Former asylum seeker becomes first black mayor
Councillor Rotimi Adebari was elected the mayor of Portlaoise Town Council by a margin of six votes to three with the support of Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and Independent members of the council.
The 43-year-old has a master’s degree in intercultural studies from Dublin City University and works with the local authority in Co Laois co-ordinating integration projects for immigrants. He was elected a councillor in 2004.
Since arriving in Ireland he made it his mission to promote cultural understanding and integration between the Irish and immigrant communities. To do this he set up Optimum Point, a consultancy that trains companies and educational institutions in cross-cultural awareness. He has hosted a programme on Midlands 103FM welcoming A Hero from Zero, a person who has overcome disadvantage or exclusion, to tell their story so others may realise there is hope.
At yesterday’s meeting attended by officials from the Nigerian, South African and the United States embassies as well as 100 people drawn from the Nigerian community all over Ireland, the new mayor said his election was proof that Ireland is not just a country of a thousand welcomes but it is a country of equal opportunity.
He said Portlaoise is a town that looks beyond colour, creed and religion, but integration is a two-way process and involving or engaging members of the ethnic communities in local activities is the way to go.
