Warm greetings to you all honourable men and women. It’s always a great joy to have you all as a family coming together to help move the union forward. Also on behalf of my executives I would like to say, we are indeed honored as well to have led this union for the 2020/2021 academic year.  This year has also been a remarkable moments in the history of NUGS-China and I am very much grateful for the good works, love, support and dedication demonstrated by all of you.

Indeed, whatever that has a beginning surely has an end. About a year ago, I had the opportunity to delineate the plans that I had for this noble union. You entrusted me with a very important task of representing you in the highest decision-making structures of our student governance.  As the saying goes “to whom much is given, much is expected”. I did not take this for granted and challenged myself to make great impact – a paradigm shift to great improvement in student governance.

It is always expected that leadership will come with a lot of challenges, nevertheless its privileges too. For this reason, I must say occupying this office in NUGS-China has privileges and also accompanied with challenges. The journey has been quite tough but with the passion, zeal, dedication and desire to serve, I did all my possible best to keep the unity flame burning and the flag high. I will also say kudos to you all my co-executives for doing same.

I would like to express sincere gratitude to the Ghana Embassy, Beijing. We appreciate your constant support and the positive engagements we have had with you so far. I would humbly ask same for the incoming administration.

My administration came to office in the midst of the global pandemic. Although we were under some constraints of lockdowns, it was never an opportunity to give excuses to get everyone pleased. Herbert Bayard Swope said and I quote “I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure – which is: Try to please everybody”. This has always been my guiding principle for the formula for success. I was ever ready to give out my best and so I urged my fellow co-executives. This pandemic period has been an ultimate leadership test, as our administration was run fully online without having the opportunity to meet each other in persons.

If we must act effectively we must deal with the realities of this world.  We must get things done.  However if there was one thing that President Collins stood for that led to the great achievements of this administration, it was the belief that idealism, high aspiration and deep convictions are not incompatible with the most practical and efficient ways of getting things done in the realities of this world – that is to say idealism and reality are inter-related in getting things done. It is my hope that a time would come when we all would realize this inter-relation and act swiftly on it.  

Perceptions and misconceptions are always developed so long as we continue to exist as humans. They always continue to define our relations. We ought to be very strategic in our decisions and dealings by exhibiting high sense of responsibility, maturity, decorum and sanity; else our efforts would be a nonentity. Leadership as we all may know is not a competition, so therefore victory for one is victory for all. To those I may have wronged in the line of duty, I sincerely apologize. I hold no grudges against you either.

To the incoming executive I must reiterate that being a leader during this period has been and still is quite challenging. There may be mistakes, challenges, achievements, corrections, and lessons coupled with experiences that will be encountered and learnt. In all these I will admonish you to stay strong and stay focused. Many times you may disagree on everything, every time and everywhere. Nevertheless you just have to discover areas of consensus and agreement to work for the betterment of our union. I describe this point as the point of staying committed to the purpose of your leadership. Permit me to use the words of my predecessor, Hon Felix Gyawu Addo and I quote ”Not all your decisions will be popular with members, but if it assures the wellbeing of our dear members, let’s not be deterred, be firm”.

I hope the Annual Report I read few weeks ago has succeeded in pointing to you the amount of work that has been done in our volunteer positions within NUGS-China. Notable which include ones which include SkillUp Program, Tunnel Light Project & Business Exhibition, GMDC Prep Class, Maiden Excellence Award Night and others. Having done that within the 2020-2021 academic year does not mean that there is no work for you, the incoming executives. The to-do-list is already full.

To all members, on behalf of my executives, I say a very big thank you to all who in one way other contributed to our successes. Your immense support, love and dedication will be needed to fulfill all that the incoming administration has planned to move the union forward. Continue to give them the necessary support that they need. I would urge you all to avail yourselves when there is a call for committee formation and volunteerism. It is noble to be a loyal member through service and steering NUGS-China in the right direction.

On this note I would say once again, take a pledge to stand for Ghana and NUGS-China, as well as becoming a seeker of progress and development of our union and mother country and not a hindrance. Let us come together and honour our country. Let us consider it as our duty to serve and maintain national unity and integrity. I fervently believe that with our collective efforts and all pro-activeness, we can achieve a lot to move the union to greater heights. I wish you well incoming executives.

IT IS DOABLE
LONG LIVE NUGS-CHINA
LONG LIVE GHANA
COLLINS SEY
Past National President – NUGS China 2020/2021