1. Acceptance Speech Delivered by Chukwuemeka B Eze on the occasion of his
Installation as the 3rd Executive Director of WANEP – January 2015
The 2015 WANEP General Assembly Chair,
Excellences, members of the diplomatic corps, Ladies and gentlemen,
Distinguished delegates of our General Assembly
Eminent Members of the Board (incoming and outgoing),
WANEP Partners and representatives of ECOWAS Commission and ECOWAS member
states
Executive Director Emeritus and Extraordinary,
WANEP Management and National Board members,
National, Regional and Zonal Coordinators,
Members of the press
I am honoured and privileged to take the floor before the General Assembly on the
occasion of my conferment and installation as the third WANEP Executive Director - a
position I am sure I did not earn on the basis of my expertise or experience but on the
understanding that I could lead a team that SHALL get the job done and deliver on the
ideals, principles, values, policies and programs of our great institution; with this
understanding in mind, distinguish ladies and gentlemen, I humbly and graciously accept
this offer.
Approximately 15 years ago, my journey and expedition in the field of peace and human
security began in a rather very bizarre manner. I graduated from the university in 1998 with
a second class upper division in the prestigious Department of Political Science and
therefore comfortable of the very many dreams and vision about my future. Civil Society
work was not one of them especially that my limited understanding of the workings of
NGO is that the staff are poor and live in penury. As a son of two teachers; I did not want a
job that would make me poor since I wanted to be greater than my parents. I rejected the
offer of a Lecturer Assistant when I graduated and opted to go for National Service in
Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria with the aim of looking for a VERY lucrative
job that will alleviate the status of my family. My father, now a traditional ruler was the
first to express his disappointment at my abandoning teaching job when millions were in
search of jobs. Little did I know that part of my job description will be teaching even if we

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now stylishly call it facilitation! I need not tell you that one of participants in a training
organised by a famous CSO in Nigeria in the year 2000 for Community Leaders in South
East Nigeria in which I was the lead facilitator was my father and your guess is as good as
mine regarding what he had to tell me after the training.
I therefore consider it that fate brought me to this field since it was the least, if ever one,
of my considerations for a career. My uncle who was then a bank Director and who
incidentally bears the same name like me (Chief Emeka Odo) recommended me to Centre
for Peace in Africa then headed by Dr. Ozonnia Ojielo of present day BCPR at the UN
headquarters and against my will I accepted the offer to do my National Service there. I
held grudges for my uncle for recommending me to a “poor job” and not bank like him.
Little did I know that he had seen my potentials and where I could fit and grow. Today I
continue to hold him in high esteem for his vision about me and who I should be. It is the
same fate that brought me to WANEP as its first staff in Nigeria and after 9 years in
different leadership positions in WANEP Nigeria, the same fate brought me to the regional
office as the 4th Program Director in January 2010 – a position I neither applied for nor
lobbied to occupy but have kept for 5 years. I was working very hard as a National Network
Coordinator trying to beat the records of peers; little did I know that someone somewhere
was appreciative and watching as I got to be told, that the whole of our management and
board had a unanimous decision on my appointment as the Program Director. I took up
the position of Program Director amidst fears and uncertainties. On one hand is the fear of
steeping into shoes that has been worn by three predecessors (Emmanuel, Thelma and
Takwa) of exceptional skills and on the other hand was that it came at a period WANEP
was transiting from partnership with foundations to partnership with States and
government. Thanks to the best team one would ever wish for and a boss that inspires; we
may not have achieved all we wanted to achieve but looking back in awe I can confidently
say that we have a better and stronger WANEP than 5 years ago. Today, this same fate has
seen me climb to the highest echelon of the biggest and best peacebuilding network in
West Africa and, perhaps, in Africa! I will rely on this same team spirit and support of our
Board and partners to be able to take over leadership from the two founding Directors of
WANEP and take our institution from a cruising level to a zero turbulent level

