From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Branch of the Chattered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), has elected its new executive members following the expiration of tenure of the previous administration in the state.
The new executive members were inaugurated on Friday in Abakaliki.
The zonal Coordinator of the Institute, Mrs Maria Kalu, performed the inauguration at the Conference Hall of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Abakaliki Branch.
Dr Livunus Onu emerged the state Chairman, with Mr. Chidieberre Ogbogu as the first Vice Chairman and Uche Raymond, second Vice Chairman.
Other officials elected with them were Ezejitu Paul, General Secretary; Ogwudu Chukwudi, Public Relations Officer; Okechukwu Precious, Financial Secretary; Duru Uchenna, First Assistant Secretary; Eze Nwali, Second Assistant Secretary and Emmanuel Nwoga ,Auditor.
While congratulating the state officials of the institute, Mrs Kalu charged them to be responsible and accountable to the parent body, both at the zonal and national levels.
She described CIBN as the umbrella professional body for bankers in Nigeria, which was incorporated in 1976 as the Nigerian Institute of Bankers, but later chartered in 1990.
She stated that the CIBN Act 5 of 2007, covers the professional body with the authority to control entry into the banking profession, to set standards for bankers and to maintain professional ethics through sanctions of erring members, noting that the Corporate members include the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation and all Deposit Money Banks, Development Banks, Mortgage Banks, Micro Finance Banks and Discount Houses in Nigeria.
Speaking after the inauguration, the CIBN state Chairman, Dr Livinus Onu, thanked his members for his election alongside other executives to lead the body, especially those who were returned to their offices with him, to serve the institute for the second time.
Onu recalled that after his election in 2019, he met with his executive members to ‘articulate a very ambitious stabilization and growth plan for the state branch.’
He said the plan was to pursue membership drive through constructive engagement with their non-active members.
This according to him, was to follow-up and possibly conclude the CIBN linkage programmes with Ebonyi State University, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike, Ikwo, organise the bank community in the state into a formidable body to enhance professionalism through training and networking, fully establish a tuition and an examination centre in Abakaliki.
He added that his plan was also to impact on people by organizing corporate social responsibility activities, interfacing with the state government and other corporate organizations in the areas of socio-economic analysis and advocacy, with full commitment to deliver their duties while in office.
He described his scorecards in his first tenure as modest one and promised to make further improvements.
“May I use this opportunity to sincerely thank the Branch Controller of CBN, Ebonyi State Branch- Mr. Christopher Adayi- for his unwavering commitment to the affairs of our Institute. He is not only financially up to date, unlike some of us, but he has been supporting us from his personal purse. He is our Guest of Honour today, and has graciously given us the Bank’s Conference Room for this event. Though unavoidably absent, he has sent an able representative in the person of Mr.Eze Wali. We thank you immensely.
“We have not done much in interfacing with the State Government and other corporate organizations in areas of economic and social analysis and advocacy. Beginning from this year, we will begin to analyze the State Annual Budget and make informed inputs. We intend to galvanize other professional bodies to collaborate with us in policy advocacy.Finally, we have remained very responsible and accountable to our parent body, both at the Zone and Headquarters in Lagos” he said.
Earlier in his presentation titled “The Future of Banking In A Digital Economy, CBN Controller Abakaliki Branch, Christopher Adayi ably represented by Eze Nwali, noted that digital world is spreading rapidly and impacting banking in alll ramifications.
He called on the general public to be prepared to benefit from the new development since digital finance is useful to individuals, business firms as well as the public sector.