Africa WeDo CEO Meeting Room.
CEO Africa: Professor Christopher Boyejo
Leadership Summit in Lagos, Nigeria on January 27, 2023

THE LEADERSHIP AGENDA SUMMIT
The Leadership Agenda Summit is a sister agency of the African Economic Summit Group (AESG). They analyzed and appraised the economic indices in Africa.
It’s now headed by the indefatigable Dr. Bryan Reuben.
The theme of “Leadership Agenda” was devised as one of the solutions and panacea to Nigeria and African problems. It got to a stage that they wanted to know whether it’s the employees or customers that is more important.
When it got to my turn to speak, I said there’s simply the need to strike a balance between the two. I said, it’s like asking who’s more important between a mother and a wife. Each should be given her pride of place without disclosure. There came a loud applause and a standing ovation. I contributed many other points like “servant-leadership”, etc..
I won the day and did WeDo proud. Everyone wants to know what WeDo is all about and I explained and assured all that we will soon be a household name in the whole of Africa.
The dice is cast and there’s no doubt that WeDo African Operations is beginning its journey of being well positioned in Africa.
Prof. Chris Boyejo, FCMA
CEO, WeDo African Operations Headquarters
CEO Africa: Professor Christopher Boyejo
August 18, 2023
My Dear Exco Members,
I write to salute you and to tell you how I expect us to work. I want to run this Organization like an International conglomerate and in consonance and compliance with Corporate Governance culture. I am the CEO of this great Organization and I am responsible for whatever happens. I have noticed a lot of unorthodox practices and I want us to start doing things the proper way. I have set up a system that can stand the test of time ANYWHERE and that will be a going-concern basis. This is not a political organization and I am only interested in those that can deliver results and not telling tales. I expect this system to outlive me and I will not weave this system around me or around anyone’s ego, emotion and sentiments. I have been given the privilege of approving those who work here and I WILL DO IT JUDICIOUSLY AND PROPER WAY.
Henceforth, please take note of all the following:
1. The Head of HR & Admin will inform you all when there will be Exco meeting;
2. At Exco meetings, I will inform you what our Road-Map will be. Everyone will have access to the same information,
3. Whatever that doesn’t come from my office is not official,
4. It is the Head of HR & Admin, the Head of Board of Regents and the Regents that will manage the general platform. Essentially, information on the general platform only meant for the dissemination of the CMs, DCMs and other staff of that cadres. Whatever information from the Exco that leak out will be viewed seriously,
5. I EXPECT EACH PERSON HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR ROAD-MAP FOR YOUR OFFICE; WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AND WHAT YOU INTEND TO DO. I EXPECT THIS WITHIN THE NEXT FORTHNIGHT.
Whoever that does not submit will be seen as above this organization and appropriate steps will be taken with such.
6. An updated Organization Structure will soon be published for our knowledge and we are expected to be conversant with it and to understand very well the reporting channels,
7. When I appoint a Chief of Staff, then everything must be rooted through him. But for now, each member of this Exco will have access to me when it is necessary. Under normal circumstances, it will be an aberration for the CEO to be talking on the general platform,
8. I am not a politician and I don’t enjoy grandstanding. I want us to do things the way it should be done.
9. Those delegated responsibilities are expected to discharge them without fear or hindrance,
and
10. Finally, let us manage what we discuss here and on the general platform. Information is power and we must be mindful of our reportage. I will hold the HHR & Admin and the Regents through the Head, Board of Regents for management of the platform. Please be reminded again that this is not a General Assembly or political organization where we put decisions to votes. We are only using the platforms for exigency sake till we start our operations.
Kindly manage the team and inspire confidence in them.
Regards,
Prof. Chris Boyejo
CEO
Cc. Group CEO, Mr. Dean Konstantine
CEO Africa: Professor Christopher Boyejo
MEETING WITH THE STAFF OF WeDo AFRICAN OPERATIONS HEADQUARTERS HELD ON JANUARY 19, 2023
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Greetings!
I bring you greetings from the Chairman, Dr. Frank Mezias and the Group CEO, Mr. Dean Konstantine. We are indeed lucky to have them leading us; they are very proud of the work we are doing in Africa. They have a very strong, virile and strong desire to have Africa become the cynosure of all eyes in the world. We keep benefitting from their inspiration, motivation and their gargantuan belief in our continent. There’s no doubt that beginning a few months from now, the narratives for Africa will change. I consider myself privileged to be part of this unique innovation that will soon be the talk of the whole of Africa and to drink from the fountain of knowledge, experience, generosity and exposure of the two gentlemen.
