WE (5wme Board Structure)

ABOUT US

The Five Wise Men from the East NDI IGBO

Having truly, firmly and solemnly resolved to provide a constitution for ourselves for the purpose of

promoting a non partisan, organization NDI IGBO. Where ever they may be, in or outside igboland. May come together for
promoting, nurturing igbo culture and tradition, whose opinion and advice shall be sought and respected not only by ndi igbo,
but by other nationalities who may want to consult with the group.

Do hereby make and give to ourselves the following constitution.

ARTICLE 1:

GENERAL PROVISIONS.

(i) The name of the body shall be known and addressed as FIVE WISE MEN FROM THE EAST INTERNATIONAL

(ii) The headquarter of the body shall be in Enugu the capital of the old eastern region.

(iii) The Motto of the body shall be IKORO NDI IGBO, IKORO NA AKUTE ONYE NUO AN ULA

ARTICLE 2:

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

The Aims and Objectives of the five wise men from the east shall be:

(i) To promote Igbo language and culture in all part of the globe, wherever Ndi Igbo are

(ii) To revive and maintain Igbo culture and traditions

(iii) To promote dignity and respect amongst Ndi Igbo

(iv) To liaise with all the Government in South Eastern State for rapid development and promotion of Igbo language over
the globe.

(v) To encourage the formation of Igbo Self help mutual understanding and to assist one another.

(vi) To promote peaceful co-existence among Igbo’s all over the globe.

(vii) To be our brothers keeper

ARTICLE 3:

MEMBERSHIP

(i) Membership of five wise men shall be open to all Igbo Language speaking person anywhere in the world.

(ii) Must learn how to speak Igbo fluently, behave and dress like an Igbo person

(iii) Shall be our Brother keeper.

ARTICLE 4:

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Five wise men shall be organized at the following level.

i) State Governments

ii) Local Governments

iii) Villages heads

iv) Communities Head

v) National Assembly members

vi) State Assembly members

vii) Traditional Institutions

To work with them in the area of laying the foundation of Igbo language anywhere in the globe.

ARTICLE 5:

IGBO SPEAKING

a) In non-Igbo speaking areas the leader of Igbo speaking group shall be the primary representative of the five wise men
from the east in promoting Igbo language, culture and tradition.

b) Every head of Igbo speaking group shall an associate member of the five wise men from the east international

(i) organize cultural activities, cultural display dances, traditional art display.

(ii) The head of Igbo speaking shall include, Igbos in Diaspora.

ARTICLE 6:

Executive Committee

(i) The executive committee shall consist of one Chairman which is the team lead of the organization, secretary, financial
secretary, Public Representative Officer( an Igbo speaking and writing person).

(ii) There shall be an associate Executive official who will be the legal adviser to the organization.

ARTICLE 7:

SPECIAL COMMITTEE

(i) The five wise men from the east executives shall ensure to represent or delegate a special committee to represent Ndi
Igbo in all Igbo activities that promote its language, traditions and culture in the globe.

(ii) The committee shall be selected by the executives and approved by the chairman order of the organization.

(iii) The committee representing the organization shall not be more than 5 and not be less than 2 in every occasions both
locally and internationally and must report to the executives their feedback.

ARTICLE 8:

OFFICE OF LEGAL ADVISER

(I) The shall be a legal adviser of 5WME who shall be a legal practitioner with qualification of 15-18years as a practitioner.

(ii) The Office of the Legal adviser will also represent as Public Relations Officer to ensure cordial relations between the
organization and the world.

ARTICLE 9:

THE OFFICE OF THE LEGAL ADVISER

(i) The person shall be an associate executive member, to guiding all practices of the organization and to meet with the
cultures, traditions and languages of world standard.

(ii) The Office of the person shall be for long or as determine by the members of the executives.

iii) He shall help in interpreting the constitutions, laws and orders as the case be apply within the organization and the
public.

(iv) He/She shall perform other functions as me be directed by the organizations.

 5wme Board Structure
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BY-LAWS
THE SIZE OF THE BOARD
The fivewise men from the east Standards require that a 5WME Board have a minimum of five members. However, if the
organization is large and/or if a committee structure is functioning, it is recommended that there be at least 12 to 15
members. This will allow the work to be spread among several members, thus preventing overloading too few people on the
board.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The By-laws call for specifically-elected officers. They are:

CHAIRMAN. This person shall lead the Executive Board meetings and shall retain voting privileges. The Chair can call
meetings, appoint committees, see that the Board does its business, and is an ex-officio (“by virtue of the office”) member
of all committees.

VICE-CHAIRPERMAN. This person shall perform the duties of the Chair in their absence.

SECRETARY. This person shall see that accurate records are kept of the decisions of the organisation, and that all necessary
reports are filed with the various government agencies and the Office.

TREASURER. This person shall see that all monies are handled with accuracy and integrity, and that funds are handled in
accordance with the decisions of the Board as expressed in its budget, policies and other directives. The Treasurer must
be sure that financial responsibilities are met and that accurate financial reports are provided.

THE ROLE OF COMMITTEES

Committees can be a significant part of the Board’s structure. They are a classic example of delegation. As the workload of
the Board grows, responsibilities need to be divided and shared with others. Committees facilitate this. They consider,
investigate and recommend courses of action to the whole Board. Without them, the Board would either become overworked
or ineffective.

Board committees serve ongoing functions of the Board. Specific projects are headed up by task forces or ad hoc committees.