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I am delighted and humbled by the gesture and goodwill of my brother, my friend and my
mentor Emmanuel; our management and our Board for this honour done to me to lead our
network. I am even more beholden to partners, friends and staff for the extraordinary
prayers and support they have shown me. I never imagined that I would someday be asked
to lead a network that has undoubtedly produced this continent’s finest and most polished
peace builders – what else can I ask for?
I come from a family that value peace, equity and fairness. Let me tell you two quick
stories that might help you understand my background and beliefs and what eventually
shaped my appreciation of humanity.
My uncle who raised my mother was a school principal, a disciplinarian and advocate of
social justice. He died assisting humanity and ensuring equity in our community. He made it
clear to me that to be “a gentleman, I must first satisfy others before myself”. His wife was
a civil servant and a Marriage Counsellor that once told me that marriage without conflict
is built on deception and bound to fail. That was how much she understood that conflict is
inevitable but yet can be resolved non-violently
My father and my mother retired as very poor school teachers and my father out of
nothing was unanimously appointed by our community to be their traditional ruler and
provide them with guidance and facilitation over their disputes. A position he never
lobbied for but which he will occupy until death. My mother supports my father in this
onerous task and always made me to understand that the highest call you can receive on
earth is the call to serve your community and that it should be given priority and
prominence. Each time I asked my parents where their investments are, they informed
me it was on me and my siblings and truly I have come to appreciate them for investing on
our education and moulding our characters.
All of these people told me, in their words and deeds, that peace, equity and egalitarian
society was key and that my personal contribution towards ensuring that was a greater
success to celebrate than any other feat. Their message was reinforced by scores of my
teachers, colleagues, mentors, and role models. And they were right. I’m here today on
this podium and in this capacity not because I’m better or more naturally talented than
anybody else (as my wife frequently reminds me). I'm here because I took advantage of
the teachings of Emmanuel Bombande, Sam Doe, Professor Isaac Albert, Ozonnia Ojielo,
Takwa Suifon, Thelma Ekiyor, Lydia Umar, my team here and my team in Nigeria and all of

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you too many to mention but yet too dear and cherished and who have given me your
knowledge freely, mentored me generously and shared in my upbringing which has
enabled me transit from as a young and clueless peace builder to the Executive Director of
WANEP
Without making this sound like an Oscar acceptance speech, I would like to express my
thanks, first, to the outgoing Executive Director, Emmanuel Bombande, one the brightest
and best African peace and security expert. Five years ago, I arrived in Accra to assume
office as the Program Director of WANEP without any form of handover (as my
predecessor already left before my arrival) and without any knowledge of the regional
dimensions of our programs and practice. Emmanuel stood by me and gave me all the
encouragement. The confidence Emmanuel had on me was demonstrated when in less
than 3 months of my assumption of office, he gave me the opportunity and space to
engage SIDA (one of our major partners today) and I still remember his words “PD, this is
your turf, I don’t want to be seen to be driving the process but am convinced that WANEP
will not lose this opportunity with you on the driving seat, good luck PD”. This was for me
a threat and a test! On one hand is the appreciation of the level of confidence my boss has
on me and on the other hand is the subtle threat underlying that confidence in the fact
that WANEP must not lose the opportunity. I have never wished for a better boss than
Emmanuel. He is a brother, a friend, a mentor and a counsellor. I got more than I asked for
and learnt more than I imagined. Emmanuel is a good man! I salute you and Sam Doe for
the vision to establish WANEP and for your optimism in the opportunities and prospects of
Africa solution to Africa problems. I commend the two of you for the leadership and
direction you have provided WANEP and for weathering all the storms, running an
incredibly fantastic race and voluntarily handing over the baton at a cruising level. History
will forever be your friends; WANEP will never forget you and Africa will be better for your
sacrifices
I am deeply honoured by the confidence our Board has reposed on me. I am even more
grateful for their keenness to help my colleagues and I transit and stabilise in record time.
The thoroughness and exhaustive procedures instituted by our Board over the years has
received admirations and commendations all over the world and have been the source of

