One of the reasons most Nigerians in Diaspora have a cynical view about their country is due to negative news they are being fed with on a daily basis from the media. Most times they hear or read about the negative rather than the positive happenings going on in their country.
Apparently because of this wrong development, the Edo state Commissioner for Arts, Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Affairs, Hon Osaze Osemwegie-Ero was in Europe a fortnight ago to brief Edo’s in Diaspora what the ministry has done in the past eight months and in this interview he disclosed the outcome of the trip to Eubaldus Enahoro, Assistant Editor with the Nigerian Observer in Benin city.

Reason for Diaspora department in the ministry.
Edo state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has value and appreciates our Edo people in Diaspora. He knows that with them, we can get a lot of achievements for the state. He knows how much they remit back home every year to their people in terms of cash. The governor knows how difficult it is for them to come back home to invest in Nigeria.
That is why in his wisdom, the governor created the Diaspora department to bridge the gap between the Edo state government and our brothers and sisters in Diaspora and he put it under the ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism. Since I came on board we had a stakeholders meeting and decided to identify one Edo or more in every country as Edo cultural ambassador and we have identified them in some countries. The criteria are that the person must be very passionate about Edo state, about our culture and about what the governor is doing, either male or female regardless of ethnic background. In America we have Amb. Princess Asha Okojie, Germany, Amb. Barr. Efosa Ogierhiaki, in UK, Amb. Joseph Ehigiamusoe and Italy, Amb. Pastor Osaghae. In the United Arab Emirate we have Amb. Sylvia Ibie and Amb. Dr. Henry Ogbomo in Canada (Calgary) and we are still identifying more persons to move the cause forward in other countries. I cannot do it alone in the various countries at the same time to promote our culture. If the governor has anything to do in those countries, they also act as liaison persons there.
Town hall meeting in London

While in London, I met with some Edo indigenes, about 45 of them in attendance during a town hall meeting, where I briefed them what the ministry and the state governor is doing at home. They introduced some foreign investors to me who gave me proposals that they want to come back home to invest. This will enable them take advantage of the development strides of the governor. I came back with some proposals which I will hand over to the governor.

Meeting with Nigerian Ambassador to Germany
On the 3rd of April I was in Germany, Berlin, where our Amb. Joseph Ogierhikhi booked an appointment with the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Hon. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar and we had a fruitful discussion. I told him about what the state governor is doing and he was quite impressed with the state government for the development strides in the state. He was very impressed and was particularly pleased that a government official is coming into Germany to meet with their people because it has never happened before. What they are used to is seeing governors, ministers come to pay courtesy visits and probably ask for dinner. But this was the first time a government official is coming from Nigeria to see his people.

We talked about the human trafficking, security, infrastructural development that the governor is doing. I told him about the town hall meeting I was going to hold with Edo’s in the country and he told me to inform my people that anyone of them living illegally is interested going back home, the German government has a token like a starter pack for them, free ticket and some money to come back home. This was one good news I discussed at the town hall meeting later that evening.
I also met with some other investors and an Agropreneur investor who have taken advantage of his working in Nigeria where they also met with the Minister of Agriculture. They said eleven northern governors have already taken advantage of that process and they are actually benefiting from it.
I told them that Edo is the safest place to invest. It has fertile land and our state governor will be willing and happy to host them as investors. They assured me that once I book the appointment with the governor, they will come to the state. I also met with investors who like developing solar power energy. They are all willing to come as well.

Meeting with German Photographer
I met the German photographer who has been documenting our stolen artifacts in the past 30 years. His name is Dr. Lutz Muekke. I had a meeting with him and we discussed the stolen artifacts and he actually gave me some of those photographs. These are real photos of our artifacts in their present locations. He said they are original pieces in museums in New York, Boston and other museums across the globe. I told him because of these photos we are going to have a photo exhibition of 1000 artifacts in December when we are doing our Edo Festival of Art and Culture. At the exhibition we will invite CNN and the world media to let the world know about the present location of our artifacts across the globe. This will further help our advocacy and exposure where these artifacts are located. I came with some of the photos which will be handed over to the governor. I was glad that while I was abroad, the governor was hosting Prof. Nicholas Thomas from the Cambridge University and Prof. Annie Coombs from the University of London who have been challenging the return of our artifacts. I was happy when the governor received the Professors with the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare 11 and they were told that a world class museum will be built in the Oba palace. So when they say we do not have a place to keep the artifacts, it is not correct because the palace is the safest place. Nobody will go there to steal them. When the museum in the palace is ready, we would have a place to keep those artifacts. The photo exhibition in December will buttress the fact that we know where these artifacts are located.
It shows they are aligning with what we are doing. After the meeting with Dr. Lutz, I then met with Edo’s in Germany at a town hall meeting with about 80 persons in attendance.

Town Hall Meeting in Germany
During the town hall meeting, I told them about government determination to make Edo state an industrial state, develop the infrastructure, health, security and promoting of our art and culture. They were impressed with what we were doing in the area of festivals and tourism.
I told them that anyone that is willing to come back home, the governor has established a conducive environment for investors to come. The place is very safe for them to come and invest. We talked about human trafficking and the effort the governor has made by setting up a task force led by the Attorney General of the state, Prof. Yinka
Omoregbe as chairman.

The hard work the Attorney General and her team have been yielding positive results in combating anti human trafficking. A lot of people have been arrested and at the end of the day they will be prosecuted.
I told them about the skill acquisition programme established to rehabilitate the returnees, their health check and reintegrating them back to the society. We talked about festival, culture, tourism and education. It was quite a productive meeting and they were impressed. Edo is very safe right now; it is becoming the economic hub of the nation and with all these investors coming to the state, there will be more development in our rural areas, opportunities for our teenagers, youths, and raise more revenue for the state government to do more infrastructural development.