Preamble
This is not a tea-party. We are not chasing shadows and neither are we engaged in a mirage. We are involved with something tremendous, gigantic and significant. Something that will change the landscape of the whole world will not naturally be a walk-over. We know the world is in trouble and it is only the right leadership that can get us out. And this is why I am determined that the leadership we will bequeath on Africa will be something that will stand the test of time and that will outlive us. Have you noticed how many of this year’s New Year lookaheads say the same thing? Numerous reports and articles aimed at business, all predicting unpredictability. We’re being warned of geopolitical tension, economic pressure, reduced living standards, increased cyber risk, climate chaos and polarized politics. At WeDo in general and at WeDo African Operations in particular, we are lucky to be part of those that will change the narratives in this continent.
– The signs are there; it is not frightening, but challenging. I received an invitation from a female Presidential candidate at the coming elections in Liberia. She is resident in America and wants our prestigious WeDo to sponsor her for the election. Of course, my Group CEO briefed me accordingly on what to do. Few days ago, a UK group spearheading the “Leadership Agenda Summit” invited me to be a speaker on the Summit program in Lagos, Nigeria. All these are unsolicited. What does this portend? It means we are already being watched and we cannot fail the Chairman, Board of WeDo International Headquarter and the whole world.
– We are all presented with an opportunity to make a stark difference in the annals of African history. I am a student of history and I know that our leaders have failed us. Samora Machel, Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Thomas Sankara, Steve Biko, Amilcar Cabral… When we look at these great African revolutionary leaders, thinkers and visionaries of the 20th Century we should ask ourselves – what do they all have in common? They have in common revolutionary traits, but these were unguarded. DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE HERE NOT TO PLAY POLITICS. WE ARE HERE ONLY FOR ECONOMICS AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT OF THE WORLD. WE ARE HERE TO ENSURE THAT THE STANDARD OF DEVELOPMENT REMAINS IN TOP GEAR. WE ARE HERE TO WIPE AWAY POVERTY, HUNGER, AND MALNUTRITION AND TO PUT SMILES ON THE FACES OF AFRICANS. We are not here to engage in the myopic politics of our African leaders. When we are focused, we will wrest control from them and the image and reputation of WeDo will be contagious.
– To be an effective leader, you need to become an exceptional communicator that is people- centric. Of all the leaders mentioned above, I have no clear opinion about all of them though I have read about each of them. But I want to be a selfless leader like Nelson Mandela and want to be remembered like him. I think we all should have this at the back of our minds.
African Operations Headquarters Exco:
Prof. Chris Boyejo- CEO
Mr. Alex Karikari- VC
Mr. Billy Benjamin- Director of Inspectorate & Project Monitoring
Mr. Kehinde Adegoke- Special Adviser to the CEO
Mr. Samuel Kpodoh- Special Adviser to the VC
Mrs. Olabisi Talabi- Financial Controller
Miss Ekanza L Camille- Head of Internal Audit
Mr. Oluwafemi Fadeyi- Deputy Head of Human Resources
Regents & Deputy Regents
Regent South Africa- Mr. Michael Ejeagha
Regent East Africa- Mr. Olusiji Akinbola
Deputy Regent East Africa- Mr. Tsehaye Gebreselassie
Regent Central Africa- Dr. Fatima Ella-Ba
Deputy Regent Central Africa- Mr. Dessea Alain
Update on our Activities
· You have all been rightly concerned when we are taking off. We had earlier on told you that we would have our training in December 2022. The Chairman has been working very hard and traveling across nations to facilitate the fund which we are sure will be ready anytime. I will want us to be on standby for information on this and it can be any moment from now.
· There is however a paradox. The sine qua non for anyone of us to remain on ground and to be funded is submission of our Executive Summaries. We still have a handful of countries that have not submitted their Executive Summaries. Failure to submit Executive Summaries will militate against the Headquarters/CEO/CFO preparing our budgets. We either have to wait eternally for some of these to be produced or remove them from our nominal roll and move ahead.
· We cannot help anyone to produce the ES and neither will I permit anyone to lift another person’s work from the website. Any work done by any of us has the copyright belonging exclusively to that person and country.
