31 Oct 2006 |
|
LAOLU AKANDE
NEW YORK
Nigerians abroad are questioning the appointment of a non-African born and controversial confidant of President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr. Carlton Masters as ECOWAS Special Envoy for African Diasporan Relations.
A statement released in Washington D.C earlier in the week by Masters' Goodworks International-which he co-founded with Andrew Young, a former US Diplomat to the UN announced that ECOWAS has named Masters to the position, the first of such an appointment by the regional organisation.
Masters, whose marriage was reportedly sponsored by President Obasanjo and held in Abuja, is known as the main international arrowhead of the controversial launching of the Obasanjo presidential library, an issue that continues to generate ripples raising ethical questions.
One of such questions is whether a sitting president ought to embark on such private venture fundraising which some allege include a subtle arms-twisting of holders/managers of state resources, private persons and companies-both local and international. Masters' role is central in the international effort to get multinationals to donate to the Obasanjo presidential library, and he has owned up to this publicly.
Besides the Goodworks International, is known to be a registered lobbyist for Nigerian government here in the US, and Young has publicly attested to the fact that President Obasanjo is the main reason why Goodworks International has not gone belly-up.
The statement quoted the Executive Secretary of ECOWAS Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, saying that “ECOWAS could not have found a better person than Carl Masters to serve as Special Envoy on Diasporan Relations."
To Chambas, Masters has shown total and unalloyed commitment and dedication to the African continent and has spent all his adult life building bridges of understanding between North America, the Caribbean and the African continent.
The ECOWAS scribe added that as the organisation's Special Envoy on the Diaspora, Masters will promote West Africa and "continue to build even more bridges of cooperation and particularly work to strengthen the relations between the ECOWAS region and the African Disapora.”
But Diaspora-based Nigerians don't seem to be impressed. According to an influential Nigerian university administrator in the US Dr. Baba Adam the appointment of Masters is another "sad day for the West African sub region. We know Mr. Masters relationship with President Obasanjo -who claims to be the Presidents son. Like some political appointment in Nigeria this is elevation of patronage."
Adam who is also the Chairman of PRONACO-USA added that ECOWAS could have done better, with over 200 million people in the ECOWAS region and with more than over 50 million other Africans in Diaspora. He queried "Why Masters?
He observed that "Mr. Masters’ group has many known and unknown shady deals especially in Nigeria. Recently even Jamaicans complained about Mr. Masters groups’ shady oil and other business dealings. Also there is record of 19 women complaining of harassment when Mr. Masters was in Canada. Other thing is Mr. Masters and the Sullivan Foundation provided the platform to Congressman Jefferson Clinton's iGate scandal which was investigated by the FBI and the case currently pending in the US courts."
In a similar vein Dr. Steve Nwabuzor, the President, Nigerian Leadership Foundation described Masters appointment by ECOWAS as "bizarre."
According to him "Carl Masters is an American appointed to be ECOWAS' first special envoy on African Diasporan Relations? Does it mean there are no suitable Africans within ECOWAS who can fill this position?
Nwabuzor, a former University of Lagos Senior Lecturer expressed sadness that ECOWAS bypassed sub-saharan Africans for the job.
His words: "One could not imagine America appointing an ECOWAS citizen as its envoy on any issue. Black African leaders have indeed not shaken off the shackles of dependency on the West. It is a shame. More so when there are lots of African Black professors and technocrats, who could do the same job, scattered all over the world."
With a hint of resignation Nwabuzor wondered " what can one say about leadership in Africa? A collection of mediocres who have no understanding of what nationhood stands for. The concept of development and national interest appears to be under the umbrage of globalization and personal interest. Was it not the same Carl Masters who chaired President Olusegun Obasanjo's presidential library fund raising ceremony? I smell a rat in his appointment."
A Nigerian business owner and democracy activist in New York, Mr. Olubokola Oreofe felt distressed at the news.
Said he: "I am distressed that ECOWAS was not able to conduct a thorough search for a credible individual to serve as a Special Envoy for its Diaspora Relations. The vagueness of this title exposes the hidden intention of this designation and the role he is expected to play. In unveiling the mask, I see a replica of his despicable role in packaging legalized bribery in other West African countries as illustrated through the shameless raising of billions of Naira in Nigeria for the Obasanjo Presidential library.
Oreofe added that "the blatant unethical and executive coercion of companies that do business with government forced to donate money for the library organized by Goodworks International a company Carlton Masters is a cofounder is a new low in the regime of corrupt practices in Nigeria."
He said African countries should be spared this " continuos hemorrhaging" through the lobbying activities of Carl Masters for the country/ies he represents in Africa, and demanded that the Nigerian government must first make public how much money has been paid to Carl Masters through his lobbying company before creating this " bogus office for him. He is unequivocally going to perpetuate a culture of corruption in the sub region."
But Masters the condemnation of the appointment of Masters is not universal. He got praises from an important US Congressman, Rep. Donald M. Payne of New Jersey. Payne is the Democratic Ranking Minority Member of the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations.
Payne said he was pleased with the appointment. “I am pleased to learn of Carl’s appointment as Special Envoy of ECOWAS on African Diasporan Relations. He is truly committed to advancing Africa’s agenda in the global community. I am especially looking forward to working with him to strengthen the relations of ECOWAS countries on Capitol Hill.” Masters himself believes that the job is a " unique honor and privilege for me and for GoodWorks International." He added that “For over twenty-five years, I have devoted my energies to the economic, social and political development of a continent that has yet to realize its’ true potential. I fully intend to use this appointment to not only bring global attention to Africa’s needs, but also to strengthen relations between the United States and the 15 African nations that comprise ECOWAS.”
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
# 
Your Comments
Please make The Square an enjoyable experience for everyone by refraining from gratuitous ad-hominem contributions, defamatory comments and off-topic posting. Such posts will be removed.