Greetings Great Zikites and Giants.
I am Mr Ejiofo Umegbogu . A justice-of-the peace (JP), a historian, prolific writer, biographer, journalist, unionist, administrator, public servant etc.
I have a Story that Inspired me to Aspire to Serve my Alma mater and fellow graduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, in a higher capacity, as the representative of Alumni in the highest decision-making body of our great University.
Mine, is a story rooted in selfless service to the Alumni Association, dogged commitment to the development of Unizik, a proud representation of the university among the league of Alumni Associations in Nigeria, track-record of achievements, confidence building, teamwork, synergy/cooperation with the management, availability and accessibility to all members all over the world.
These are the essential virtues that our university require most, in who represents the Alumni and staff of the university in the next Council.
Having been a registered member of the Alumni Association for over 10years, worked in various committees and positions including P.R.O in Awka branch, National Public Relations Officer, and currently the Secretary-General of NAU Alumni Association(worldwide); I am better positioned to represent the Alumni in the highest decision making body of the institution.
This is a clarion call to send a strong leader of the Alumni to the council. who else could be more positioned to represent the interest of Alumni other than the Chief Administrative Officer of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Alumni Association.??
My beloved uncle and mentor, in whose memory the university was established, Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, the great Zik of Africa and Owelle of Onitsha, once said and I quote….”if you want to get things done right, do it yourself because the future is not something we enter, it is something we create by our deliberate actions.”
So, let’s continue to build the future we want for our Alma mater by throwing our support to the only truly independent aspirant to the position of council representative.
The law anticipates that the voice of graduates of every Nigerian University, who are doing well in their various professional or business endeavors outside the university should be represented in the council by one person appointed from amongst themselves. That is why there is an established umbrella association for all graduates of any institution in the world, with an established leadership structure, from whom, a representative ought to be appointed.
The essence of having an independent voice or external alumnus, in any university governing council include, attracting investments and projects from wealthy Alumni, organizing periodic homecoming, reunion or founders day to raise money for the university as well as provide business and professional network among all graduates, wherever they may be.
Such a non-staff will evaluate issues dispassionately and objectively, without fear of official intimidation, salary cut, withholding of his promotion by the authority, receiving queries or being suspended from duty, etc.
I, Ejiofo Umegbogu, the Secretary-General of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Alumni Association(worldwide) is that independent voice and non-staff of the university, who is not bound by internal administrative trappings or threats to career progression of other employees of the university.
For almost a decade and a half, I have used my meagre resources to serve the university and project its name, as one of the leaders of the Alumni Association, very selflessly without expecting any remuneration.
In collaboration with other Alumni leaders, we have built a network of 13 vibrant Alumni branches in Nigeria, from the badly ailing and highly factionalized 6 branches we inherited in 2018. We have been able to establish 3 foreign branches of the association, waiting to be inaugurated, soon.
As a visionary leader, I conceived the vision of ONE-PROJECT-ONE YEAR-ONE BRANCH , as the guiding philosophy of the association, in 2019. This simply means that each branch of the Alumni Association will endeavor to execute at least, one visible project, each year, within the university.
This vision was accepted by Professor Emeka Ezeonu-led leadership of our great Alumni organisation and many branches of our association have keyed into this vision and commenced some projects at the university, while more are still being expected. This is our way of giving back to the university that made us.
Earlier this year, I undertook a facility tour of the Exams and records department in the company of the University Director of Works, to explore the possibility of remodeling/renovating that office which is very crucial to the safekeeping of graduates academic records.
I have convinced another branch of the association and they have accepted to undertake the project soon.
Under our leadership, the Alumni Association is not just existing but is progressing in line with the objectives for which it was founded.
Within this period under review, we have tremendously improved on the level of relationships and mutual respect between the university management and the leadership of the Alumni Association, unlike the cat and mouse type of relationship or mutual suspicion that existed in the past.
We will not allow anyone to turn back these progressive hands of the time. Never again.
If we can do this much with the little vintage position that we occupy, we can do more if given a higher stake in the corporate governance structure of our dear Unizik.
Thank you for supporting this movement, and help share my Unizik Story, Inspiration and Aspiration with more staff and graduates of the University.
Let us achieve a paradigm shift in the administration of our Alma mater, by getting it right this time around. We can not continue to repeat the same thing or recycle the same faces and expect a different result.
April 9th is the date.!!!
Auditorium is the venue.**
Ejiofo Umegbogu is our representative.āāā
