New BETECOSA Chair Targets Members’ Welfare

A new leadership has emerged for the Lagos Chapter of the Benin Technical College Old Students Association, BETECOSA, with the inauguration of Sir Ralph Jakpor Karieren as chairman.

Karieren, who will lead the association for the next two years, said his administration would prioritise three key policy initiatives: group life insurance, health insurance and a cooperative scheme as a “raft” to support members, particularly the older generation.

He explained that with the current age range of members spanning 50 years and above, the association requires a structured welfare support to navigate life’s challenges.

According to him, under the proposed group life insurance policy, families of deceased members would receive a minimum of N1.5 million as benefit.

“The second initiative is the HMO to ensure members have access to medical attention nationwide even at their lowest financial moments, while the third is the cooperative, which will provide access to pooled funds for members engaged in small businesses,” he said.

He added that the cooperative scheme would enable members who contribute regularly to access financial support, with provisions for guarantors, stressing that contributions would determine borrowing capacity.

Karieren further disclosed that the administration would implement these welfare programmes before embarking on an aggressive membership drive targeted at younger alumni while emphasizing the need for alumni to remain connected to their alma mater.

“For the younger ones, they will benefit from access to pooled funds and also from the collective experience and contacts of older members. What took us 10 years to achieve, they can achieve in less time,” he said.

Earlier, the outgoing BETECOSA chairman, Dr. Festus Omorusi, described the event as a new beginning for the association, expressing confidence in the incoming leadership to build on existing achievements.

Members at the event unanimously expressed optimism that the new leadership would consolidate on past achievements while expanding welfare programmes and boosting membership across Lagos and beyond.