By Timothy Ekpo
UYO
The deputy governor of Akwa Ibom has acknowledged the contributions of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) in building and equipping capacity necessary for institutional growth in the country.
Senator Akon Eyakenyi stated this at the 60th anniversary celebration of the institute which took place, recently, in Uyo.
Expatiating on the theme of the event, “Six Decades of Excellence: Shaping Governance, Empowering Further”, the deputy governor said that having existed for the past 60 years, ICSAN had successfully established itself and indispensable top ranking professional body whose programmes have enhance the excellent performance of small and medium scale enterprises in the country.
“In sixty years, the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) has come a long way, having established itself as a top ranking professional body with an impeccable reputation, an enviable pedigree and a stickler for excellence.
“For me, ICSAN is a success story which proves that with determination, vision, a sense of mission and strict compliance with rules, we can build strong and globally competitive institutions”, she said.
She explained that the contributions of the institute to the socio-economic development of Nigeria could neither be quantified nor disregarded, stressing that with ICSAN, the private sector has made progress based on the institute’s constant equipping of boardrooms with the requisite expertise needed to run successful ventures, and the capacity to transform small and medium scale enterprises into mega corporations.
The deputy governor told the gathering that there was no gainsaying that ICSAN had assisted most private sector operators learn the rudiments of corporate governance, fulfil regulatory requirements and adopt global best practices in running the affairs of their organisations.
Eyakenyi said ICSAN had earned global recognised for its commitment to advancing corporate governance, financial management and human resources management, in addition to its reputation for uncompromised professionalism, gender equality, which she noted elevated women to positions of service and responsibility.
Harping on the theme of the event, ”Six Decades Of Excellence: Shaping Governance, Empowering Futures,” Eyakenyi stated that it effectively encapsulated and fittingly communicated the mission of ICSAN, its accomplishments in the past sixty years and its vision to stay the course and remain impactful.
The deputy governor reasoned that in Akwa Ibom, the private sector was gradually gathering strength through the implementation of the ARISE Agenda and strategic investments in key sectors, such as aviation, power, agriculture, infrastructure, and the blue economy, etc.
She added that with the guidance of the governor, Pastor Umo Eno, ICSAN was undoubtedly a desirable partner in ensuring continuous growth and unrestrained expansion, and congratulated the president and chairman of the Governing Council, Mrs Uto Ukpanah, Esq, and the chairman of ICSAN, Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Theresa Ntong, for successfully putting the event together.
Earlier, the president, Ukpanah said the event formed part of series of commemorative activities that took place simultaneously across selected states of the federation on the theme: “Six Decades of Excellence: Shaping Governance, Empowering Futures”.
She stated that the 60th anniversary activities reflected ICSAN’s commitment to professional excellence and community service, public engagement, healthy living, and sustainable development.
Ukpanah maintained that the theme of the event was both reflective and forward-looking as it allowed members to celebrate the accomplishments of the past, while focusing on opportunities and responsibilities that lied ahead.
The governing council chairman stressed that in 60 years, the institute had made remarkable milestone, representing six decades of resilience, growth, relevance, and impact.
Ukpanah noted that since its establishment, ICSAN which started as a professional body dedicated to building the working capacity of company secretaries, has remained at the forefront of promoting good governance, corporate accountability, ethical leadership, and professional excellence in Nigeria.
“Our journey over the past six decades has been defined by an unwavering commitment to professionalism, integrity, competence, and service. Through our training programmes, professional examinations, conferences, publications, policy advocacy, and stakeholder engagements, the Institute has contributed significantly to strengthening governance structures in organisations and institutions across the country”, she said.
While emphasising on the institute’s commitment to reflecting diversity in the range of professions that populate the governance landscape and the pivotal role of ICSAN, Ukpanah urged the National Assembly to expedite action on ICSAN bill, currently before it, to change the name of the Institute to Chartered Governance Institute of Nigeria (CGIN), so that the institute could align with peer institutes in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Canada, South Africa, among others.
The State chairman, Mrs Theresa Ntong, said the event marked the Institute’s 60 years of existence, and represented six decades of sacrifice and dedication to astute corporate governance, transparency and professional excellence across disciplines and fields of industries globally, and particularly in our great nation, Nigeria.
Ntong said ICSAN was established in 1966 and chartered by Act No. 19 of 1991, as an offshoot of the international body with its headquarters in the United Kingdom,
Ntong explained that ICSAN qualification are recognised globally for their depth and status. Successful students typically become Chartered governance practitioners holding offices as Board directors, top level administrators, corporate secretaries and captains of industry.
She restated his institute’s call for membership in Akwa Ibom that ICSAN was a platform for professional excellence, intellectual knowledge-sharing, networking, and a sterling opportunity for collaboration, and building of strategic developmental bridges across professional, geographic and psychological barriers.
Stressing on the theme, the state chairman pointed out that the institute was not just celebrating times and calendar circles past, but the immeasurable impacts of accountability, professional ethics adherence, compliance and selflessness.
Ntong charged the the institute to rethink on the applicability of ethical rules of categorical empiricism, vail of ignorance, golden mean and golden rules in administration.
Discussion about this post