An erudite accountant and a Director of Finance and Administration (DFA) in the Delta State Civil Service, Mrs. Tosan Erikpara, yesterday emerged as the Coordinator of the Professional Women Accountants in Nigeria (PROWAN), Asaba Chapter.
Her election was part of activities lined up for the first Annual General Meeting (AGM) of PROWAN Asaba Chapter, held at Prof. Chike Edozien Secretariat, Asaba. The peaceful and well organized proceedings allowed Erikpara to metamorphose from head of the steering committee to the leadership of a new Exco to run the affairs of PROWAN Asaba Chapter.
Erikpara had stepped in after the elevation of Mrs. Victoria Omamerhi-Chukuwurah to National Rep of PROWAN in Delta State. Having been returned elected by the teeming number of PROWAN members in attendance at the AGM, the new Erikpara-led Exco was inaugurated by the PROWAN National Rep, Mrs. Victoria Omamerhi-Chukwurah who is the current Chairman of ANAN, Asaba Branch.
An elated Erikpara said after her inauguration that “I am deeply honoured by the confidence reposed in me and the new Exco. With your support and cooperation, we shall achieve more.” A guest at the AGM, Chairman of Delta State Forum of Accountants, Mr. Charles Isiayei described Erikpara as a “crowd puller, mobiliser and a popular and charismatic figure due to her rare qualities”, while he declared that they are behind Erikpara in ensuring that she continues to succeed in leadership.
Accompanying the Chairman of Delta State Forum of Accountants was the Forum’s PRO, Mr. Omovo Charles Bonaventure, a Chartered National Accountant, who wished Erikpara a successful tenure, while advising on ways to achieve better financial results ahead of their second AGM, which includes greater professionalism and enhanced collaboration with stakeholders in and out of the accounting profession.
The occasion was given added colour by the presence of Delta State Commissioner for Primary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibuogwu who as a chartered accountant himself, provided useful advice to all present on how to succeed as accountants, describing accounting as the most professional career in the world, as well as the oldest profession known to mankind.
During the AGM, Erikpara presented a “Report on Stewardship from September 2023 to August 2024”, outlining the goals of PROWAN Asaba as follows: membership drive aimed at increasing awareness amongst Female ANAN Members and encouraging them to take active participation in PROWAN activities, creating awareness amongst members of the public about the existence of PROWAN via our activities, building self-confidence/professionalism amongst our members via our programs/activities, projecting ANAN in Delta State via our programmes/activities as well as collaborating with members of other professional women associations.
Others were “courtesy visits to heads of ministries/parastatals to enlighten them about the need to train our members and to drum up support for our activities, supporting each other when the need arises via attendance at burials, marriages and other social events, active participation at ANAN activities (National/State) and active participation at National PROWAN activities
She said that “from an average of 23 members in attendance at meeting in 2023, we now have over 80 members in our monthly meetings which is quite laudable.” Challenges include lack of funds, membership apathy. The Chapter’s activities are solely funded by members and the continuous calls for donations can discourage some women from active participation. Lack of funds also serves as a stress factor on the EXCO members who have to organize these activities
“Asaba Chapter has over 300 female ANAN members, in our drive for membership, we discovered that most ANAN members do not participate actively in activities because they feel ANAN has not done enough to correct the impression that we are inferior, viz a viz the fact that ICAN members are placed on level 10 and ANAN members on GL 9 in the public service. It will take continuous hardwork on the part of EXCO and members to ensure that all our members become active participants. “Asaba Chapter has done very well and has grown attendance at meetings from 12-15 in first quarter of 2022 to 68 members, and this is very encouraging.
Erikpara said that the “CLEAN NIGERIA AWARENESS PROJECT” is a pet project of PROWAN Nigeria and it was carried out simultaneously in all states of the Federation by PROWAN Members on the 24th of November, 2023. PROWAN Asaba cleaned up the Anwai Market to the joy of the traders. We also took out time to educate the traders on the value of cleanliness. Afterwards we distributed brooms, dustpans, bin bags and educative fliers to the traders who promised to continue keeping the environment clean.
On the MCPD, she said “PROWAN Asaba was well represented at the PH MCPD. Over 40 members attended the programme. This was an improvement in attendance over the MCPD held in Benin in 2023. The large turnout of PROWAN Asaba members can be attributed to the advocacy on training carried out by exco. The Tour Group is a brain child of the PROWAN Asaba EXCO, it enables members contribute in installments towards travel expenses for MCPD. With this arrangement, mode of transportation and hotel accomodation is also taken care of, thus removing the stress of making the arrangement from members, with the tour group, women are willing to participate in events and we hope to spread the initiative to other branches of PROWAN and eventually to ANAN.”
In the financial report, 2023-2024 PROWAN Year, PROWAN’s national dues was N250,000.00, registration fee- N8,000.00, totaling N258.000.00. The above sum has been remitted to the national body.
On state dues, from September 2023-August 2024, a total of N220,900 was collected as dues and expended as follows: Income expenditure- N220,900.00, December debit from end of the year party- N136,600.00, February banner for PROWAN Walk for Life- N15,000.00, February Award- N20,000.00, entertainment for International Women’s Day (PROWAN women) malt and biscuits- N31,000.00, Procurement of banner for Int’l Women’s day- 18, 000.00, procurement of Secretariat items, including letter-headed papers (N22,500.00), June award (N20,000.00), July procurement (N12,000.00), gifts for two retirees (N24,000.00), banner for AGM. (N33,000.00), Roll up banner (N58,000.00), preparation of report/secretariat expense (N18,000.00), medal (N5,000.00), decoration (N50,000.00), D.J. (N20,000.00), Augmentation of food/drinks (N40,000.00), sweets, chewing gum, groundnut, disposable cups, serviette, etc. (N20,000.00), publicity for 2023/24 programmes inclusive of the A.G.M. (end of year party/year’s end thanksgiving, courtesy visits (N135,000.00). The grand total was N457,500.00
