Osuji T. A. O. (Osuji)

Chief Osuji’s Campaign Manifesto

My name is Chief Thaddeus A. Osuji. I am a Nigeria born in Amaoji Ogbe Mbaise, Imo State Nigeria. I attended my primary and Technical school in Nigeria,

Worked as a clearing and forwarding agent at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja Lagos Nigeria, and was the National welfare officer of airport clearing and forwarding agent’s union (ACFAU). I was the Managing Director of T&T Ventures Ltd. a privet company in Lagos Nigeria. Married with two children. I left Nigeria 1998 for The Netherlands, on reaching to the Netherlands i applied for residence permit which was granted to me year 2000 and subsequently got a job with the old people’s home. As time go by I find out that African need to be empowered, So out of the need Reach Africa Foundation was founded on 5 August 2002 in The Hague by me and other African who shared my vision

 to Support/empower poor/disadvantaged Africans living in The Hague , It was equaly impotant to increase my knowledge to be able to carry out this vission, so i registered to take up some courses on: Group facilitation Methods, Participatory Strategic Planning and Human Resources Management, and Project circle management  in 2003-2004

Brussels Belgium

Currently BA under- Graduate Theology  Global University, Springfield USA The Hague Learning centre. Netherlands.

Until date, effectively reaching the African community in municipality  has  eluded the municipal government, because the lives of Africans have remain a grey area to the government, thereby leaving the government unconnected to the true needs, aspirations and sensibilities of the African.

The African communities, on the other hand, are scarce comfortable with the notion of exposing their predicament. Driven by their marginalized status to perceive themselves as discriminated against, forgotten, and uncared for they resist exposing their situation, feeling unsafe to do so.

I am an African who do not only perceive and understand the predicament of the African, but live in it. I live and experience the sentiments that drive the way Africans think.  At the same time, I realise the cause of the distance that separates the municipal government and the African; I understand the lack of communication, the greyness that informs the link between us; I know what could pull me as an African to the government and what the government may need to know that can make it more transparent and accessible to the African.

As a resourceful ethnic minority group – driven by necessity to be innovative -  Africans have both the human and social capital to powerfully affect the Hague economy.  Just to give a foretaste of what we as a people can do, a recent report carried out by Stichting Oikos, entitled Gratis en waardevol; Rol, positie en maatschappelijk rendement van migrantenkerken in Den Haag (Van der Sar & Visser, 2006), disclosed that in 2006 the work of migrant churches in the Hague saved the city municipality a total of €17.5 million. The Hague is one of three big cities with a large number of African migrant churches. Yet, as a recent report in Rotterdam shows (Barbara Gwanmesia (to be published 2010), municipal governments have little idea of the work African migrant churches are doing for society and as such miss important chances to utilise the opportunities these churches give. The same goes for what Africans are capable of in the Hague. If the municipality knew how to use the opportunities that the resourcefulness of Africans give, the power of this group would prove far more efficacious for the city than is imagined at present.

All of this shows the basis upon which I base my proposition – the proposition that once Africans are less isolated… once they are given reasons not to complain about marginalization or to feel dejected, the will be little or no reason for Africans to distance themselves from the working pulse of the city or to excuse themselves from becoming more involved and producing even far more than is possible now.

 My motto, as a result is that, “It is not easy, experience shows, but it is possible”.

We need to work together. It is time… it is long overdue. The population of the African immigrant community in the Hague shows that Africans are a force to be reckoned with in terms of their potentiality. Yet this potential will not be fully realised if we do not work together. For indeed, it is sad that many of us do not participate in activities that encourage discussions of ways to improve our well-being.  Since we do not do so, we are hardly in the position to address the issue of our marginalization (perceived or real or both).

This is one of the first subject areas I would take up and set to work on with the municipality - given the opportunity to do so. I would, (through my political party) and with relevant authorities in the municipality, set up a fact finding mechanism that will immediately begin an investigation into the issue, and ways to handle it. 

My vision: is to support integration and unity among African migrants in The Hague, constructively lobby for meaningful change on some issues that concerns the African community in The Hague, prepare a progressive future for our young generation, create opportunities for all African migrants in The Hague, and provide important information and educate individuals and communities in order to empower them to take action that will better there life. 

A GIFT OF YOUR VOT IS NEEDED AND WILL BE APPRECIATED”

VOTE FOR UNIE VAN DEMOCRATEN LIJST 15

VOTE T.A. OSUJI NO 8

My slogan

It is not easy, experience shows, but it is possible.