Olakunle Olafioye
Nigeria’s first professor of capital market and head, Banking and Finance Department, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Professor Uche Uwaleke has emerged the new chairman of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Abuja.
Uwaleke’s emergence followed a successful election held on Thursday April 4 inside the CBN Auditorium.
In his acceptance speech, Prof Uwaleke promised to continue the good works started by his predecessor and take the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Abuja to greater heights. In particular, he pledged to sustain and grow the Bankers Quarterly forum as well as the Bankers’ Dinner and Award Ceremonies, both flagship activities of the Abuja branch.
He also promised to accord priority to the organization of workshops including international conferences aimed at knowledge sharing and bringing members up to speed with developments in the financial world.
Prof Uwaleke, who was unanimously elected, promised to leverage his long years of teaching and research in top Universities in Nigeria to grow the membership of the Institute and to work with the national body to ensure that CIBN members take their right of place in the relevant sectors of the country’s economy.
Sunday Sun gathered that Uwaleke’s election made it the first time since the inception of the branch that the chairmanship position would be taken by someone outside the Central Bank.
Speaking after the elections, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Mr. Aluko said the unanimous choice of Prof Uwaleke, a member of the academia, is eloquent testimony of the confidence CIBN members reposed in him and urged him not to let the institute down.
Prof Uwaleke took over from Mr. Tony Ifechikwu who recently retired as a director with CBN.
Other elected executive members of the institute are:
Ist Vice Chairman, Oballum Chikelu; 2nd Vice Chairman, Aisha Isa-Olatinwo; General Secretary, Aina Egbetooki Hannah; 1st Asst Secretary, Emmanuel Mogbolu and 2nd Asst Secretary, Binta Ibrahim.
Others are Financial Secretary, Salamatu Yusuf; Treasurer, Faniyi Emmanuel; Auditor Adewumi Olusola and Social/Publicity Secretary, Olaomi Aanuoluwapo.