Published by: admin on 2022-02-05
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My journey in FECA - story by Etinosa Ighodaro Israel

Hello. My name is Emmanuel Onyemaechi, the admin and creator of this website as well as Fibre Page. In today's post, I want to write about Mr. Etinosa Ighodaro Israel, FECA Nigeria National External Coordinator, 2020-2022 tenure because he shared it with all the External Coordinators during the National Leadership Retreat, Abia 2022. And I was FECA Nsukka External Coordinator that same tenure.

My journey with FECA by Etinosa Ighodaro Israel

"I joined FECA in the year 2008. I remember what happened when I was elected into office. I told God that I would not be the usual External Coordinator that does not know the Word of God. People think that External Coordinators are busybodies, and they take External Coordinators for granted. Some even think that External Coordinators don't know the Bible, or that they are prayer-less and carnal. So I vowed to be different. Thus I studied the scriptures very much. Everyday. When you are a Christian, without reading the Scriptures, you die quickly. Buy books, read and gain the knowledge. Before I was a National Coordinator, I was a Regional Coordinator. And I have been studying the Word of God constantly.

"All through my life I have experienced delay and stagnation, healed of asthma, I got admission very late after many failed attempts, until God finally made me successful. See, it is only when I started serving God that things changed for me and my life took a new look. And it was in FECA. God made me successful. Because when I decided to be a better External Coordinator, I dropped the tagged and carried the grace.

"I came from a very proud family. In my family, all of us are just proud. But I have left all those things when I decided to become a better External coordinator. I can't remember how many times my father apologized to me ever since I was born. My dad was proud. He never said I'm Sorry since I knew him and in all the times he offended me. He has offended me more than I have offended him but he never says sorry. I learnt to learn things for myself in FECA. So I learnt to succeed with the Word of God, and not with men's words. Some people measure success by money. Well, let me say that it is the Word that gives money. Because the Bible says that Silver and gold are mine, says the Lord. So the Word gives money.

"In 2010, when I was looking for job, I cried. So much. I prayed two prayer points: I prayed that God should help me and I approached him in mercy. The second prayer point that I made that period was that I asked God for helpers and encouragers for the journey that was ahead of me. "

Advise to External Coordinators

It is your job as the External Coordinator to find venues for your chapter. It is your job to make sure that the buses for Convention and other meetings like Zonal fellowship and the likes are made available. It is your job as the External Coordinator to make sure that your president dresses well. Buy him gifts like good tye, suit, and brogues to match. Before you came for this National Leadership Retreat, we the National leaders we have been having Congress upon Congress. We have been working. So you too should be working in your chapters. Know your job because you are the one that represents FECA outside of your chapter. You are the representative of FECA in your chapters. You bear what FECA looks like. If FECA is ugly, it means you are ugly. That is why you must make sure that your president is always dressing well. Be the one that the President will always call to be reminded of what needs to be done. Let your president know you as his calendar that he consults to be reminded of what' next. Be very close to you President. You should be the closest to the president. Okay, with exception, I think the financial secretary and Vie President are much closer to the president. But you too, you should be very close to your president. Because if your president is not working well, it is partly your fault.

Before you people came for this National Leadership Retreat, we the National Executives were already here. I remember one of the challenges that I faced upon seeing this venue. It was the problem of finance. We had a big monetary challenge when we came here. So as External Coordinator, I worked with wisdom. As External, you must know what is going to happen before it happens. It was money issue that we were battling to get. Let me tell one thing. There are two ways to get what you don't have: Use wisdom by talking to people. Learn to approach issues with openness of mind. Use gifts. They are powerful . Buy wine for the owners of the venue that you are planning to use. I do it and it works because I learnt it. I do it with future reasons. I create relationship with the owners of the venue so that when we need the venue another time, we won't have to start writing letters and waiting for reply. You have to know how to socialize, communicate; you have to learn emotional intelligence, how to approach people, and other social skills.

Just as I mentioned earlier, the External Coordinator should be one of the closest to the president. Because if the president is not looking fine, it is the External's fault. You're the image maker. So you have to dress the President. In leadership, stop taking things personal. External is a very serious office and know that your ego will be crushed very well. So you must know how to position yourself. Know that everything that God puts you in is a process. Forget about age. As the External, you may be thinking that you are older than this person and because she is General Secretary, that is why she is talking to me like this or like that. Forget ego. Forget age. Leadership is very sensitive stuff especially as External. As External, if it is to gain muscle carrying speakers and Generators, gain those muscles. You don't need to be told your job. Don't let people correct you because of your age. Be very dependable. Bring your best. Enjoy the work that you do. As External, be polite. Smile. Don't think age in FECA because it is children that behave like that.

I learnt from many of our reports that we need money for one project or another in many of our chapters. See, people buy generators for their chapters. I heard someone in Abia Zone bought a generator for his chapter and I was happy. So, meet poeple, friends, and people who believe in you. Get things done. Never worry about what God would fix, because it is foolish to do that.

One of my goals for this tenure is to do the history of FECA in animated video. I've been able to do the skill acquisition training in National Leadership Training and National Leadership Retreat. So I am grateful to God for that. And when I told one of my friends about the animation of FECA history, he took it up and I later found someone who would do the audio aspect of the video at a very reduced cost, because of relationship. Networking and relationship has helped me do lots of things in life. I've met good people. Emmanuel here is from FECA Enugu chapter, he does the video streaming of FECA activities and other guys they do the photography and graphics aspect, and I am not paying them. That is what relationship can do for you.

Be creative as External. Leadership demands excellence. Be filled with the Holy Spirit; don't fight, don't bully, envy or mislead. Follow and heed to instructions. Some of the most successful people in FECA right now were External Coordinators when they served in their chapters. I know lots of them. Very influential people. Wonderful people. They are well sorted after. See, forget that External Coordinators are seen as less spiritual, God rewards the labour of love that you are doing carrying speakers and heavy stuff. Just be glad doing it.

To buikd a relationship, you must be consistent; send texts, call and send anniversary gifts.