CASSON bill granted full assent at last

The long-awaited Counselling Association of Nigeria (CASSON)’s bill has finally been assented to by the presidency to operate as the Counselling Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria after 26 years of obtaining its certificate of registration.

Disclosing this was the national president of the association, Professor (Mrs) Elizabeth Omotunde Egbochuku in press statement she signed and made available to Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday, by the national general secretary Professor Emmanuel Awoyemi.

According to helmswoman of CASSON, the Bill, which was first read on the floor of the Senate on the March 1, 2018 was assented to by the President Muhammadu Buhari  on June  27, 2022, which makes it 26 years after the association had got its certificate of registration on April 22, 1996.

She said that with the establishment and the passage of the bill, CASSON can now operate as a full-fledged Counselling  Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria’ and the development has also put it in a position to offer much more service to the nation.

She acknowledged that the move was in line with the association’s dream to establish council for the conduct of qualifying examinations, regulating the counselling profession, and determining standard of knowledge and skill required of persons seeking to become members of the counselling profession in Nigeria.

While speaking about the unique role of counselling to the education system and national development, she noted that counselling is a practice that seeks to improve psychological wellbeing and mental health of the contemporary society.

“A professional counsellor is a highly trained individual who is able to use different range of counselling approach with their clients to resolve personal, social, or psychological issues. They are trained to counsel clients in trauma and abuse, addictions, family, and relationship issues, problems and many more,” she said.

Egbochuku hinted that in a bid to upgrade its standard, the association, founded on the November 15, 1975 had on March 14, 2019, gone back to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to update its certificate of registration, while the trustees previously registered on the April 22 1996 by special resolution,  had reconstituted its Board of Trustees.

She listed the members to include Professors Frank Carew, Ayo Hammed, Mohammed Ibrahim Yakassai, Bulama Kagu, Olaniyi Bojuwoye, Daniel Denga, Ibrahim Kolo, Elizabeth O. Egbochuku, Roibito Ekanem and Dr (Mrs) Pat Nwamuo.

Meanwhile, the following members according to her were duly appointed in the early days of the association trustees namely Professors Olu Makinde, C.G.M. Bakare, M.P Mallum, Frank Carew and Dr (Mrs) C.C Achebe.

She noted that “CASSON is structured into icons, fellows, associate fellows, associate members, honorary members, full-time members, and student membership who possesses the necessary requirements as stipulated in the association’s constitution, while its membership cuts across all the states of the federation with 37 chapters.

“The association also has a board of trustees, grand patrons and other patrons that help to shape and guide the affairs of the association.”

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