Joe Dinga Pefok
17 April 2008
The outgoing President of the Nigerian Union in Douala, Chief Longinus Nwoke, has complained that the Consulate-General does not give financial support to sustain the running of the Nigerian Union.
In an interview granted The Post in Douala on April 11, Chief Nwoke disclosed that during his four-year mandate as President of the Nigerian Union in Douala, the Consulate-General has given money to the Union only once. He said the money, FCFA 300.000, was meant to assist the Union to rent a secretariat.
According to Chief Nwoke, he has written severally to the Nigerian Consul-General for the Littoral and West Provinces, Gordon Harry Bristol, pleading that the Consulate-General should give the Union some financial support to assist in the running of the Union, but nothing has ever been given.
But he said other Nigerian diplomatic missions in Cameroon, from time to time, do make financial gestures for the running of the different Unions in their areas of jurisdiction. He regretted that in a place like Douala, which has the largest Nigerian Community in Cameroon, the Consulate-General is not assisting the Union.
On how the Executive raises funds to run the Union, the President said their Constitution says that funds should be raised from the sale of membership cards. But he noted that not much comes in through that. He also talked about funds being raised through a ceremony called 'kola nut breaking'. His Executive organised the occasion once in August 2006, and the Union realised FCFA 972.445.
Going by him, the money was handed to the Treasurer, which is still supposed to be with him till date. But Chief Nwoke did not state why the Treasurer should be keeping the money when the Union is in financial difficulties.
On why members of the Nigerian community cannot make monthly or annual contributions for the upkeep of their Union, Chief Nwoke said the Union's Constitution prohibits such financial contributions. He said he is working on a proposal for the amendment of that article in their Constitution so as to prevent his successors from facing the same difficulties he has gone through.
FCFA 6 Million Debt
Chief Nwoke revealed to The Post that the Union has financially crippled him since he says he managed the Union mostly with his personal money at the expense of his business and family.
"Many problems are presented to the President of the Nigerian Union every day by compatriots who find themselves stranded or in other difficulties," Chief Nwoke said.
Chief Nwoke disclosed that the Union owes him FC FA 6 million and in spite of letters he has written appealing with the Consul-General to help settle the debts he has not received any positive response.
The outgoing President, whose mandate ended in February 2008, said he does not want to run again but he is contacting a lawyer so that his debt can be paid. He also insisted that one of the conditions for organising the next elections is that his debt is paid either by the Union or the Consulate General.
No Budget To Fund Unions
When The Post contacted the Vice Consul No 1 at the Nigerian Consulate-General in Douala, Wilfred Ndu Obimah, by phone, said the Consulate-General has no budget to give financial assistance to Nigerian Unions. But he said whenever a union organises a fundraising occasion, the Consulate-General always chips in something.
He recalled that it was the case when the Executive of the Nigerian Union in Douala organised the 'kola breaking' in 2006.Meanwhile, many Nigerians in Douala do not seem to imagine that their Government does not allocate some funds to assists the unions.
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