· We have a window of opportunity to round up on all outstanding ES within the next two weeks. It takes a lot of work to appraise each ES and then forward it to the Group CEO for approval and posting. I know all the Executive Summaries off head because I worked on each one. This process has brought me closer to each and every one of us. We cannot continue to wait relentlessly for others, so we will give them two more weeks to round up. I AM CONFIDENT THAT BY THEN WE WILL HAVE UPDATE ABOUT FUNDING FROM THE CHAIRMAN.
· I do not like to lose any of us, but we cannot force everyone to be part of the moving train. Once we leave, it implies the end of the road for the others who only want to be spectators. There are handfuls that are not reachable and after the final search, we will remove their names and data from the website.
· It is in our plans to ensure that among our other management styles, we use an open-reporting system. This will make everything transparent; where any staff has cause to leave our midst, we all will know the reason. Also, when our operation commences, we will have MIS installed by our Management Consultants. Any staff that do not meet up with deadlines for submission of reports will be globally seen by the CEO and the VC.
· There is a lot of work done behind the scenes that goes toward the preparation of Executive Summaries, organization of our work, coordination and others. As much as possible, we try not to stress all. I will now try to start testing the system and a lot of delegations will be ongoing. We have a lot of talents among us waiting to be tapped. I am indeed humbled and excited with the array of corps I have assembled.
· I am an individual that does not like stories, but wants results. I will appeal that we become result-oriented. We have all come a long way and we are almost at the finished line. I plead earnestly that you continue to cooperate with us to serve you better; and finally
· I thank all those who have been working hard with us to ensure this final work you are seeing. This assignment have kept us busy since three days ago and I have to specially thank our Regent for Central Africa, Dr. Fatima Ella-Ba who has been working indefatigably with me. Once again, it is a privilege working with you all
· . Thank you and God bless you all!
Regards,
Prof. Christopher Boyejo, FCMA
CEO, WeDo African Operations Headquarters
Copyright
RENCONTRE AVEC LE PERSONNEL DU SIEGE DES OPERATIONS AFRICAINES DE WeDo TENUE LE 19 JANVIER 2023 ORDRE DU JOUR DE
LA SÉANCE DU 19 JANVIER 2023
Distingués
Mesdames et Messieurs,
Les salutations!
Je vous
transmets les salutations du président, le Dr Frank Mezias et du PDG du groupe,
M. Dean Konstantine. Nous sommes en
effet chanceux de les avoir à nos côtés ; ils sont très
fiers du travail que nous faisons en Afrique. Ils ont un désir
très fort, viril et fort de voir l’Afrique devenir le point de mire de tous les
yeux du monde. Nous continuons
à bénéficier de leur inspiration, de leur motivation et de leur confiance
gargantuesque en notre continent. Il ne fait aucun
doute qu’à partir de quelques mois, les récits pour l’Afrique vont changer. Je me considère
privilégié de faire partie de cette innovation unique qui fera bientôt parler
d’elle dans toute l’Afrique et de boire à la fontaine du savoir, de
l’expérience, de la générosité et des expositions des deux messieurs.
Préambule
Ce n’est pas un
goûter. Nous ne chassons
pas des ombres et nous ne sommes pas non plus engagés dans un mirage. Nous sommes
impliqués dans quelque chose d’énorme, de gigantesque et d’important. Quelque chose
qui changera le paysage du monde entier ne sera naturellement pas une promenade
de santé. Nous connaissons
les mondes en difficulté et seul le bon leadership peut nous en sortir. Et c’est
pourquoi je suis déterminé à ce que le leadership que nous léguons enAfrique soit quelque chose qui résistera à l’épreuve du temps et qui nous
survivra. Avez-vous
remarqué combien d’anticipations du Nouvel An de cette année disent la même chose ? De nombreux
rapports et articles destinés aux entreprises, prédisant tous l’imprévisibilité. Nous sommes
avertis des tensions géopolitiques, des pressions économiques, de la baisse du
niveau de vie, de l’augmentation du cyber-risque, du chaos climatique et de la
polarisation politique. Chez WeDo en
général et chez WeDo African Operations en particulier, nous avons la chance de
faire partie de ceux qui vont changer les récits sur ce continent.
