THE State government\u2019s Multicultural Business Ministerial Council has been enriched with a local representative\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n
Dr Michael Akindeju, president of the Ballarat African Association and a principal consulting process engineer, will be an advocate for regional Victoria and the state\u2019s diverse cultures within commerce.<\/p>\n
Serving the current term until January 2023, Dr Akindeju is one of 14 people appointed, who will be sounding boards for the Minister for Small Business, Adem Somyrek, shaping policy development.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel very privileged to have been called upon because in the past, it\u2019s been largely people from metropolitan areas, so for someone like myself from a regional area, Ballarat, to be called, I\u2019m very excited,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to be a voice, not just for multicultural people and Africans, but for what\u2019s happening in the Ballarat region, so it\u2019s an opportunity to make a positive contribution to policy development.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sitting on the council will involve a few occasional visits to Melbourne and parliament, but it\u2019s mostly a real chance for Dr Akindeju to celebrate his home city and community.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy appointment speaks volumes for the African community in Victoria and Ballarat, in particular,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be called upon to serve in this capacity, it\u2019s beginning to showcase maturity in terms of integration… There\u2019s understanding now and the time has come for a visible presence of Africans in policy and policymaking.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE State government\u2019s Multicultural Business Ministerial Council has been enriched with a local representative\u2019s perspective. Dr Michael Akindeju, president of the Ballarat African Association and a principal consulting process engineer, will be an advocate for regional Victoria and the state\u2019s diverse cultures within commerce. Serving the current term until January 2023, Dr Akindeju is one […]<\/p>\n