat.
Before Bala’s appointment, Nigeria’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been serving as the concurrent ambassador to the UAE and Qatar.
The new ambassador will resume duty in Qatar after formal presentation of his letter of credence to Qatar government and establishment of the embassy.
Speaking at an event on Friday, President of Nigerians in Diaspora, Qatar Chapter (NIDO-Qatar) OJ Millar said Nigeria government officials have informed him of the new development.
“We are happy that our quest for the establishment of a Nigeria embassy in Doha is becoming a reality.
The presence of the mission in Qatar will create trade and investment opportunities for both countries and provide quick diplomatic action and response to issues affecting Nigerians in Qatar,” he said.

He said Nigerians resident in Qatar have endured the absence of embassy and consular support in Qatar for so long. He pointed out that NIDO-Qatar has worked tirelessly over the past ten years to make this happen.

“The effort started in 2005 at a meeting on the issue to the former president of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Olu Adeniji during their visit to the G77+China conference in Qatar,” Millar said.
He said the group continued with its request for opening the embassy with several communications to subsequent administration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The new arrangement is in fulfilment of a promise made by Nigeria Vice- President Namadi Sambo during his visit to Qatar for attending the inaugural Summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
Millar noted that a civil air transport relationship was signed between Nigeria and Qatar (Qatar Airways and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority) five years ago on the Bilateral Air Traffic Service Agreement resulting in Qatar airway direct flight to Nigeria.
Hence, Nigerians in Qatar are very excited over the news of the new embassy, which will no doubt strengthen the relationship and cooperation between Qatar and Nigeria in many areas, including cultural, bilateral trade and investment.

Iyeke Onyerhovwo, first public relations officer the Nigerian group in Qatar said, “On behalf of the founding fathers of Dohanaija, we congratulate the Nigeria community in Qatar on the occasion of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan, establishing a Nigeria Embassy in Qatar. This great achievement, was the noble 'objective' of the founding fathers of the Nigeria community in Qatar (Dohanaija), that metamorphosed  into NIDO-QATAR, whose current executive members led by  OJ Miller pursued to a successful conclusion; many thanks to the current Executive.”

“Our collective joy, is that the labour and struggle of this noble organisation since the summer of 2001, was not in vain and that it has been realised in our lifetime,” he added

The new ambassador is expected to resume in Qatar soon after all preliminaries between the two countries have been agreed and concluded. 

According to Foreign ministry spokesperson, Ode Ogbole, the Federal Government was waiting for responses from the foreign countries before issuing letters of credence to the new ambassadors.

“The sending state (Nigeria) will seek the approval or agreement of the receiving country by sending the ambassador’s credentials for verification before appointing an Ambassador or High Commissioner to a post or country,” he said.

Nigerian expats in Qatar condemm Christmas day attacks

Nigerian residents in Qatar have condemned the Christmas day suicide bombings which have claimed the lives of some 35 people in Nigeria, while calling upon the government to bring the perpetrators to book.
According to agency reports, the attacks included a church blast outside the capital - Abuja - killing at least 30 people, a bomb blast outside an evangelical church in the central city of Jos, that killed a police officer, and another explosion targeting a church in the northeastern area of Gadaka on Christmas Eve, but no one was reported killed, while two other blasts hit the northeastern city of Damaturu on Christmas Day, including the suicide bombing.
Some of the residents, a majority of whom are Muslims,  yesterday condemned the incidents while blaming them on political sentiments rather than religious divisions.
They blasted the government for condoning the deadly acts of a mastermind group “Boko haram”, which has been blamed for a series of attacks in different parts of Nigeria and also claiming responsibilities for the latest bombings in the country.
A good number of the people believed that the elements within the “Boko haram” group are the creations of the politicians, who have used them to actualise their electoral goals and thereafter refused to meet their requirements, an action which they said has turned the group into what they are today.
“It is very unfortunate that such incidents are happening in Nigeria and also unfortunate that they are being perpetrated in the name of Islam as those behind the dastardly acts always claim,” Nigerian Muslim Community in Qatar (Nimco) Amir Mohamed Basheer said.
He condemned the attacks and asked the Nigerian government not to be biased in fishing out the masterminds while also cautioning the use of violence against them in order to get to the root of the matter.
“While all well-meaning Muslims in Nigeria and abroad are against events like these, we will also advice the Nigerian government not to employ force in dealing with the so-called Islamist group. Instead, they should be invited for dialogue where they can air their grievances and seek possible solutions to end the bloodshed as soon as possible. I believe this might also bring to an end all these propaganda against Islam,” Basheer suggested.
Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation- Qatar chapter (NIDO-Qatar) secretary general Godfrey Awinoron, who is a Christian, asked the Nigerian government to deal decisively with the insurgent group saying “they are already a threat to the country’s stability”.
“The government should seek all legal means to remove the threat constituted by this group and seek avenues that will guarantee security of all Nigerians,” he suggested.
Another Nigerian Muslim, Abdulrahmon Olukade also absolved Islam from the group saying “they are not in any way related to Islam”.
“These particular group of people do not represent well-meaning Muslims in Nigeria and what they are doing is out-rightly against the teachings of Islam and it is very sad that many people find it difficult to believe this,” he lamented.
Olukade believed that the group behind the bombings must have the backings of some highly placed politicians, who were possibly sponsoring them.
“It is sad that innocent people are being killed while celebrating Christmas but I see those attacks more of being politically-motivated than what Boko haram can handle. This is just another sign of total lack of security of lives and properties in Nigeria,” Isa Ojetola , a Muslim, said.
A Nigerian Christian, Adeboye Dehinbo, said he was sad upon hearing the news. “Our government is not doing enough to ensure the  safety of the lives and properties of its people ,” he said.