From left: Chairman, Nigerian Insurers Association, Godwin Wiggle; Professor Joe Irukwu and Commissioner for Insurance, Mohammed Kari at the event.
GOODWILL MESSAGE FROM PROF. J.O. IRUKWU, FOUNDING FATHER
AND PAST PRESIDENT OF WAICA AT THE 38TH AGM AND EDUCATIONAL
CONFERENCE HELD AT THE EKO HOTEL LAGOS ON MONDAY 25rH
APRIL, 201 6.
PROTOCOL:
Mr. President, Hon. Minister of Finance, Commissioner of lnsurance,
Distinguished Leaders of the lnsurance Industry, My Colleagues of the
lnsurance Fraternity, Distinguished ladies and Gentlemen. I am
delighted to have this great opportunity of welcoming you to Lagos
as I deliver this goodwill message.
I am particularly delighted to be speaking to you on the occasion of
the 38th Annual General Meeting of WAICA holding in Nigeria today.
As you know, I am passionate about insurance and the insurance
industry, and I have a sentimental attachment to WAICA for several
good reasons not just as one of its surviving founding fathers but also
as one of the many insurance practitioners who have witnessed its
great impact on the West African insurance industry from inception
to date.
THE ORIGIN OF WAICA.
Please permit me to take you down memory lane, by reminding you
that WAICA was founded in April, 1973 in the offices of the State
lnsurance Corporation of Ghana under the Chairmanship of Mr.
Anthony Kobina-Woode of blessed memory. I recall that amongst
those present at that first meeting from Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra
Leone were Mr. Yinka Lijadu, Mr. Mike Chukwudinma, representing
Sierra Leone and Mr. Bode Ogunlana and myself.
As indicated above, Ghana was represented by Mr. Anthony
-~obina-~obdweho was then the Managing Director of the State
lnsurance Corporation of Ghana who later became the first
President of WAICA. Ofhers were Mr E. Nsiah, also of the State
lnsurance Corporation of Ghana, and Mr. Edward Mensah who was
then the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Reinsurance
Organization.
INSURANCE INDUSTRY’S TOTAL SUPPORT FOR WAlCA ENSURED ITS
EARLY SUCCESS
As we celebrate our 38th year anniversary we must commend the
leadership of the West Africa lnsurance lndustry for the great support
that they extended to WAlCA at its inception which helped to
ensure its early success. It is refreshihg to note that from its
establishment in 1973, WAlCA as a unifying sub-regional insurance
organizatidn enjoyed the support of the entire insurance companies
and institutions in the sub-region and beyond, starting with SIC which
agreed to host the WAlCA Secretariat from its inception to date. I
am pleased to note that Mr. Mike Hamah, the current Chairman of
– the Board of SLC is here with_us at the conference and the AGM to
the chair one of our sessions and throughhim we Flankthe SIC for its
continued support of the WAlCA concept. May I also take this
opportunity to thank the entire West African lnsurance lndustry and
the insurance leadership for its continued support of the WAlCA and
all its agencies over the years.
THE NEW LEADERSHIP AND THE FUTURE.
I must commend the leadership of WAlCA who took over from us as
founding fathers. In this context I must mention the following from
different countries. I must mention all the past Presidents of WAlCA
and the Secretaries General who because of the location of the
WAlCA Head office in Ghana were mostly Ghanaians except the
current Secretary General, Mr. William Coker who is from the Gambia
but based in Accra where he is doing an excellent job in keeping
the WAlCA flame alive.
THE INSURANCE COMMISSIONERS AND WAICA. We must acknowledge the positive roles played by the insurance commissioners in the development of WAlCA over the years. These factors have helped in the growth and effectiveness of WAlCA as a regional institution. In this context, we must commend the roles played by the Insurance Commissioners in promoting the WAlCA unifying spirit in our sub region. As we express our gratitude to all those who have contributed to the growth and development of WAICA, I will like to take this opportunity to appeal to all insurance professionals and companies and every one present at this conference to continue to support WAICA. We all have a duty to support WAlCA as a major regional insurance institution so that it will continue to play the most effective unifying leadership role that it has played in the past 38 years. Every major insurance institution is expected to support WAlCA by becoming an active member as indeed the work of WAlCA affects every insurance institution in the sub region. We commend the founding and current leadership of WAlCA for creating this important institution which has given birth to such educational and economic institutions as the West African Insurance Institute, (WAII), the WAlCA Re insurance pool and the WAlCA Re insurance corporation plc. I am happy to have been associated with this formidable institution and remain confident that under this current leadership WAlCA will continue to grow from strength to strength. I thank you for this opportunity and wish the conference all the success that it richly deserves. PROF. J.O. IRUKWU.
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