The Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW), the umbrella body of social workers across the country has appealed to the National Assembly to send back the “The Nigerian Council for Social Work Establishment Bill 2017” to President Muhammad Buhari for his assent.
NASoW national president, Alhaji Mashood Mustapha, made the appeal in his message during the celebration of the International Social Work Day, with the theme, “Promoting Importance of Human Relationships” held across the country last Tuesday.
Mustapha, in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital by the national public relations officer (PRO), of the association, Mr. Musliudeen Adebayo, appealed to members of the National Assembly to “please send back the Nigerian Council For Social Work Bill to President Muhammad Buhari for his assent since the needful has been done.”
He insisted, “The bill when assented to, would promote competence and integrity in social work practice in the country.”
It would be recalled that Social Work regulatory bill titled “A Bill For An Act to Establish the Nigerian Council for Social Work to Regulate the Practice of Professional Social Work in Nigeria and for other Related Matters”, was passed by the House of Representatives in 2016 and transmitted to the Senate, thereafter passed in 2017 by the Senate.
Mustapha said, “Today is the World Social Work Day. I thank you all for keeping hope alive. The theme for this year is ‘Promoting the importance of Human Relationships’.”
“It cannot come at a better time than now in our quest to provide the greater good to the greater number through our established methods and institutionalised roles. This dynamic interaction of emotion and attitude is the soul of our casework, a core value that is based on love, empathy, trust, endurance, dedication, commitment, and honesty. Good human relationships enhance creativity and good health, knowing fully well that the best thing to hold onto in life is each other.
“The Nigeria Association of Social Workers has openly demonstrated this, we have shown our readiness to work with others, at the same time, we have also made it abundantly clear without any ambiguity that the supremacy of NASOW is not negotiable.
“On this, we are appealing to the conscience of all private social work institutes and organizations and their agents provocateurs in NASOW to exercise restraint in the interest of what is good and noble, and in the interest of good human relationships in order not to put social work profession into disrespect and disrepute.
“They should allow their super-ego to control the pleasurable, exploitative, and materialistic instincts of id. Our profession is greater than individuals.”
Sourcehttps://www.independent.ng/nigerian-social-workers-appeal-to-nass-buhari-over-passage-of-bill/
