UNIZIK VC, Prof Esimone becomes Fellow of Institute of Safety Professionals

Odogwu Emeka Odogwu

The Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Charles Okechukwu Esimone is now a fellow of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria.

The Fellowship award was conferred on the UNIZIK Vice Chancellor, Prof Esimone, FISPON, at the council chambers of the university by a team of Safety Professionals led by its National President, Dr Nnamdi Ilodiuba.

Dr. Ilodiuba said that Prof Esimone’s contributions to the Association both in the past and presently, deserves the award of membership and recognition as a fellow of the Institute. He said Esimone was considered for the award having satisfied conditions laid down in the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria acts of 2014 as well as the general policy guidelines.

Ilodiuba said they were in Awka to formalize the honour on the VC as the event took place last December, thanked the VC for being time conscious and keeping to time because according to him time is money. He thanked him on the good work they heard he is doing at Unizik, urging him not to relent.

Dr. Ilodiuba who solicited support of the institution to incorporate Safety courses/ programmes in the university, stated that such programmes have been ongoing at University of Port Harcourt at postgraduate levels, Masters and Doctorate Degrees.

He stated that the institute is willing to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Nnamdi Azikiwe University if the institution will approve its request to establish the courses/ programmes which according to him, will make the UNIZIK the second university to run the course in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Charles Okechukwu Esimone, FISPON while receiving the award said that the recognition was an honour to him and the entire university, but regretted that the award came during the time of industrial disharmony.

He said that safety is very important in every aspect of life, noting that where there is no safety, life becomes more dangerous and risky. He said the institute stands to advocate for safety in all spheres of human endeavor in Nigeria.

Prof Esimone who later spoke to newsmen after the award said that the award was a call for more service and dedicated it to God. He said further that the award is a recognition of ones exploits in the area of safety in the cause of professional life.

” it is what I have been doing and it is important that I was recognized and I was accorded a fellow of that institute today.”

Esimone further said that the Memorandum of understanding presented was important to the university,re-assuring he will present the proposal to the appropriate university committee including Director Academic planning to study and come up with recommendations for the senate approval.

Prof Esimone insisted that Unizik doesn’t play with safety related matter as it’s one of the things the university strongly advocate.

He said further that the university insists on safety guidelines in institution and encouraged factories outside and inside institutions of higher learning to stipulate their safety guidelines without compromise for a safer work place.

He noted the need for continuous advocacy and continuous training and retraining on safety measures to avoid consequences of ignoring safety protocols.

He pledged that the Institute shall receive all the needed support from Unizik both in manpower to drive the courses in Safety Institute.

He blamed the ASUU strike for a likely impediment, but promised to present the proposal to some critical stakeholders to make an input before the proposal is presented to the university senate.

“Part of what we discussed was also an MoU that was presented to me today. In the MoU, the idea was to integrate Safety Professionals Institute and their programme into the University from Diploma to Ph.D level. It’s a tall order and we have to take the bull by the horn because we have what it takes to run the programme and make it excel above any other university in in the country.”

Meanwhile, the zonal and Anambra state Chairman, Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, Chief Ignatius Achilike said the Vice Chancellor, Prof Esimone is a safety person who has actively participated in safety matters especial when he was the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

“We conferred the award on him because he has contributed a lot to the institute and other areas of the institute and Anambra state in particular hence, we deemed it fit to appreciate him and honor him with the highest award we can give to him. That is Fellow of the Institute of Professionals of Nigeria” he said.