Our esteemed and diligent distinguished Professional members, intending members, and friends, we want to express our inestimable appreciation to you for giving us the honour and opportunity to serve you.
Wholeheartedly, it is our utmost pleasure and delight to address you our highly esteemed colleagues at this auspicious occasion of physical handover. June 30 was the tenure end of our immediate past President and his exco and the change of baton done. Although this sounds to be the ritualistic rhetoric but then it has its own meaning, change indeed is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain of the future.
We recognize and thank the members of the Election Steering Committee, especially the chairperson, Mrs. Mercy Omoifo Irefo. She is one woman with lioness heart. We also gratefully acknowledge all our past president, Mr. Ekans my Boss whom I served under as secretary/Treasurer, he is one man with open heart, always ready to discuss and rob minds with you on society growth and developmental ideas. Mr. Herbert Nwaka, the lion himself. Permit us to recognize the father of ASSP-NC Amb. FEK Nakpodia, we call him father because he is the brain behind the birth of Nigeria chapter. It will be absurd if we don’t recognize Mr. Daniel Osadiya, a great personality. To my our immediate past president Mr. Shehu Kabir, my brother, thank you for mentoring me throughout your tenure. A big thank you to all the exco members, Mr. Nnamdi Victor, Mr. Festus Orepo, Mr. James Coker and the Prince himself Engr. Green.
We approach today’s physical baton change as EXCO of American Society of Safety Professionals – Nigeria chapter with a sense of both humility and honor. It is important we remain grateful and celebrate the path we have traveled to get us here and thank all who were part of the journey.
A love of safety and learning, a longing for safety technology discovery, a commitment to pursuing truth and making the environment and workplace a better place are the underpinnings of a great American Society of Safety Professionals. We witness these in abundance here in ASSP. We have had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with several people. Warm, passionate, dedicated, hopeful, proud, pragmatic, imaginative, committed, supportive, enthusiastic and mission-focused people.
We shall be driven by deep commitment to reach greater heights, relentlessly pursue pedagogical excellence. Part of our focus shall be on development that meets the needs of our chapter and the society at large.
Standing before you today, we are confident that together, we will find ways to not only meet the high expectations we have for ourselves but exceed those our community and our world have for us. Because if not us, then who? Upgrading is not just the act of rebuilding. It is the process of reimagining, reinventing, and reinterpreting. With resilience and upgrade, we can weather the winds of change buffeting safety technology and the world at large and emerge smarter and stronger.
Our dear esteemed professional colleagues, we passionately request your all-round support, ASSP-Nigeria chapter is known as a one happy indivisible family with one major mission to research, educate, lead by example and make the workplace and environment a safe place.
May we remind you that safety technology sustainability is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Let us continue to dedicate ourselves to this noble and notable safety society in the interest of profession, In the coming days ahead, the Secretary shall roll out our program for the year 2022-23.
To conclude, Barack Obama once said ONE VOICE CAN CHANGE A ROOM, AND IF ONE VOICE CAN CHANGE A ROOM, THEN IT CAN CHANGE A CITY, AND IF IT CAN CHANGE A CITY, IT CAN CHANGE A STATE, AND IF IT CAN CHANGE A STATE, IT CAN CHANGE A NATION, AND IF IT CAN CHANGE A NATION, IT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. YOUR VOICE and safety practice will bring a change in Nigeria.
Thank you and God bless