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our integrity and veracity; giving us the edge to partner with the highest donors, scale
through numerous systems audit and interact with the who-is-who in peace and security all
over the world. In the past 5 years WANEP’s systems have been audited with international
standard tools including OCA and by various governments including Sweden and United
States of America. The reports of these rigorous assessments have been very favourable in
its conclusions and with very important recommendations that together with the Board,
we have continued to pay attention to. These procedures under my leadership will become
even more stringent as there will be no room for manoeuvring, manipulating, maleficence,
mismanagement and Conner cuttings. This is one area I will neither be fair, friendly nor
flexible as I intend to guard WANEP with all the fiduciary responsibilities that come with
the office of the Executive Director
We are indeed grateful to our outstanding partners who have stood by us all these years
including those who took the initial dive and risk of trusting and giving us huge funds and
those who have withdrawn for lack of patience in the nurturing of a young but promising
institution; the two opposing sides is part of our history and makes us the who we are
today
WANEP continues to appreciate ECOWAS and AU, who have opened their doors and
respected our opinions and contributions to the very issues that affect us all, we could not
have asked for a more robust and mutually benefiting partnership with our
intergovernmental bodies. Our national networks, vibrant members and staff have
continued to show extraordinary resilience and commitment to our principles and values
even when sometimes they appear not to be popular and we are appreciative of their
doggedness.
Our management have carried many burdens during this lengthy transition, but you have
done so with grace and professionalism. Thank you Esther for your leadership in the
Admin department
I am aware of the numerous challenges facing Africa; in the presentation I made on behalf
of WANEP in 2013 as our contribution to the agenda 2063 of the African Union, I alluded to
the myriads of issues facing the continent. I am even more conscious of the difficulties in
responding to these challenges but like many of you, I am an unrepentant and adamant
believer in the infinite possibilities abound when a people rise up collectively and in one

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accord to address their issues. Africa’s future should and must be envisioned by Africans
and am glad that so many of our friends and partners are willing to respectfully support us
as we sojourn and journey to the Africa we desire and deserve. We must rise up together
for a new narrative for Africa! We cannot continue to dwell on a single story because
according to Chimamanda, the Nigerian prolific writer, single story kills a people and
dehumanise them. Change, Obama said, will not come if we wait for some other person or
some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change we seek
Today we therefore launch a new era, an era that makes us reflect on the inspiration of
Sam and Emmanuel, the founding directors of WANEP and what made them think of us
than themselves, let us reflect, today, let us ask the question why Pamela Cole was taking
care of the critically ill son (who later died) in faraway USA but still had the nerve and zeal
for WANEP work, let us reflect, why WANEP Nigeria staff took a 70% salary cut and Francis
Mendy and Alice Kambire had no salary for over 24 months and even with all the offers
they had, they remained and kept faith with WANEP, let us reflect; why Levinia Ade-
Mensah agreed to re-join WANEP and leave the comfort of KAIPTC even when she
understands the challenges ahead, let us reflect, why people like Bill Saa, Bijoue and
Queeneth had better jobs and yet returned to WANEP in search of the WANEP family, let
us reflect; why my colleagues and all of you have no respect for closure time, weekends
and annual leaves, let us reflect ; why our staff turnover even with our meagre salaries and
pressure from international NGOs at both regional and national networks have been less
than 10% in the last 15 years, let us reflect; why our board even without sitting allowances
and remuneration has kept faith with us, let us reflect; why our outgoing Board Chair, Mr.
Michel Mien would give us his personal money to purchase a giant generator to ensure
that our work is not affected by any form of power fluctuation, let us reflect; why our
partners have been patient with our inadequacies and have kept faith in the building of our
institution, let us reflect.
I will count on all of you and rely on your skills and expertise as we move forward to
conquer the challenges ahead. I am looking forward to our renewed strength, energy and
commitment as we continue to build and nurture a strong and vibrant African institution

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that would stand the test of time and create the space and opportunities to serve every
African who aspires to a brighter future.
We are, all of us, entering into a new relationship, a compact not unlike a marriage. We will
have our ups and downs, our good times and bad times like we have always had. But
together in fortitude and resilience we will get through them all. We will be the grown-up
parents who put the interests of our children first. The people of Africa deserve no less.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the YES principle states that
Y – You & I are
E – Engineered & Empowered for
S – Sustainable Success!
Remember
“Whether we think we can, or we think we can’t,
Either way we are correct.”
We are here today because we are privileged not to be dead at birth due to maternal and
infant mortality, we are here because we did not die of the conflicts that ravaged our
region, we are here because we did not die of Ebola, we are here because we were not
denied education like millions of Africa and because our parents could afford the high cost
of education in our region, we are here because we survived the coups and effects of
militarization and bad governance in this region, we are here because we are not refuges
or IDPs, we are here because we escaped the terrorist attacks and kidnapping. The least
we can do to show appreciation to our creator is to work. I believe we can! Let’s roll our
sleeves and get to work! WANEP is not just an institution, it is an attitude!
And as we reflect on all this, may God bless this WANEP
Thank you
Chukwuemeka B Eze, Executive Director, WANEP – January 2015