ISPON Lagos new Officers with President, Registrar and some Governing Board Members in photo
That Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, ISPON, has united is no more news. The news is that, it is doing all within its capability not to return to the era of inertia and the most potent way as agreed at the Abuja unification conference is to organize an all–embracing elections at all the States Branch. This kick-started at the Abuja summit when all warring parties collapsed their erstwhile boards and a new Governing Board was constituted that accommodated members from all former diverse interests.
New executive officers of Edo ISPON Branch
This exercise has trickled down to the State Branches which has commenced with Branch elections. States like Edo, Delta, Oyo and Bayelsa are said to have had quite inspiring transitional elections. The latest on the list is Lagos state which also aligned with the precedence set with the fore-runners.
However, in most elections, everyone cannot be satisfied as SSWatch learnt that there were suspicions of election before election, yet everyone exhibited a quantum of maturity for the Branch to produce its leaders in the new ISPON march.
Newly elected ISPON Bayelsa state Branch Executives with President and some G/Board members
The Lagos ISPON auditorium became diminished with turn-out of financial members who keyed in to clear their backlog of financial indebtedness because the Institute was in limbo to the extent the Branch Chairman, Mr. Olusola Ogunleye could not pretend about his excitement on the new financial status of the Branch. Commenting on the turn out, he observed that the last time ISPON Lagos recorded a similar turnout was in 2016 and the very meeting that broke the camel’s back in the Branch and ironically, the members have come back in the old spirit of genuine ISPON Lagos Branch spirit.
The Electioneering Committee arrow head, Barr. Harold Echendu assured the Branch of a free and transparent exercise even as he implored those who lose to embrace their opponent saying that loosing may be a stepping stone to winning at the next dispensation which is just 24 months away just as he implored all for good conduct.
Congratulating the newly elected officers, President of ISPON, Chief Stephen Udezi, urged members to cooperate with the new Team which returned Mr. Ogunleye as Chairman to lift the Branch vis-à-vis the Institute higher as well as to speed up to regain lost glory as he wished them well.
However, a twist of event occurred when over three quarter of members were done and gone with mainly GB Members including the President, Chief Udezi and Branch Officers and a few members in the Branch who used the opportunity to engage the President who apparently is not Lagos based on one-on-one.
Arrest attempt on ISPON President, Udezi
SSWatch gathered that as soon as they were done and he was about to leave around 07:00 P.M, a one-time Chairman of the Branch said to be presently parading himself as President, Engr. Timothy Iwuagwu, stormed the venue to the excitement of most members who thought he came in peace but seconds after, a hoard of policemen joined him with the intent of arresting the President demanding that he was needed at the Alausa Police Command by the DPO for questioning. Members on ground insisted on seeing their arrest warrant but they could not produce any or any other proof of their right to carry out the arrest hence they resisted it.
Some Members engaging Engr. Iwuagwu
Based on this, members ordered the closure of the premises so that no one comes in or leaves as some members lashed out at Engr. Iwuagwu, who became calm and took refuge in the white colour old Toyota hummer bus, that conveyed him and the Policemen to the venue. Members also suspect that the bus is ISPON bus which he is said to have hijacked since the crisis. They queried him of his interest in Lagos branch since some States have had their elections hitch free without his interference.
MCPoSA also gathered that the bus has been stationed outside the gate with the policemen for over two hours apparently waiting for when it will be convenient to pick their victims as members allege.
As this engendered huge commotion, some members close to the Police Force in the State reached out to their contacts. According to Ogunleye, who was re-elected as Branch Chairman, after reaching out to superior Police officers who also spoke with the leader of the Police team advising them to follow appropriate procedures that portrays professionalism to achieve their aim, Engr. Iwuagwu and the Officers were compelled to leave but found the gate locked, rather than wait for the security of Nigerian Educational Research Development Centre, NERDC, venue of the melodrama, they broke the gate and made their exit slapping those who dared them.
The registrar of ISPON, Mr. Ben Modebe told MCPoSA, that the ISPON crisis which began after its national conference in Awka, capital of Anambra state in 2016, was resolved by National Assembly Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations, in October 2024 at a unification conference held in Abuja.
Furthermore, the contacted superior police officers also advised the ISPON leadership to present himself to the designated Police station by Monday, being March 24, 2025.
Speaking exclusively to MCPoSA, Chief Udezi, said Engr. Iwuagwu is simply taking advantage of ISPON as an Institute committed to safety, professionalism, integrity and comprising of peace-loving members saying that Engr. Iwuagwu has over-stepped his bounds hence his excesses need to be curtailed.
He disclosed to MCPoSA that Iwuagwu is an impostor saying no one elected him as President in the history of ISPON challenging him to produce proof of his claim as well as venue of the election. This interference leaves one to wonder what has so soon happened to the Abuja re-union presided over by NASS Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations in October 2024 or is there anything the Institute is not telling the world.
