Iwuagwu-Led ISPON Faction Withdraws from Reconciliation Process
The Engr. Timothy Iwuagwu-led Governing Board of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON) has withdrawn from the reconciliation and unification process being spearheaded by the House of Representatives Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations.
The withdrawal is contained in a letter signed by the factional ISPON Registrar, Dr (Mrs) Esther Williams and addressed to the Chairman of the House Committee.
In the letter dated June 21, 2024, and obtained by HSENations, the group explained the rationale for its decision to immediately discontinue further participation in the mediation process and withdraw the representation of its representatives: Dr Nnamdi Ilodiuba, Dr (Mrs) Esther Williams, Pharm. Bello Idris and Mr. Yinka Fasusi.
In a telephone chat with this reporter on Saturday, June 29, Engr. Iwuagwu confirmed the authenticity of the letter.
Recall that this newspaper earlier reported that the three ISPON factions led by Iwuagwu, Mr. Ebi Kaizer and Mr. Evaristus Uzamere resolved to toe the path of peace in a communique released after a series of meetings with the House Committee on May 6 and 7, 2024.
The warring parties had also resolved to discontinue all pending court cases as well as form a Transition/Caretaker Committee to merge the membership of all factions, develop election guidelines, call for an Annual General Meeting (AGM), and conduct elections into the offices of the President, Deputy President and 10 Members of the Governing Board as prescribed by the ISPON Act 2014.
The AGM was billed to be held in the 3rd week of October 2024 in Abuja.
In its letter, the Iwuagwu-led group said it felt compelled to withdraw from the peace process due to the perceived partiality of the House Committee.
According to the letter, the House Committee which should be the umpire in the process has “unilaterally adopted procedures and taken decisions which contradict the provisions of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria Act 2014, and this is unacceptable by any means”.
The Iwuagwu group accused the House Committee of officially factionalising the institute contrary to the provisions of the ISPON Act but did not state any specific provision of the act that was violated.
“Consequently, our withdrawal from the process is consistent with the saying ‘if the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ ISPON is handicapped because we cannot be part of a process that destroys the foundation of the institute, hence, the need to pull out from the process.
“Just for emphasis, a faction is an organised group of people within a larger group, which opposes some of the ideas of the larger group and fights for its own ideas. The decision of the House Committee, knowingly and purposely to inexplicably address everybody, except the House Committee itself, as a faction of ISPON so as to accommodate the myriads of legal infractions of expelled former members is alarming.
“This is mostly probably to smear and rubbish the lawful administrative authority of ISPON,” the letter read in part.
The group said this was at variance with the procedures outlined by the House Committee Chairman during a meeting with Engr. Iwuagwu as ISPON president on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, following an invitation letter dated March 1, 2024.
“The House Committee did, in fact, set aside the judgements of law courts and went silent about the refusal by the expelled members to comply with the Committee’s directive for the withdrawal of all pending cases,
“Except proven otherwise, the ISPON Governing Board is of the right opinion that all these observations are confirmations and reminders that one of the purported board members of the faction is a member of the 10th House of Representatives and a member of the House Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations, who is undoubtedly using his office to influence the process in favour of his own group,” the letter further read.
The Iwuagwu group said its withdrawal from the mediation process has also been communicated to the Chairman of the CTC, Hon. (Barr) Harrison Nwadike on June 21.
More details coming…..
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By John Ogunsemore
