My Manifesto of Growth development
All Protocols observed

Back Drop:

Permit me to present this manifesto not as soapbox rhetoric but as a synopsis of who I am and what I want to do for NCA. For that reason, I will to present it as a lady’s dress tailored by an ingenuous designer, to be short enough to make her elegant and long enough to cover her nakedness.

My curious entry behavior in this presentation is to ask: Why the existence of Nigerian Community Association (NCA) in Canada? I will answer aloud saying that NCA, like many of its type in the diaspora, is a product of emigration from home to foreign lands. This emigration-immigration synthesis compelled a clustering and reunion of fraternities. Our Nigerian experience exhibits two-type pattern.

a) The Pre and immediate post independence emigration. This was based on the much touted “quest/search for greener pastures”
b) The current flight from internal insecurities largely felt in the economic and health sectors. This insecurity component acted like a catalyst that changed many things without itself being changed. Thus it triggered of our modern mass exodus. The impact is unprintable because no one ever likes to desert his homestead or would ever want to malign his mother’s soup as not delicious or the best.

Nigeria, we know, was founded on a multi ethnic diversity that stood solidly on a regional tripod to profess in her national anthem that “though tribe and tongue may differ in brotherhood we stand”. This national tenet has switched places in truth and practice as it fled its homestead and base only to come true and more meaningful in the diaspora where everyone seeks to reunite with dispersed kith and kin. Group A above are those who left Nigeria in search of greener pastures did leave our then dear Nigeria to seek self development for improved governance and corporate co-existence. Whereas we can all testify that Group B also above are those who left Nigeria in fright because they battled with the challenges of “must leave option”.

Vision and Objectives

Borrowing a leaf from Martin Luther King Jr, let me say that I am here today to seek the position and the enabling instruments in the Office of Secretary- General only because “I have a dream for NCA”.

  • I have a dream that seeks to harness our corporate potentials in order to grow NCA as one body with unified objectives
  • My dream is of a new NCA that is constitution-led, disciplined and law- abiding.
  • My vision, hope, dream and aspirations vis-à-vis NCA remolding task are in-built and hereby presented in this succinct manifesto

My Antecedents

Before now and back home in Nigeria, I have worked in various capacities in civil and public service. For over twenty years, I worked in Government Houses of Old Anambra , Imo and now Enugu states of Nigeria variously as:

  • Professional Speechwriter to various governors of old Anambra state. (Governor Robert Akonobi et al)
  • Director of Publicity and media communications
  • Special Assistant to Capt Anthony E Oguguo, Military Governor of old Imo state
  • Project Manager, Enugu State World Bank assisted Health Systems Fund Project
  • Consultant, Anambra State World Bank assisted Health systems Fund Project

Currently, I am professional French as Second Language (FSL) teacher and Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT). This professional qualification has sustained my effective management of our vulnerable yet volatile sector. Little wonder our host government places bulk emphasis and premium on the education and allied sectors that carter for the welfare of our kids.

I also believe that my antecedents in governance and management will provide the solid blocks on and with which to rebuild NCA.

It is therefore my vision, hope and aspiration to apply these skill sets to the office of Secretary-General, if elected, in order to re-tool, rebuild and grow NCA as an impactful community partner in the development of Canada our host community while helping to alleviate the multi challenges of our broken home community Nigeria.

Distinguished brethren, Ladies and Gentlemen, I Roy Eze, I am not a man of many words but a man of few words that are my promise and bond.

I hope I have not bored you in the last five minutes. Notwithstanding I thank you immensely for your attention.