Nzuko Ndi Imo is a socio –politico- Cultural organization. It is not the baby of any political party or the Structure of any candidate.
However some young professionals of Imo Extraction came together at Legend hotel in Owerri and brought into existence this organization.
This was done because OHANEZE and other pan Igbo politico –socio associations are now failing the Igbo people in their Actions and in there pronouncements. And since nature does not allow vacuum, An association of like manner has to come in to existence to right the wrong of the former.
Before we go into the process of writing and making people aware of the roles and duties and uses of this baby pan Imo Organization, I will only write today on the challenges facing this association and the organizers.
Before I proceed, Let me first of all, thank those who nurtured this Idea and brought it into Existence.
Let me congratulate the president Mr. Chris Ogbonna and the vice-chairs as well.
Loading ...As a matter of fact, I am a new member compared to most of you in this organization, But I will tell you proudly that we take second seat to none in terms of how we take the matter of NDI Imo and IGBO in General.
Now one may ask, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF IN THE BUILDING OF SUCH A PAN IGBO ORGANIZATION AND HOW CAN THE CHALLENGES BE OVERCOME?
During the relationship building process, the coordinators may have expectations about being invited to be part of the building effort. The coordinators may think that he or she is the most appropriate person to engage. The coordinators may also seize the opportunity to talk about the merits or the weaknesses of another leader in the group.
You must remember NOT to make any promises to anybody about anything until you have had the opportunity to speak to as many individuals as possible and determined the most appropriate leader to involve in the effort. Also, don’t get drawn into the discussions about the merits or weaknesses of other leaders. Don’t share information about what other leaders might or might not have said already. Just listen.
There may be misperceptions in the community about which group you represent and who “owns” the community building effort. Such misperceptions would make it very difficult for you to build relationships in the community.
You have to consider several factors before you begin to engage any of the leaders in the community. How were previous efforts, if any, initiated in the past? Who initiated them? Was the effort effective? If not, what happened? This knowledge would help you understand the attitudes toward you and the Pan Igbo Organization you are involved in. You might also want to consider establishing an advisory group made up of leaders from different groups to help announce and plan the effort
It is impossible for you, the Coordinator, to know everything about every group and person. You may be an outsider to a group.
Don’t be afraid to acknowledge your ignorance. Display humility, respect the influence of each leader, and ask to be educated. You might consider starting off the conversation with a statement such as, “I know very little about What is brought on the table today for discussion, but I understand that it is important to learn about it so that the effort I’m involved in can build on your strengths and will not make assumptions about your group’s needs. I really appreciate the time you are taking to talk to me and I look forward to learning from you.”
When working in a diverse community that is made up of two or more, ethnic, or cultural groups, it is unlikely that any one coordinator will have all the linguistic skills and cultural knowledge needed to relate to all the people. Since we are dealing with Ndi Igbo only in this very organization, The coordinators must be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of working with a group of people that share your culture . You have the advantage of already knowing the culture and the language.
There are usually several subgroups within an ethnic or cultural group that compete with each other because of differences in political affiliation, socioeconomic status, ancestry, or regional origins. As a coordinator, you have to be careful not to create further tensions.
Maintain a neutral perspective and don’t get drawn into discussions about other leaders. Reach out to as many types of leaders as possible. Explain the advantages of such a pan community or people organization; however, make note of the tensions so that you can be prepared to facilitate any potential conflicts in the future if those leaders happen to participate more extensively in the community building effort.
The process of building relationships and gathering information may lead to the identification of needs in the organization. For example, suppose that local leaders in an area require assistance in strengthening their leadership, coalition building, or cross-cultural communication skills.
You could identify outside resources and expertise to help them or you could serve as a coach to the local group. This process itself can be a useful community building strategy for the coordinator.
BY
OKEY ANUSIONWU
COORDINATOR, IDEATO SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
NZUKO NDI IMO
