.jpg)
| ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
By:
HARRISON MAINA | ||||||||||||
| Posted:
Nov,11-2016 16:41:29
| ||||||||||||
|
BOSTON--A cross section of ethnic African immigrants in USA including the mayor of Newark, New Jersey Ugo Nwaokoro from Nigeria and Somalia's Ilhan Omar who is running for a hotly contested Minnesota House of Representatives race under Democratic Party ticket have endorsed Hillary Clinton for US President in a tough fight with Republican Donald Trump coming to an end tomorrow Election Day.
Speaking Monday morning after the first ever African Diaspora & Government Symposium last Saturday at Boston University, several community leaders and activists from different parts of the US has come out in support of the emerging togetherness under the banner of United People for African Congress (UPAC). UPAC is aiming to mobilize the estimated 3 million African immigrants in USA so they can have their own voice instead of being lost in the category of "African Americans" as has been the case in the past--leading to their unique needs failing to get traction among top government leaders. Among most notable African immigrant leaders who have written statements endorsing Clinton include the Deputy Mayor of the City of Newark New Jersey, Mr. Ugo Nwaokoro from Nigeria, Dr. Sylvester Okere, UPAC President Dr. Sylvester Okere, Kenge Malikidogo-Fludd UPAC National Secretary from Congo DRC, Ethiopia's Tebabu Assefa of US-Africa Economic Business Council, Mr. A H Gabisi Sierra Leonean Community of New Jersey, Nigeria's Sarah Igiebor of the African Diaspora for Hillary-USA, Chad's Voury Ignegongba President, Africans in Boston, Kenya's Harrison Maina of Ajabu Africa News & Media, Foday Mansaray Chairman, West African Community from Sierra Leone, S. Okey Mbonu Prominent Nigerian American Community Leader, Hon. Christopher Ojo African Entrepreneurs Coalition, Hon. Mercy Phillips, President, African and American Alliance from Ivory Coast , Mamadou Samba African Community in DC from Senegal, DRC's Marie-Rose Sirikari African Community Advocate in Maryland and Mali's Assetou Sy Founder, African Women's Alliance of America.
Somalia's Ilhan Omar has endorsed during her entire campaign where she defeated Phyllis Khan in the primaries, and faced Republican nominee's Abdimalik Askar, another Somalia born political aspirant in Minnesota who later withdraw from the race citing unexpected family developments.(www.ilhanomar.com)(Read More-Wikipedia) In a letter sent to the Hillary Clinton Campaign on behalf of all African Organizations that attended the African Diaspora & Governance Symposium on Saturday, and millions of other African immigrants in the United States who support democracy, good governance, and the American dream, Dr. Okere said that most African immigrants in USA believe that Hillary Clinton will protect the dream that they call came to chase. "Together, we want to be on record in endorsing Hillary Clinton. She is the best qualified to be our president. She has done it all and in all she does. Africans are with her 110 percent. To over the three (3) million Africans, we are better and stronger together through unity. It is our duty as United States Citizens to get out and vote," said Dr. Okere. "The time for Continental African immigrants to get organized couldn't be better as we have a presidential candidate that listens and understands our issues. As we solidly vote for Hillary Clinton and the down line Democratic tickets, by getting organized we can use our votes to negotiate things like immigration reforms, poor representation of Africans in Federal appointments, etc," said Ugo Nwaokoro, Newark's Deputy Mayor in a statement written to the Hillary Clinton Campaign through UPAC.