– Les signes
sont là; ce n’est pas
effrayant, mais stimulant. J’ai reçu une
invitation d’une femme candidate à la présidence aux prochaines élections au
Libéria. Elle réside en
Amérique et souhaite que notre prestigieux WeDo la parraine pour l’élection. Bien sûr, mon
PDG du groupe m’a informé en conséquence sur ce qu’il fallait faire. Il y a quelques
jours, un groupe britannique à la tête du “Leadership Agenda Summit”
m’a invité à prendre la parole dans le cadre du programme du Sommet à Lagos, au
Nigeria. Tout cela n’est
pas sollicité. Qu’est-ce que
cela laisse présager ? Cela signifie
que nous sommes déjà surveillés et que nous ne pouvons pas décevoir le
président, le conseil d’administration du siège social international de WeDo et
le monde entier.
– Nous avons
tous l’opportunité de faire une grande différence dans les annales de
l’histoire africaine. J’étudie
l’histoire et je sais que nos dirigeants nous ont laissé tomber. Samora Machel,
Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Thomas Sankara, Steve Biko, Amilcar Cabral…
Quand on regarde ces grands leaders révolutionnaires africains, penseurs et
visionnaires du 20e siècle, on doit se demander : qu’est-ce qu’ils ont tous en
commun ? Ils ont en
commun des traits révolutionnaires, mais ceux-ci étaient imprudents. MES DAMES ET
MESSIEURS DISTINGUÉS, NOUS NE SOMMES PAS ICI POUR JOUER À LA POLITIQUE. NOUS SOMMES ICI
SEULEMENT POUR L’AVANCEMENT ÉCONOMIQUE ET TECHNOLOGIQUE DU MONDE. NOUS SOMMES ICI
POUR GARANTIR QUE LE NIVEAU DE DÉVELOPPEMENT RESTE AU TOP. NOUS SOMMES ICI
POUR EFFACER LA PAUVRETÉ, LA FAIM ET LA MALNUTRITION ET POUR METTRE DES
SOURIRES SUR LES VISAGES DES AFRICAINS. Nous ne sommes
pas ici pour nous engager dans la politique myope de nos dirigeants africains. Lorsque nous
serons concentrés, nous leur arracheront le contrôle et l’image et la
réputation de WeDo seront contagieuses.
– Pour être
un leader efficace, vous devez devenir un communicateur exceptionnel centré sur
les personnes. De tous les
dirigeants mentionnés ci-dessus, je n’ai pas d’opinion claire sur chacun d’eux,
même si j’ai lu sur chacun d’eux. Mais je veux
être un leader désintéressé comme Nelson Mandela et je veux qu’on se souvienne
de lui comme lui. Je pense que
nous devrions tous avoir cela en tête.
Exco du siège
des opérations africaines :
1. Prof.
Chris Boyejo – CEO
2. M. Alex
Karikari- VC
3. M. Billy
Benjamin – Directeur de l’inspection et du suivi des projets
4. M. Kehinde
Adegoke – Conseiller spécial du PDG
5. M. Samuel
Kpodoh- Conseiller spécial du VC
6. Mme
Olabisi Talabi- Contrôleur Financier
7. Mlle
Ekanza L Camille – Responsable de l’audit interne
8. M.
Oluwafemi Fadeyi- Chef adjoint des ressources humaines
Régents et
sous-régent
1. Régent
Afrique du Sud – M. Michael Ejeagha
2. Regent
East Africa – M. Olusiji Akinbola
3. Régent
adjoint Afrique de l’Est – M. Tsehaye Gebreselassie
4. Régent
Afrique centrale – Dr Fatima Ella-Ba
5. Régent
Adjoint Afrique Centrale – M. Dessea Alain Mise à jour sur
nos activités
• Vous vous
êtes tous inquiétés à juste titre du moment où nous décollons. Nous vous avions dit plus tôt que nous aurions notre
formation en décembre 2022. Le président a travaillé très dur et a voyagé à
travers les pays pour faciliter le fonds qui, nous en sommes sûrs, sera prêt à
tout moment. Je veux que nous
soyons en attente d’informations à ce sujet et cela peut être à tout moment à
partir de maintenant.
• Il y a cependant un paradoxe. La condition
sine qua non pour quiconque o Pour rester
sur le terrain et être financé, il faut soumettre nos résumés exécutifs. Nous
avons encore une poignée de pays qui n’ont pas soumis leurs résumés exécutifs. Le
fait de ne pas soumettre de résumés exécutifs empêchera le siège
social/PDG/directeur financier de préparer nos budgets. Nous
devons soit attendre éternellement que certains d’entre eux soient produits,
soit les retirer de notre liste nominative et aller de l’avant.