It is important to note that the purpose of Board committees is to help the Board do its work, not to help the Coordinator do
its work. It is not appropriate to have committees that are empowered to exercise authority over the Centre Coordinator and
their Coordinator. Committees that are intended to “advise and help” with Coordinator responsibilities often create
confusion. They constitute interference in the National Director’s sphere of authority and damage the Board’s ability to hold
the Centre Coordinator accountable.

While the final decision on recommendations always rests with the whole Board, the work of the committees must be
respected. If the Board often turns down their recommendations or redoes their work, there will be much frustration among
committee members.
POTENTIAL COMMITTEES
Initially, four committees are suggested. They are:

. The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee should be made up of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Relation
Officer. If the Chairman of your Board regularly changes, as stipulated by your By-laws, you may want to include the
immediate past Chairman on the Executive Committee. Some Executive Committees also include the Chairman of each
standing committee.

The chief functions of the Executive Committee are: to plan the work of the Board, help plan the agenda, and provide
guidance in making some decisions. If your Board chooses to utilize an Executive Committee, be sure to incorporate all details
in your By-laws.

In using an Executive Committee, there is a word of caution. Be careful not to let the Executive Committee become the
“Board,” thus diminishing the role and impact of the whole group. This can happen when too much decision-making power is
delegated to an Executive Committee.

2. Finance Committee

The tasks of this Committee are as follows:

A. Formulate an annual budget in cooperation with the Chairman for approval by the full Board.
B. Recommend the accounting firm that will do the year-end report. The Committee then receives said report.
C. Raise funds for 5wme. The Committee leads the full Board in raising funds that the Board as a unit has committed to
raise as a part of the overall fundraising plan executed by the five men from the east international.

3. Culture and Language Committee

The roles of this Committee are as follows:

A. Promote Igbo education and participation of 5wme in all cultural festivals program locally and internationally.
B. Create and Design an educative magazine.
C. Visit and relate with all Igbo speaking leaders locally and internationally.

As the 5wme and Board grow in size, additional committees may be added.

TASK FORCES
Task forces are ad hoc committees designed for a specific purpose with a beginning and an end. They work well with a
membership of both Executives members. Task forces are a good place to groom prospective Executive members.

Many task-force functions fall under the authority of the Chairman. When Executive members serve on such task forces, they
are serving as Delegated Leader.
 BOARD LEADERSHIP
PRIMARY LEADERS OF FIVEWISE MEN FROM THE EAST
The Board Chairman and the executive committee are the primary leaders of the FIVEWISEMEN FROM THE EAST. The
effective functioning of the Board Chairman and the executive committee as a team will drive organization effectiveness and
success. There is a critical need for solid understanding of relative roles and responsibilities, support requirements and
effective team work.

THE ROLE OF THE BOARD CHAIRMAN

The Board Chairman plays a vital role in leading the FIVEWISEMEN FROM THE EAST. They are the leader of the Board and a
working partner with the Chairman. The Chairman’s responsibilities in working with the Board are as follows:

 Prepare the agenda with the working committees.

 Chair the Board meetings.
 Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees and task forces.
 Lead the Board and its committees to set specific goals, take assignments and be responsible for their completion.
 Lead the Board in keeping focused on 5wme’s mission and the accomplishment of long-range plans and strategies.
 Serve as a liaison between the Board and 5WME International personnel.

The Chairman is also important to a 5wme success. Much of their interaction is informal, so the two should be compatible.
The Chairman’s responsibilities in working with the committees are as follows:

 Serve as the key person in the Board’s relationship with the committees.
 Stay in contact with the committees in order to know and understand the major issues facing the 5wme mission.
 Have meetings with the committees and provide encouragement to the team.
 Lead the annual evaluation of the committee’s performance.

It is important to note that though the Board Chairman has a close working relationship with the committee.

QUALIFICATIONS OF A CHAIRMAN
1. Emotional, Cultural and spiritual maturity.
2. Proven leadership ability, both cultural and organisational.
3. The ability to facilitate rather than dominate the group.
4. Experience as a 5wme Board member.
5. Knowledge of Igbo Language.
6. Proven personal compatibility with Committee.
7. Willingness to invest significant time and energy in 5wme.
ACCOUNTABILITY OF BOARD MEMBERS
If a Board member is not fulfilling his or her responsibilities as a Board member, the Board Chairman should kindly, but
directly, speak to them about the issue to discover the problem. Perhaps the Board member is uncertain of what is expected
of them and needs further orientation and training. Or, perhaps their interest in 5wme has diminished, and they should look
for other avenues of service. It could be that they have a conflict with another Board. In any case, it is the responsibility of the
Board Chairman to discover the nature of the problem and bring resolution.
CONTINUING GOOD BOARD LEADERSHIP
If your Board limits the number of terms of office a member can serve, replacement officers must be in the process of being
groomed. For example, you should think ahead to which two Board members might be the next Chairman. They should then
be given ample opportunity to serve and prepare themselves for leadership.

Executive Meetings

HOW OFTEN SHOULD THE BOARD MEET

The Chairman shall call for a meeting as at when due in line with the executives.

ANNUAL MEETINGS
One Board meeting may be designated as the Annual Meeting. This should be prior to the start of the fiscal year, and would
include the following:

 Receiving an annual organisation report.

 Electing officers.
 Approving the integrated ministry plans and budget for the coming year.
THE ROLE OF THE CHAIRMAN
The Chairman has three functions connected with the actual meeting. They are:

1. Help prepare the agenda.

2. Lead the meeting.
3. Summarize the action taken on each agenda item. State any follow-up that may be required and mention the people
who will do it.
The Chairman has the opportunity and responsibility to set an upbeat, Christ-centred tone to the meeting.