Iyala Assumes Duty As C'River Health Insurance Agency DG
... Sets Ambitious Targets For Agency
By Ebi COLLINS
The Director General (DG) of Cross River State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Godwin Iyala, has assumed duty on a second stint in the Cross River government's quest to provide medical coverage for Cross Riverians and residents of the state.
Iyala, in the immediate past administration, was instrumental to the birth of the state health insurance scheme, and served as the Agency's inaugural Director General.
His return sparked jubilation staff, who recounted his sterling leadership qualities during his first stint in the helm of insurance affairs.
Addressing management and staff of the Agency on Wednesday, Dr Iyala siad: "My heart is filled with gratitude, first to God, the Governor and his wife for this great privilege."
The DG emphasised the critical role they play in the present administration's bid to entrench universal health coverage (UHC) in Cross River, enjoining team members to brace up and be at speed with the Governor Otu-led leadership, which prioritises the health and well-being of the citizenry.
"Anyone who dies as a result of any official negligence is a loss we cannot afford," he warned, underscoring the gravity of their mission.
Continuing, he told his team, "we must work well to enable God and man to reward us. The lives of Cross Riverians are in our hands. When you make someone happy, you become happier; when you make someone healthy, you become healthier."
Drawing inspiration from Rwanda's 95% success rate in the insurance ecosystem, the DG set an ambitious target to surpass the benchmark with Governor Otu's political will and the enabling environment provided for machineries of government to thrive.
He emphasised the importance of punctuality and urged all staff to arrive early to achieve their goal of universal health coverage.
The DG, who also addressed the Agency's hierarchical structure, noted that weekly reviews, evaluations, and continuous training and retraining would be the new normal for personnel of the Health Insurance Agency.
He tasked staff on punctuality and commitment to duty, and warned against untoward attitudes to work, as the leadership would not condone anything that is inimical to the success of health insurance in the state.
In her remarks, the incumbent Director of Administration and Human Resources, Mrs. Helen Bessong, welcomed the DG and his team to the Agency and congratulated them on their appointments, expressing confidence in the DG's capacity to surpass the modest achievements already recorded by the Health Insurance Agency.
The Director General assumed office with other members of his team, notably, the Director of Legal Affairs, Barr. Ekwakili Evogor, the new Director of Administration, Eld. Obono, and Director of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Dr. Joy Benson.
Earlier, after a prayer session, Rev. Fr. Bob Etta, in his admonition, inculcated in the Iyala-led team the need for unity of purpose, sense of responsibility and the overall commitment to actualising the mandate before them.