• Nous ne pouvons aider personne à
produire l’ES et je ne permettrai à personne de retirer le travail d’une autre
personne du site Web. Tout travail effectué par l’un d’entre nous a
le droit d’auteur appartient exclusivement à cette personne et à ce pays.
• Nous avons une fenêtre
d’opportunité pour arrondir tous les ES en suspens dans les deux prochaines
semaines. Il faut beaucoup de travail pour évaluer
chaque ES puis le transmettre au PDG du Groupe pour approbation et publication. Je connais tous les résumés par tête parce
que j’ai travaillé sur chacun d’eux. Ce processus m’a rapproché de chacun d’entre
nous. Nous ne pouvons pas continuer à attendre sans
relâche les autres, nous leur donnerons donc deux semaines de plus pour
arrondir leurs fins de mois. JE SUIS CONFIANT QUE D’ICI-LÀ, NOUS AVONS UNE
MISE À JOUR SUR LE FINANCEMENT DU PRÉSIDENT.
• Je n’aime perdre personne d’entre
nous, mais nous ne pouvons pas forcer tout le monde à faire partie du train en
mouvement. Une fois que nous partons, cela implique la
fin du chemin pour les autres qui ne veulent être que spectateurs. Il y en a quelques-uns qui ne sont pas
joignables et après la recherche finale, nous supprimerons leurs noms et leurs
données du site Web.
• Il est dans nos plans de veiller
à ce que, parmi nos autres styles de gestion, nous utilisions un système de
rapport ouvert. Cela rendra tout transparent; où un membre du personnel a des raisons de
nous quitter, nous en connaîtrons tous la raison. De plus, lorsque notre opération commencera,
nous ferons installer le SIG par nos consultants en gestion. Tout personnel qui ne respecte pas les délais
de soumission des rapports sera globalement vu par le PDG et le VC.
• Il y a beaucoup de travail
effectué en coulisse qui va vers la préparation des résumés exécutifs,
l’organisation de notre travail, la coordination et autres. Autant que possible, nous essayons de ne pas
stresser tout le monde. Je vais maintenant essayer de commencer à
tester le système et de nombreuses délégations seront en cours. Nous avons beaucoup de talents parmi nous qui
attendent d’être exploités. Je suis en effet humilié et excité par
l’ensemble des corps que j’ai rassemblés.
• Je suis une personne qui n’aime
pas les histoires, mais qui veut des résultats. Je vais lancer un appel pour que nous
devenions axés sur les résultats. Nous avons tous parcouru un long chemin et
nous sommes presque à la ligne d’arrivée. Je vous demande instamment de continuer à
coopérer avec nous pour mieux vous servir ; et enfin
• Je remercie tous ceux qui ont
travaillé dur avec nous pour assurer ce travail final que vous voyez. Cette mission nous occupe depuis trois jours
et je dois particulièrement remercier notre régente pour l’Afrique centrale, le
Dr Fatima Ella-Ba qui travaille inlassablement avec moi. Encore une fois, c’est un privilège de
travailler avec vous tou
• . Merci et que Dieu vous bénisse tous !
Salutations,
Professeur Christopher Boyejo, FCM
CEO, siège des
opérations africaines de WeDo
droits d’auteur
19 janvier 2023
CEO Africa: Professor Christopher Boyejo
AFRICAN HQ INFORMAL AND INTERACTIVE SESSION HELD ON
MARCH 23, 2023
Mr. Vice Chairman,
Members of the Executive Council,
Distinguished Regents & Deputy Regents,
Esteemed Country Managers’ & Deputy Country Managers,
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen!
- Preamble
- By now, I hope we would have realized that I will always call a meeting only when it becomes necessary. But today’s own is with a big difference and that is, it is going to be a “Town Hall Meeting” and it will be interactive to some extent and that implies that the Group CEO will not be briefed at all.
- We need to get certain things right and I will be telling you my observations and my plans to make us get prepared for the exciting times ahead.
- I will only use the first person “I” when I want to make certain clarifications and I want to take responsibility for it; otherwise, I am trained and accustomed to always use the “we” phrase.