"We believe Secretary Hillary Clinton to be one of the most prepared candidates this country has seen in years. I cannot think of a single candidate in the history of the US that brings to the table the experience and background Secretary Clinton has to offer. She is a graduate of America most prestigious institutions such as Wellesley College and Yale, she has been a first lady, she has been a Senator and she has been Secretary of State under President Obama. She has been in public life for over 30 years. So when it comes to internal affairs she can lead, when it comes to African and world affairs she can lead. For all those reasons WE ARE WITH HER because together we can go far," said Voury Ignegongba, president of African in Boston organization in a statement emailed to Ajabu Africa News. Ignegongba said that he was overjoyed by dozens of African immigrants from different African countries living in Boston who attended the symposium last Saturday as it was in indicator that Africans have the desire to put their differences aside and unify for a common cause while far from their homelands. "I would like to thank personally Dr. Okere and attorney Candice McKinley for responding to our, Mr.Wilson Balinda for his vision and help with all the logistics for the event, Mr. Harrison Maina for helping with media coverage as well as Daivi Rodima Taylor and Peter Quella from the Boston University African Studies Center for providing us with the space. "The future is bright. I believe in the POWER of DIASPORA," he added.
During the meeting, attorney Candice McKinley, an African American attorney, political strategist and gender activist shocked guests when she revealed that differences of opinions and mistrust among people from the same background during a period of unifying is normal and should not be a discouragement to Africans in Boston and in USA who desire to unite for the betterment of their community. McKinley, who is also the deputy president of UPAC, urged African immigrants in USA to be selfless, purposeful, and intentional in their struggle to unite in the Diaspora in order to achieve their dreams. Lamenting that African immigrants have not been consulted involved in US policies crafted to benefit Africa especially the AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act), Dr. Okere said that such scenarios will never change until Africans themselves get organized and speak as one powerful group. "I congratulate president bill Clinton for championing and signing the AGOA act into law in 2,000. But unfortunately, this act is implemented and overseen by others while not a single African immigrant is on board. The act has therefore benefited a lot of Americans and African Americans in USA with millions of dollars in trade deals while African immigrants have no clue of what is going on," Dr. Okere told guests at the meeting. "We have the people, talents, skills, experiences, our values and unique culture that distinguish us. Now let's change the narratives and the negative perceptions that have been dragging our community here in the United States to transform our motherland. We have wasted centuries waiting for others to do it for us. It is time to rise together to make tomorrow fruitful and promising for our children and their children here, and work in solidarity to move Africa forward." Okere added that although centuries of colonialism and neocolonialism in Africa have left lifetime effects of deep and wounded scars of discrimination, marginalization, and oppression, Africans can use what is left and available in solidarity to make Africa again the most prosperous continent ever. He praised President Obama for breathing some life of substance in the existence of Africans, their issues, concerns, and frustrations in every continent where they may be located.
Okere also praised Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta for his bravery in describing to Obama on how Africans want to be treated when he told him, "Give us what we want as Africans since you cannot give anyone what he does not want". Okere urged Africans in US to get out in big numbers on Tuesday to vote since not doing so is perilous to the democratic values that have given them a place to work and live. "It is imperative from now till November 8 that we, our families, our friends, our Co-workers and our business associates must come out, roll our sleeves, work hard to make our votes count on this Presidential Election so that our voice can be heard". He remided guests of former president John F. Kennedy quote, saying "The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all." "If you don't vote you have no right to complain. and you rig the election against our community," added Dr. Okere, a visting scholar at George Mason University. Among other guests attending the conference included Geoffrey Nsereko of Radio Uganda Boston, Pastor Isaac Balinda of Uganda, and Rev. Christine Nakyeyune of the Ugandan Anglican church in Waltham, Dorothy Sebbaka of WOPI (Women of Purpose International), several Kenyans, Zimbabweans, and Senegalese among others. According to most polls in USA released Monday morning, one day before Election Day, Clinton is narrowly leading Donald Trump in the race to succeed President Barack Obama, the first ever black president of the greatest country in the world.
To find out a voting center near you, click here >>>https://www.usa.gov/election-day#item-37327 To volunteer for Hillary Campaign, click here >>>>https://www.hillaryclinton.com | ||||||||||||
|
Source:
AJABU AFRICA NEWS
| ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
.JPG)
RSS