Dike Onwuamaeze
The newly elected Chairman of the Port Harcourt branch of the Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria (CIoD), Dr. Chamberlain S. Peterside, has declared that his tenure in office would be characterised by increasing the visibility of CIoD, widening its membership and mentoring the next generation of corporate leaders.
Peterside made this declaration on Thursday in Port Harcourt during his investiture as the 5th chairman of the executive committee of the Port Harcourt branch of the CIoD Nigeria.
He said, “I am proud to accept this leadership role and the challenges that come with it.
“I am committed to promoting the values and principles that the institute holds dear, both in our region and across the country.
“During my tenure, my team and I will work together to rally our existing members and attract new ones to expand our activities.
“A special focus will be on attracting members from senior civil and public service ranks who wish to embrace good governance principles in the public sector.”
According to him, “our focus during my service will be encapsulated by the acronym VMM: Visibility, Membership, and Mentorship.
“We aim to increase the institute’s visibility in the region, expand its presence, and promote the vision and philosophy of the national body.
“We will mentor and groom the next generation of corporate leaders from among younger professionals.”
He added that another “key objectives of my administration will be to elevate the status of our institute in the zone by developing a distinguished CIoD House in Port Harcourt that will enhance our current operational infrastructure.
“A state-of-the-art CIoD House in Port Harcourt will not only serve as our administrative hub but also become a repository of corporate knowledge and the focal point for our activities.
“It will be an edifice we can all take pride in, capable of hosting corporate events and welcoming our members and the public to enjoy its modern facilities.”
In his remarks during the ceremony, the President/Chairman of Governing Council of CIoD Nigeria, Mr. Adetunji Oyebanji, said that the investiture ceremony is more than the inauguration of a new executive committee because it marked “a renewed commitment to strengthening our branch, advancing sound corporate governance, and promoting ethical and effective leadership in Rivers State and across Nigeria.”
Oyebanji said that the Port Harcourt’s branch occupied a strategic position within our institute because as one of Nigeria’s foremost commercial, industrial and energy hubs, it possessed tremendous potential to advance good governance, influence business leadership and expand the reach of our Institute throughout the South-south region.
Delivering the keynote speech titled, ‘Visionary Leadership, Sound Corporate Governance and Ethical Stewardship: Imperative for Sustainable Economic Growth in a Dynamic Environment’ during the ceremony, the Guest Speaker, Mr. George Etomi, said that sustainable economic growth could not be achieved through economic policy alone.
Etomi said, “It requires visionary leadership that is capable of anticipating change, sound corporate governance that promotes accountability and effective oversight, and ethical stewardship that builds trust and ensures the responsible management of resources.”