- My first resolve on taking this job as the CEO and when no one at all has been appointed is to ensure that I do not allow any bureaucracy to build up and to diffuse the myth around most Africans style of administration. Most leaders in Africa will pretend that they are working by handling most things by themselves; have their tables jam-packed, give an excuse that they work till late in the nights and do not take their leave because they are busy. IT IS SIMPLY GIBBERISH AND FLIMSY EXCUSES either to hide some defects, stealing or philandering (womanizing). With time management and delegation of authority, works will always be stimulating.
- While both NIGERIA and GHANA shall have preference in budgets and allocation of projects because the two countries are stakeholders, but all staff shall be treated equally and as “Primus Inter Pare”- first among equals,
- HUMAN RESOURCES
- I have reached a stage in my life that I don’t play to the gallery, and I am not afraid of being unpopular. If you don’t want to be criticized, it simply means that you do nothing.
- To search for our executive management staff, I have contracted it to LinkedIn. There are some of us that I got through LinkedIn. I remember that the CM for Zambia, CM for Egypt, CM for South Africa, The Deputy Head of HR, etc. I searched for them through LinkedIn.
- Human Resources (HR) departments play a critical role in managing an organization’s most valuable asset — are people. From recruiting new talent to managing employee benefits and compensations, HR teams are responsible for ensuring a company’s workforce is engaged, productive, and motivated.
- I don’t like people that are biased and prejudiced at all and when I see these set of people, I diplomatically hide my distaste. It is only cowards that will speak from both sides of the mouth.
- I have reckoned right from the word go, that the HR will play a very crucial roles in our operations and will be backed up by a good administration. I went all out to get the best hands. I got a very strong selection from LinkedIn; the only irony is that I am surprised that 95% of the applicants are Nigerians. I settled for Mrs. Bukola Edun. I had an intensive interview with her over a 3- day period. I like people who worth their mettles. She asked and gave me conditions: 1. Has WEDO commenced operations fully in Nigeria, 2. Assurance that the Organization will be standing in the next five years, 3. How soon will I want her to resume & 4. Whether she should resign or take leave of absence from her employer. WHEN SHE ASKED THESE QUESTIONS, I MADE UP MY MIND THAT THIS A GREAT ASSET FOR WEDO and thank God that she is now with us.
- Also, Ms. Maria Kabugho-Marylyn is a Ugandan. I have known her for over 6 years and I lost her phone number and I went out to search for her on LinkedIn, I got her id on LinkedIn and I wrote her, but she did not reply and it took almost two years for her to respond and by then we already have a CM for Uganda and we appointed her for South Sudan and later on transferred her to South Africa. She is another experienced person. She works with the Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda, and she is a politician. She has promised to take our job as a career. I GAVE THESE EXAMPLES TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I TAKE PAINS TO IDENTIFY OUR STAFF.
- Now our HR & ADMIN is manned by an experienced Head of HR & Admin and now with an experienced deputy and I hope that we will soon have a competent Deputy Head of Admin. There is a HR Officer who will join them. Of course, the Training & Development Manager will be working directly with the Deputy Head of HR.
- TASK BEFORE THE HR
- I have stressed it times without number that I am not the CEO for Nigerians, but for all the staff. I respect all my staff and I cherish each single one of you and all will be held on the same platform or aisle. I DON’T THINK AS A NIGERIAN, BUT I THINK AS AN AFRICAN. I am sure that is why God gave me this golden opportunity.
- In Management, there is what we call SWOT analysis, which means Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Trends. I have always affirmed that if we know how to manage our weaknesses, we will go places. Most humans want to pretend that they don’t have weaknesses, or they don’t even identify them. I know my weaknesses and I have worked over the years and managed them that now they have become my strengths.
- We are coming to Lagos for training which will be general. But WEDO will be spending a lot of money on training because you are our best asset. I want each Country Manager and Deputy Country Manager to identify their weaknesses so that training will be organized by the HR and Training & Development departments under the guidance of the Head of HR & Administration. All you need to do is to highlight areas where you think you need training: it could be in communication, diplomacy, negotiations, mannerisms, finance and accounting, management, marketing, etc. Once you have identified this, you will send it to your Regent who will send appropriately to the Head of HR & Administration, and these will be processed.
- The Regents and Deputy Regents too will address their training needs directly to the CEO and same goes for the other members of the Exco.
