From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
The Chartered Institute of Banks of Nigeria (CIBN) has inaugurated its pioneer executive in Ebonyi State.
The inauguration took place Saturday at the Ebonyi State University Micro Finance Bank, CAS Campus, Abakaliki.
Daily Sun learned that the inauguration of the Ebonyi chapter of the association came nearly 25 years after the creation of the state and 45 years after the incorporation of the body.
The institute is the umbrella professional body of bankers in Nigeria.
Inaugurating the Ebonyi chapter chaired by Dr Livinus Okpara Onu, the President/Chairman of the council, Mr Bayo Olugbemi, charged the new exco to ensure the expansion and strengthening of the body in the state.
Olugbemi while congratulating the first Ebonyi Executive of the body, promised to give them the necessary support and solidarity to deliver on their mandate.
In his speech, the Chairman of the Ebonyi chapter of CIBN, Dr Livinus Okpara Onu, thanked the institute for giving him the platform to serve, and his colleagues for founding him worthy to be their leader in the state.
Onu who qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (FCIB) in 2014 described his election as a call to serve, promising to serve with the best of his ability.
He called on the staff of all the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in the state to be committed members of the institute so as to become professional bankers.
He promised to double his efforts to secure linkage programmes with all the tertiary institutions in the state, adding that his team had already secured the approval of the Vice-Chancellor of Ebonyi State University, Prof Chigozie Ogbu, to start the programme in the school.
‘The branch is already strategizing on how best to rekindle our members’ interest and attract new ones. In this direction, we are anchoring this on the institute’s already existing strategic relationships with Access Bank to reach out to others,’ he said.
