Open Letter to the Acting President.

SAFETY FAMILY TORN APART – ROOM FOR ACCIDENTS


Dear Acting President

With due respect and humility, The Safety Advocacy & Empowerment Foundation (SAEF), a registered and Not for Profit Organisation established to promote and sustain an accident free environment (www.safetyadvocacy-ng.com) sincerely appreciate your esteemed office for providing our great nation with a purposeful leadership and excellent governance since the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari, May GOD Almighty provide him with sound health and long life and may HE continue to bless, protect and strenghten you Sir.

It is imperative to bring to your attention that the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria established by ISPON ACT 2014, published in the Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No 62 Vol 101 dated 20th of May 2014 and empowered to be a body to which the Government, public or private organisation can have recourse for advice, or assistance on any subject of concern or interest to safety of life and property (ISPON General Policy Guideline – C4) is presently enmeshed in unhealthy, unsafe and unprofessional leadership tussle which if not resolve immediately could lead to several untoward incidents that could have been prevented by a visionary and result oriented leadership as expected of us.

The word of Prof. Chinua Achebe of blessed memory “The damage done in one year can sometimes take ten or twenty years to repair” lingers in our mind as passionate safety professionals whenever we see our professional body that is meant to save lives and properties is now being factionalised with two Governing Boards that resulted from over seven different court cases, wastage of the institute funds and professional misconducts despite the planned intervention of the Department of Security Services and Association of Professional Body of Nigeria (APBN) to assist with the resolution. Our Leaders are beclouded by greed and lust for power.

Our leaders not minding what happens to the profession, vulnerable people and the Nigerians at large are involved in a selfish, egoistic and meaningless path of war with accusations and counter accusations on tenure elongation, financial fraud, financial misapproriation, sharing of Dollars account, lack of financial stewardship in all the branches especially Lagos State Branch where members rejected the embattled Chairman based on financial integrity, poor accountability and dictatorial leadership and was imposed by the controversial electoral committee chairman as the only Executive member since 7th of Ocober, 2016 and he has not called for any branch meeting but busy organising fraudulent trainings to raise money for himself and his partners to fight for power. (http://safetyrecordng.com/columns/01/controversial-safety-professionals-2016/)

With due respect and humility Sir, as Professionals, History teaches us that unity is strength and advises us to submerge and overcome our differences in the quest for common goals, to strive, with all our combined strength, for the path to professional accountability and purposeful leadership so as to achieve sustainable success. Furthermore, in one of your words on the marble sir, you stated that “What the government needs is accountability. Resources must be managed well”

Your Excellency, it is against this background that on behalf of all the passionate and dedicated safety professionals who are genuinely interested in promoting safety culture, preventing accidents and making Nigeria a safer place, we humbly plead with your esteemed office to:

1. Mandate the Minister of Labour and Employment to intervene in this leadership crises and position ISPON in the best position expected to perform her responsibilities in line with ISPON Act 2014 before the end of July, 2017.

2. Freeze all the bank accounts of ISPON, retrieve the past audited accounts (if any) and direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate all the financial dealings of the National and State Branches.

3. Prosecute all the leaders (both National and Branches) found culpable of any financial fraud, misappropriation, corrupt practices and other financial crimes.

We believe when ISPON is professionally positioned, industry specific standards and guidelines would be developed in collaboration with the relevant Government Agencies in line with the Act and this will not only sustain the just concluded profiling of Nigeria on the International Labour Organisation (ILO), it will also assist with the passage of OSH Bill, create more employment and reduce accidents in Nigeria.

May God endow all the leaders with the vision, realism, and unselfishness as well as courage and steadfastness in the course of truth, which the present circumstances demand.

Thank you Your Excellency for your anticipated speedy intervention.

Yours faithfully

Kadiri Shamusideen
National Coordinator

Dapo Omolade
Exec. Director – Programmes

Engr. Jamiu Badmos
Exec. Director – Strategies

SIGNED