- Learning is a continuum. We learn from cradle to the grave and there is no shame in informing anyone that you don’t know something. But it is a disgrace to be pretending that you know something when you don’t. I WANT TO WORK HARD TO ENSURE THAT WEDO STAFF WILL BE ONE OF THE BEST TRAINED STAFF AMONG STAFF OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. We will have budget that will adequately take care of our training needs and we will train our leaders at places like Harvard, Oxford, Executive trainers at Amsterdam, etc.
- Privacy of each member of staff will be maintained and always protected and no one has any right to invade any other person’s privacy.
- We must all strictly adhere to protocols, courtesy, and finesse. A handful of us don’t understand protocols at all and they will be trained.
- While WEDO is a Christian Humanitarian institution, yet no one has any right to preach any other religion, but Christianity, YET THIS MUST NOT BE DONE BECAUSE WE ARE NOT INTO EVANGELISM. The Christians are expected to be discreet about their faith and the rights of non-Christians must be respected. We are here to work and not to propagate ANY faith.
- It is a policy that every meeting precedes with a prayer.
- I attached herewith HR Value Logic:
- COUNTRY MANAGERS AND PASS
- Most of us do not know what the job entails, and this is due to no fault of yours. Thus, the need to explain certain facts before the job begins.
- Country Managers and Deputy Country Managers are like Ambassadors. You are our ambassadors to these countries, and you are expected to always behave in ethical manners.
- When we become registered and recognized by the United Nations, then we will be addressed appropriately and then we will have diplomatic passports, but now we must comply with all the norms without exception. In all humility, I have done the job before, and I know the entire ethos. As a matter of fact, I am seen by some as an authority in the drafting of treaties, other legal documents, among my other talents.
- No CM/DCM can leave his or her station in less than 90 days (3 months). In the terms used in diplomacy, you must be “on the soil” for minimum of 90 days at every point in time. That is why we ensure that each CM has a DCM. Those who are CMs/DCMs in their countries are lucky and still must comply with disclosure of locations all the time.
- For you to move from your location to another, you must get a “Pass” from the Head of HR & Admin through your Regents. Give example of my sojourn in Krasnodar, Russia and I was not permitted to enter Ukraine.
- You cannot have an affair with suitors in your host countries. Contravening this will attract severe penalty and sanction.
- You are to address your colleagues officially by their titles. Privately, if you are closed, you can address each other the way you want. But it is forbidden to address each other casually or by their first names or surnames.
- When gifts are given to you by the host countries, you are expected to make disclosures. Under normal circumstances, you cannot receive such and where any is found to flout this law, it will attract disciplinary actions.
- Provisions will be made for your spouse’s passage to join you two times in a year and the same for maximum of four children: same for registered fiancé or fiancée.
- You cannot be found in any red zones.
- THE COUNTRY MANAGERS ARE FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR VARIOUS COUNTRIES PROJECTS. THEY ARE TO BE MONITORED AND GUIDED BY THE REGENTS/DEPUTY REGENTS
- UNMARRIED CMs & DCMs
- I am really worried about the plight of our spinsters and bachelors, but rules are rules and remain sacrosanct.
- You cannot court anyone in your host countries under any circumstances. When you do, you cannot be professional or objective in your dealings and appraisal of economic events in the host countries will be compromised.
- No two staff can date each other or propose to get married. Either of them can decide to leave the employment for the other.
- This rule will be further reviewed, and we can discuss about it.
- DRESSING CODE
- We shall follow a strict dressing code for all staff, except for the CEO and VC.
- All staff must always be formally dressed in suits/skirts suits/trouser suits for females. Men must put on ties always. The colors of tie and shirts will be given to signify the ranks.
- Dressing allowances will be provided and swiftly too for staff to be able to do their shopping ahead of the training in Lagos.
- WEDO insignia of badge(s), clips, etc. will be provided during events.
- 24- HOUR DEADLINE FOR CORRESPONDENCES
- Every communication that reaches anyone’s table must be treated within 24 hours.
- You will notice that there is nothing that it is sent to me or that involves any appointment that takes more than 24 hours to be treated.
- It is the same rule used by the International Headquarters
- Use of the Internet
- Let us be cautious in the use of the internet and take precautionary and discretionary steps to guide your safety.
- There are more evil people than the good ones on the internet and each of us has become a VIP and people will now be trailing your movements. More people visit our website daily now than before.
