Trying times for WAII as Ikupolati bows out

West African Insurance Institute (WAII), 35-year-old sub-regional insurance education centre located in Gambia, is passing through trying times not necessarily due to funding, but one that would determine its sustainability and subsequent survival.

An institution that has taken many years to build to the extent of international stardom is feared could lose its position as anchor board for human capital development in insurance sector for the West African regional market should key actors allow politics to derail its several years of achievements.

This political game, BusinessDay learnt, may also have led to the forceful resignation of Mike Ikupolati, a professor and the director general of the Institute, during whose tenure the school to came into limelight.

In the recent times, the school has been awash with allegations of sexual intimidation of teachers, students and financial impropriety against Mike Ikupolati, which many say was orchestrated by some elements in the Banjul based regional Institute who want him out in order to take his position.

The allegations said to mere boardroom politics targeting at an official in the chambers of 35-year-old West Africa Insurance Institute (WAII), is already have negative impact on stability of the school. So, the school that was supposed to resume a new academic session since September 2013 has to postpone resumption to the first quarter of 2014 to as the council was presently struggling to put necessary structures in place following Ikupolati’s exit.

 Although, Ikupolati was compelled to stay back by the Governing Council after the expiration of his third term pending when a successor is engaged, the professor is said to no longer be comfortable and had to excuse himself from the job.

While the Council investigations to unravel these claims was said to have found nothing wanting against him based on the allegations, it was noted that the Nigerian born expatriate was rather putting his personal funds into the running of the institute besides using his international network to raise funds for the school.

 Rotimi Fashola, the WAII’s Insurance Foundation course coordinator in Nigeria and deputy managing director, Industrial & General Insurance plc (IGI) described Ikupolati as a fantastic officer who almost gave his entire life for the institute. He said the WAII boss’s sterling leadership qualities and network actually came to bear in the life of the institute.

“He is a fantastic officer. I’m sure he almost gave his entire life for the institute. He did very well because when chips were down he gave everything; he brought in international organisations to support the institute,” Fashola acknowledged.

 “To me I would tell you without mincing words that the Prof is on the intellectual side and people like that have no time for mundane and stupid things. We heard of all these allegations, we demanded for report and up till now nobody has been able to produce a report of indictment or stand as witness to testify against him. To me it was orchestrated,” Fashola noted.

A Nigerian staff of WAII who prefers anonymity said the institute has not been having adequate funding and that even when some money eventually comes in, there was a backlog of expenses awaiting it, explaining further that there has been no such thing as mismanagement of the institute’s funds by Ikupolati as being alleged.