The story of Helen Mukoro, the Nigeria-born Spanish lawyer, politician and writer, is like that of a stone the builders rejected, which became the head of the corner. The same place she was rejected and thrown out due to the colour of her skin has turned out to be a place she has gained acceptance and is on the path to making history. She is seeking to become the first Afro-Spanish mayor in the Kingdom of Spain on the platform of Union De Todos. She spoke with Special Correspondent (Spain), Uchendu Precious Onuoha
Why did you decide to go into politics?
I went into politics because we have to become more involved in making decisions that affect us as citizens. We also have an obligation to leave a legacy for future generations. I saw the need to go into politics as a means to explain the kind of political leadership that suits the interest of the people and is ready to listen and care for its constituents.
You are the founder and leader of the party, Union de Todos. When did the party come into existence?
Yes, I am the founder and leader of the party, Union de Todos, which means in English, “we all together,” or “together we can.” It is a new political party in Spain that was born in 2014.
As an Afro-Spanish, how were you able to gain acceptance in the Spanish society?
When you talk about being accepted, it is said that, “when you are in Rome, you do like the Romans.” To be accepted in Spain you to have to know how to live in Spain. You don’t go and stand on the road naked, and you expect people to accept you, or you go and peddle drugs, and you want people to accept you. Another factor is education, 90 per cent of the African community in Spain doesn’t have basic education. All these have to do with knowing how to live. I know where to go, when to go, and whom to go with and stay out of crime. That way I was able to integrate and gain acceptance.
You are running for the Mayor of Denia-Alicante. What motivated you to go for that?
Denia-Alicante is a very beautiful place with about 45,000 inhabitants. What motivated me to run for the seat of Mayor of Denia is the present situation in Spain. It is even enough to make a dead man to wake up and say, “I am back to my feet again.” The politicians that have ruled in the past eight and 10 years did more harm than good. There was corruption, and a lot of things went wrong. People could not afford basic needs, not that the country is poor, but because money is being taken away. Spain is no longer the super country that used to be everybody’s dream. I felt that Spain has to come back to be what it used to be; Spain has to stand on its feet, Spain is not a lazy country, and Spain is not a doomed country.
How is your popularity and candidacy among African immigrants and Spanish people?
I will start with the Spaniards because in the city where I live, Denia, we have a few Africans. The Spaniards know about us. The media has given us a very good coverage. The power of the media, that’s where the campaign is. Because it’s an advanced country, they like information, they love to buy newspapers before they buy bread because they want to know what is happening. We have been on the news, everywhere I go on the street, I hear mayor, mayor, and the tide is high.
What support and assistance do you need to actualise your dream?
What we need at this moment is that the Nigerian and African governments should come forth and support us morally and financially, because if we win, it will be victory for the whole of Africa. I am the first to found a political party here, and working to become the mayor of my city. As the first, let it not be the last, let it be the beginning and not the end. That is the reason I need to break the ice, and now the ice has been broken, and they need this push. My aim is that in a few months and years from now, a lot of Nigerians and Africans will begin to vie for political positions in Spain. Therefore, I call on all Africans in Spain to go for the same party and start using the platform of the party to aspire for any level wherever they live, if they decide and like what we do, because the victory will be a history that will never be erased. They can say that Nigeria is the first country to produce a black leader in Spain. That will be pride to Nigeria and Africa. If we get there, Nigeria and Africans in Spain will begin to be respected in a different dimension.
Nigerians and Africans don’t have a voice in Spain; how will your party help them to gain recognition?
I have begun to notice that Africans, and Nigerians coming into Spain lately are different from the first group of people that came to Europe earlier. The Nigerians that migrated first to Italy and Europe spoiled their names everywhere. There is a different group of people coming in now, those that have education, a lot of them starting churches etc. When the people see these things, gradually, it makes their mentality and concept to change as they begin to see that they are organised towards positive things. If we win, I will convey to the national government that the universities here should be bi-lingual, because the language is a barrier that prevents African immigrants to acquire university education as it is in the United States of America and Great Britain. Also, I will ask that Africans be given bursary and, in addition, their housing facilities finance, as rents are high and it is difficult for African students to meet the high cost of accommodation during their studies. I believe that the best way to integrate into a society and gain acceptance is through education.
Tell us about your forays into writing?
I crawled into writing because of what happened to me, which made me feel that it is good to write to keep records, create awareness, and for people to know their rights. I have launched into world history with the following books, The Case That Bruised My Heart, Eight Thousand Miles, A City Of Two Umbrellas, Another Will Open, Make Wealth Everywhere, The Reward Of A Good Man, What Good Is Happiness, High Level Of Effectiveness, Leadership, A Thorn Rose, and In A Closed Business Growth. (Daily Independent)