- Be careful of your activities on the social media. There are some of the social media that a professional should not be found in. Each of us must use our initiatives.
- Regents/Deputy Regents/ Country Managers/Deputy Country Managers
- While we are expected to understand and comply with our protocols, different grades of designations e.g., Regents and Deputy Regents should ordinarily know that the Regents are senior and will be held responsible for his region.
- Yet, each Regent is better using a participative style of manager as opposed to the autocratic style for a smooth operation and coordination and the same goes for the relationship between Country Managers and Deputy Country Managers.
- Where it is found out that both cannot work together, after due diligence, the culprits will be transferred to another region or country.
- No Regent or Country Manager should hurt the self-esteem of his or her subordinate and must give room for the subordinates to learn from him/her.
- Committees List
- The various committees list has been updated; please visit the website to see the current list.
- North Africa
- We expect few more countries in North Africa to join us very soon.
- We are expecting more female CMs coming soon.
- It will be economically feasible to pay the salary of just one CM to maintain a project in the region; we therefore see the emergence of more CMs as a welcome development.
- In essence, a female Regent will be seconded to North Africa to meet the environmental challenge of the region, while we will have a male Deputy Regent. This will be announced very soon and with dispatch.
- Conclusion
Any other information will always come from the appropriate quarters and no longer from me or our VC. Each of us must be ready to discharge the task expected of us. We must remember that we are presumed to be working now and a commensurate compensation will be given to us in due moment. There will be another one meeting to be summoned by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and it will be to blow the final whistle.
Thanks for your confidence in me and for your belief in our organization.
God Bless!
Prof. Christopher Boyejo
CEO, WEDO African Operations Headquarters
March 23, 2023
Copyright
CEO Africa: Professor Christopher Boyejo
Marrakech Earthquake- WeDo Hospital Project & Francophone Countries Scenarios
September 9, 2023
Dear All
Marrakech Earthquake- WeDo Hospital Project & Francophone Countries Scenarios
Greetings!
First and foremost, I have to thank the Exco, especially the Regent for Southern Africa, Mrs Shirley Naboue, Head of Internal Audit, Miss Camille Ekanza, Head, Board of Regents, Mr ‘Siji Akinbola and of course, our ubiquitous Head, HR & Admin; they realized that I was over working, overstressed and overwhelmed and they mapped out ways to do more on my behalf.
I cannot thank you enough. There’s nothing comparable to having a highly competent workforce like we have at WeDo. I’m really glad that I identified all members of the Exco to a large extent. I have the best last one week since WeDo began. I slept well and deeply, especially in the blessed assurance that my colleagues are working hard along with me. I appreciate you all at the Exco from the bottom of my heart.
2. I have just heard of the terrible earthquake in Marrakech, Morocco. There’s a hospital project billed for Marrakech under the CEO office already. I salutes our ingenuity in identifying the right projects. There maybe need to review the hospital fund later, but the need for it is more crucial than ever. It’s going to be one of our priorities. The project sum will still remain intact because that’s what we have budgeted for. However, the Head, Board of Regents and the CFO should please advise us for any review, which we can look at how the positive variance and our contingency fund can absorb.
3. While we await the Roadmap from our Ambassador at Large & Strategist for creating the right diplomacy as it affects the countries that experienced military coups of late. Few hours ago, the Group CEO made a reference to the reawakening of Africans and WeDo have to be prepared for all exigencies.
I therefore seize this opportunity to set up the “Francophone Countries Emergency Committee”, made up of:
1. Mr ‘Siji Akinbola- Chairman
2. Mrs Shirley Naboue- Member
3. Miss Camille Ekanza- Member
4. Mr Don Pedro- Secretary.
You can rub minds in setting up your terms of reference; which should include identifying any relevant additional projects for the countries that just experienced military change of governments and if their respective ceilings at WeDo should be increased. Your report should be addressed to the CEO and will form part of the memoir to be addressed to the Ambassador at Large & Strategist, where necessary.
Thanks once again for creating the enabling environment for me to think sharper and better. I can assure you that that the Group CEO have given us positive vibrations of starting in earnest; but for now, I will keep this up my sleeves and you will be informed at the right time.
Have a wonderful weekend and God bless us all!
Regards,
Prof. Chris Boyejo, FCMA
CEO, WeDo African Operations Headquarters
Cc: The Group CEO- Mr Dean Konstantine