TEXT OF ADDRESS BY LADY ISIOMA CHUKWUMA, PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL, CHARTERED INSURANCE INSTITUTE OF NIGERIA DURING THE INSTITUTE’S 2016 GRADUATION AND FELLOWSHIP AWARDS CEREMONY HELD ON WEDNESDAY 7TH DECEMBER 2016 AT TEN DEGREES EVENT CENTRE, OREGUN, LAGOS STATE.
PROTOCOLS
It affords me great pleasure to be here today on the occasion of the 2016 Graduation and Awards Ceremony of our great Institute.
Let me assure you that the responsibilities conferred on the Institute by statute have continued to engender a robust platform for the propagation of insurance education and awareness in Nigeria. In particular, the Institute’s professional examinations have become deep-rooted while producing professionals who have continued to perform creditably in their various endeavours through ethical and effective dispensation of insurance services.
As I welcome all graduands, awardees and distinguished guests to this year’s graduation and awards ceremony, I feel elated by the growing enthusiasm for the acquisition of professional insurance qualification. This fact is not only evident today by the growing number of qualifiers but also translates to an abiding consciousness in embracing professionalism in the business and practice of insurance more so as the nation faces a period of financial and economic uncertainties.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, today’s graduation and awards ceremony is the outcome of the Governing Council’s ratification of the conferment of the Institute’s Fellowship on 3 deserving members and the election of 161 members as Associates of our great Institute after satisfying the stipulated requirements. The Institute’s examinations structure, no doubt, is a flexible and learner-friendly and is geared at motivating greater interest in the attainment of professional qualification.
Permit me to reiterate the fact that the men and women who today find fulfillment in the attainment of our invaluable professional qualification, are also accepting greater responsibility of being custodians of the ethics and codes of practice of our noble profession. They will be constantly reminded of the oath of allegiance to their professional calling as well as their vows to be of good conduct at all times.
As professionals, we must continue to maintain our integrity and avoid unwholesome practices that can tarnish the image of our industry.
I must assert, at this juncture, that the attainment of professional qualification should not be seen as an end in itself but as a means to an end. It therefore behoves all holders of professional qualifications to be mindful of the efficacy of continuous professional development (CPD). As you are aware, the CPD has become institutionalized with varying degrees of enforcement by most professions. In our own case, it engenders a scheme which requires all members to locate themselves in the point scoring index, hence it is referred to by our Institute as the Mandatory Continuous Professional Development (MCPD) programme. No professional should exempt themselves from this scheme under the guise of extremely busy schedules. The MCPD is, unarguably, an inalienable part of our professional development and should be treated as such.
The policy of our Council is that all Certificates issued by the Institute remain the Institute’s property and could be withdrawn from the holders if the Institute has good reasons to do so. Let me state unequivocally that the Institute reserves the right to withdraw its certificate from any holder, if it discovers any breach of the examination process. A further reason for such withdrawal of certificates could emanate from acts unexpected of a holder of the Institute’s professional qualification. This policy remains in force.
I wish to end by congratulating the Fellowship awardees and the graduands for their achievements. These attainments deserve commendation and celebration which explains why we have in our midst, the relations and friends of the graduands. You are all welcome.
Thank you for your attention and God bless.
LADY ISIOMA CHUKWUMA FCII, FIIN
President/Chairman of Council
Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria
