We report Africa in
a dignified way – Awoniyi, publisher, African Courier
By PETER ANOSIKE
Tuesday,
September 11, 2007
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Awoniyi
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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Those who think that once they leave Murtala Muhammed or
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airports and land in either
Heathrow airport in London or Frankfurt airport in Germany,
their problems are over should have a rethink.
According to the German based Nigerian publisher of African
Courier Magazine,Femi Awoniyi,contrary to what most youths
think, life abroad is not a bed of roses.He said that though
it is good for one to travel abroad and experience what is
happening in the other side of the world, anybody who has
opportunity of a good job in Nigeria should not leave it since
there is nowhere in the world it is easy to make it.
Conditions for living quality life in Europe
As an immigrant, before you can live a quality life in Europe,
you must live legally. There are no two ways about that You
must explore all the legal opportunities for immigration before
you travel. For instance, if you are an engaged professional
in Nigeria and you hear that there are vacant opportunities
for your profession in Europe, do not rush.Before you disengage
your services here make sure that you have secured the job
over there and given employment papers as well as conditions
of service. If not, you are heading for trouble in Europe.
If you resign from your present job before you travel ,you
have devalued yourself. You have reduced your worth because
there you would be treated like a jobless man who is desperate
for a job and as such would be prepared to accept anything.That
is one major reason for underemployment. That is if you are
lucky to make it to the organisation you are going to because
under the condition you traveled you are likely not to have
all the necessary documents like work permit which means you
are a target of the men of the immigration service.
On the other hand, if you made it to the organisation and
fail to reach agreement with them then, you would be in problem
of traveling back because back home some other person must
have occupied the place you resigned from. That is how you
see qualified Nigerian doctors or engineers doing menial jobs
in Europe like gate keeping, shop keeping, lawn mowing and
so on.
Even at that, it is not uhuru for you because as a shop keeper
for instance,even if you see somebody shoplifting in the supermarket
you are employed, you dare not catch him, because if you do
and hand him over to the police,the first thing police would
do is to take a good look at your dark skin and ask you about
your papers. If they are not complete, it is then that you
will know that you committed worse offence than the shoplifter.
But if on the other hand the shoplifting continued and as
the keeper you decided to look the other way so that you would
not have reason to come into contact with the police,one day
the owner would notice that his business is going down and
you the keeper would be the prime suspect, which means you
have to go and explain to the police what is happening to
the goods in the supermarket.
Why I started African Courier magazine in Germany
When I went to Germany in the early 90s,I discovered that
there was lack of focus on the lives of African not only in
Germany but in central Europe at the time. There was a kind
of void on Africa and Africans. There were no medium that
was reporting on African lives and their challenges. That
inspired me into going into publishing so that I could cover
the void because I am aware that the immigrant life is unique.
In starting the magazine, I encountered a lot of challenges
which include finance, acceptability and the rest but looking
back now I can happily say thank you God
What we have been able to achieve
Like I said earlier, what inspired me into starting African
Courier was because I discovered that the immigrants were
not covered by the mainstream media.There were also many legislative
processes in the European countries which concern immigrants,
so we decided to go into providing these information to our
brothers and sisters who are migrating to Europe.
That is the strength of African Courier. We are always reporting
on issues of legislation, issues of settling down,issues of
nationality. These are issues that are of paramount importance
to the lives of immigrants. We have in our own little way
changed the perception of European toward Africans. We have
succeeded in putting across the correct picture of Africa.
We report about Africa in a dignified way. We use dignified
images to report on Africa and I think it has some impact.
We also take on the mainstream European media on their pessimistic
view of Africa and I think it has also had impact.
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