Tete-a-Tete with UNEC Secretary-General: Onyia Zimuzo

Introduce yourself, comrade.

I am Comrade Onyia Zimuzo Augustine, the Secretary-General of the UNEC Students’ Union Government. Some people tend to call me “The First Secretary-General of the SUG”. I have served in different capacities in the past. In the last government, I was the personal Assistant to the SUG President. I was a member UNMSA House of Reps in 2013. In my fist year, I was the president of the First Year Medical Students’ Association (FYMSA).

Having been part of government and leadership for a while now. What has come to you in form of training or experience?

Well, you know leadership has do with working with different people with different characters. In my office as the Secretary-General of the Union, I have been empowered.  Have learnt quite a lot politically, academically and otherwise. I have learnt quite a lot, especially when it comes to documentation. I have learnt that documentation is indispensable in any organization. A leadership training was organized for us by the Vice-Chancellor. There we were put through training, taught service above self, about crises, and leadership. It was a transformational event for the most of us.

As the Head of the Secretariat of the Union, what has been your contribution to the improvement of the Secretariat?

I have to first point out one or two facts. Before I assumed this office, the secretariat had been in a horrible state, deplorable. Cobwebs. Many things were wrong with the secretariat. We plan to refurbish it. We plan changing the almaco, repainting, doing some tile works, and getting some good office seats. At the end of the day, it will become a place that UNEC students can beat their chests and say “Yes” we have a viable SUG.

As the Secretary-General, you are in a position of a prime minister. Could you give us a holistic assessment of the UNEC SUG as it stands, this moment. How much has this crop of executives impacted the school?

Well, the SUG under the leadership of Comrade Ilogebe Chidi has recorded quite a lot of achievements, though many students are unaware of this. Like, on the issue of power, we were able to maintain adequate power supply during the last semester examinations. Despite the epileptic power supply, we are working on this, we are mounting pressure on the school to provide more diesel, especially to extend the generator light hours. Also other spheres like Human Capacity Building, we have been able to record some achievements. Some political aspirants gave the Union money for scholarships which in no distant time will be given to some awardees. Also, with regard to entertainment on campus, the Union was able to attract a 43-inch Plasma TV which was given to one of the male hostels, Mbonu Ojike Hall. We hope to achieve more. On academics, I am working on a council of class reps to ensure that there will not be clashes of exam, especially for our colleagues that have problems in previous sessions, carryovers. The Union has done quite a lot, within a short space of time.

What is the relationship of the Union with the Students?

We have a great relationship with the students. They supported us during the campaigns, the elections. We have their interests at heart. Though we have a bit of an issue with proper information dissemination. They have not been made to know of many of our achievements so far. But we are defending their interests.

As a servant of the people that you are, where do you see yourself in the nearest future?

Well, in the nearest future. As a medical students, we hope to become doctors. I hope to become a consultant in the field of neurosurgery. And probably, around the fourties or fifties, I hope to venture into politics, to serve my people. At any point in life, I would want to serve the people in a greater capacity. Service above self.