Filled with utmost gratitude to God for sparing their lives to meet again at a designated location after 33 long years of graduating from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), members of the UNN Pharmacy Alumni Class ’86, inaugurated the annual summit of the class recently, to foster veritable collaboration among members.
The maiden summit of the association, held at the Eyo Hall of the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos, on 20 December, 2019, featured interesting activities such as reunion of class members, formation of committees, election of national executives, guest presentations, and a massive turnout of members within and outside the shores of Nigeria, totally 26 members in all.
In a communique jointly signed by Pharm. (Dr) Raymond Okechukwu, secretary and Sir Kennedy Izunwa, chairman, 2019 summit planning committee, the purpose for the establishment of the group was stated as the culmination of the collective will and commitment of the members of the UNN Pharmacy Class ’86 globally, to maintain veritable collaborative association among members as well as to promote relationship with other philanthropic organisations towards societal development.
In his explanation for the formation of the alumni association, Pharm. Barnabas Ahiligwo, said it was necessitated to foster a systematic and formal forum for continued interaction and support for the welfare of one another while they are still alive and not necessarily at death. “We need to have Class reunion, 33 years post-graduation for the Faculty of Pharmacy in the University of Nigeria Nsukka. It was also necessary to brainstorm and chart way forward for the Class alumni”, he stated.
Prior to the plenary sessions for discussions on critical issues regarding members’ welfare and practices, members were given the privilege to join any committee of their choice, with appointed leaders to coordinate affairs of each committee. Pharm. Jude Udoye, was appointed as chairman of 2020 Class Reunion / Summit; Pharm. Cletus Ibe, chairman, Welfare Committee; Business Scheme Committee, Chairman, Pharm. Kennedy Izunwa; Home Coming to UNN Faculty of Pharmacy Committee, Chairman, Pharm. (Dr) Raymond Okechukwu; and Governance &Leadership, Chairman, was Pharm. Ngozi Obikili.
To enhance proper coordination of the alumni association, one of the major events of the maiden summit of the group was the election of officers into the National Executive Committee of the UNN Pharmacy Class ’86. After the election exercise, the following emerged as members of the National Executive Committee of the UNN Pharmacy Class ’86. Pharm. Victor Okwuosa, president; Pharm. (Dr) Raymond Okechukwu, secretary; Pharm. Ikeri S, publicity secretary; Pharm. (Dr) Ifeyinwa Chijioke-Nwauche, financial secretary; Pharm. Eddy Igwuegbu, treasurer; and deputy presidents to be elected one from each geopolitical zone through the group social platform.
Very closely to this, a nine-man Board of Trustees was constituted including Pharm. Kennedy Izunwa; Pharm. Amaka Okoye; Pharm. Edosa Ogbeide; Pharm. Chigozie Oguine; Pharm. Barnabas Aghiligwo; Pharm. Ernest Udensi; Pharm. Patrick Osele; Pharm. Mathias Igwe; and Pharm. John Oppah, to pilot the affairs of the group for the next three years.
Expressing his appreciation on behalf of his executives, the newly appointed president, Okwuosa thanked the general assembly for the honour of calling the new executives to serve and pledged to move the alumni association to expected greater heights.
Intimating the group on the outcome of the 2020 Class Reunion/Summit Committee deliberations, Udoye, presented a five-year rotational class reunion proposal, starting with the 2020 summit holding in the Southeast at Owerri; 2021 summit to hold at Port Harcourt; 2022 at Enugu; 2023in Abuja; and 2024 programme to be held at California, USA during summer. While the proposed rotational summit date was fixed between 15 – 20 December.
He further reported that: “Summit should be funded through capitation fees by members and donations by philanthropic members, while product presenters during the summit should pay presentation fees to help fund the summit subsequent programmes. Support of accommodation for the less privileged members would be provided by philanthropic members of the class and/or other donors. Absenteeism from the annual summit without admissible apology would attract fine to defaulting member/s”.
For the Welfare Committee report, as presented by Ibe, their deliberations were centred on registration of members, condolences purse, members’ insurance policy, and other financial commitments of members.
Upon his presentation, he said the general assembly has agreed on the following: “that members shall pay registration fee of N50, 000; condolence purse of N100, 000, shall be paid to the family of deceased member in good standing; Condolence purse of N50,000, shall be given to a member on the demise of any of his/her parents.
“The class also adopted Group Life Insurance Scheme for the benefit of members. Further details to be worked out by the Welfare group with the AIICO group on the premium applicable to two regimes of sum-assured of two million naira and five million naira respectively. Each member would pay annual subscription fee of twenty thousand Naira (N20,000) towards this group life insurance policy”, he stated.
The Chairman of the Governance / Leadership Committee, Obikili, highlighted the issues raised at their plenary, stating that the alumni association would be formerly registered as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) with the Nigeria Corporate Affairs Commission, (CAC), while members were tasked on suggestion of the best name for the association.
From the presentation of the Business Scheme Committee, the chairman, Izunwa said the summit has agreed that: “A Cooperative Society for the Class Association shall be set up for wholesale trade on Pharmaceuticals in Nigeria and across the globe. Members should contribute by buying shares to fund this proposal while our members already in wholesale business would provide technical guidance.
”The Class Association could also explore and key into the Nigeria Central Wholesale Centres in the Pharmaceutical sector. Pharm Kennedy Izunwa and Pharm. Victor Okwuosa were asked to leverage their interface with this project in Lagos and Anambra States to key our Class Association into the scheme”, he said.
In rounding off the summit, members were lavishly treated with sumptuous meals from a buffet, Wazobia Happy Hour at the Poolside, assorted drinks and a live band booming with ever –green country-side music.
