This article is from page 6 of the 2012-01-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
A NIGERIAN doctor who made history by becoming the first immigrant to be elected to public office in Ireland has said that Ennis is “absolutely” not a racist town.
Taiwo Matthew, who was elected to Ennis Town Council in 2004, said yesterday that he has never been subjected to racist abuse since moving to in Ennis in 1999.
He said, “Me as a person, not at all. I’ll be honest. I will tell you that I have never experienced (racism) and I would not trade Ennis for any town in Ireland. I say that sincerely. Everybody might have a different opinion but I can tell you that even within the African population, the majority of people will tell you that Ennis is one of the best towns.”
Mr Matthew lost his seat at the 2009 local elections. He said his success in getting elected in Ennis would not have been possible without the support of a broad section of the community.
He said, “I couldn’t have done what I did. I couldn’t have been elected without the support of the people. I have always said that that is a reflection of the maturity of the people in Ennis, in their hearts and minds. You know, to elect somebody from the continent of Africa, you would have thought that was impossible. It was the first ever in the country.”
He continued, “If anybody is saying that Ennis is racist, then show me the evidence, show me the facts. I speak and I get involved with people across the community and I have never, never anywhere experienced it (racism).”
He added, “When these incidents happen, they bring it to my notice. Over the past 12 years, I haven’t had five or 10 incidents of racist abuse.”
The father of three was commenting after a man received a prison sentence for an assault on Nigerian taxi driver Batholomew Omoifo in Ennis in June 2010.
Mr Matthew said incidents of this nature are isolated and that the image of Ennis as a racist town is an incorrect one.
He said, “That would not be the perception of the population that I know, the immigrants or the indigenous population that I know. No, I won’t buy that. I have said this before, it is making a mountain out of a molehill.”
He added, “I would tell you that that incident is an isolated incident. In any bucket of grapes, you will always find a bad one. Things will happen. That would not be the perception of Ennis.”
Mr Matthew said that Ennis had welcomed immigrants at a time when other towns and cities hadn’t.
He added, “I have lived in Ennis for 12 years and, when I say I am an Ennis man, I think I have every right to say so! I have been in Ennis since 1999. I have three children. They started primary school here and my first girl is finishing in Coláiste Muire this year, doing her Leaving Cert.”