Worried by the mind bugging financial mismanagement and treasury looting current going on in the country, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) will soon embark on a reorientation programme for members.The planned programme experts say is apt as ICAN members are the nation’s financial gatekeepers in both private and public concerns. Mallam Tijjani Musa Isa who let this out in his acceptance speech at the Investiture ceremony as the 58th ICAN president held Tuesday in Lagos stressed that now more than ever, the Accountancy Profession needs men and women of courage, goodwill and proven integrity to drive economic growth in the country.
“There is no doubt that, today, more than ever before, the Accountancy Profession, as a body of gatekeepers, needs men and women of courage, goodwill and proven integrity, to drive the renaissance of our value system and counter society’s scathing criticisms.
“We must take on the gauntlet to redefine our values and defend the public interest. This is the surest way to redeem the profession’s credibility, rebuild its image and chart a course that will guarantee the prosperity of the Nigerian nation and indeed, the human race”Tinjani stressed.
According to him, “as we strive to hold leaders at all levels to account, we will also scrupulously enforce compliance to our Professional Code of Ethics and sanction all proven cases of misdemeanour by members without fear or favour. During the year, the Council will continue to give adequate publicity to the judgments of the Accountants’ Disciplinary Tribunal in order to assure the public that appropriate actions are being taken by the Institute on unethical practices by its members that are brought to its notice. He pleaded With members and other stakeholders to report erring colleagues, adding that the task of ridding the profession of any bad egg, and preserving ICAN hard-earned image, is a collective responsibility.
Tijjani posits Tha Nigeria’s as a nation, is painfully at a cross-road and at a point where the economic development race must be addressed, particularly, the paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty. “Given the nation’s huge natural and human resource endowments, this is clearly an aberration. The anger of the hungry and the sense of insecurity of the helpless and vulnerable must be addressed for this narrative to change, for the sake of all of us.” This is especially imperative as the nation stands at the threshold of a new political administration. We will continue to insist on the ideals that would enable the prosperous economy that we all desire.
” As professionals skilled in resource management, we must confront these inexplicable, inexcusable and unacceptable misery indices accentuated by high rate of unemployment, poor access of the citizenry to the basic things of life, high illiteracy rate, huge number of out-of-school children, low life expectancy rate and high rate of girl-child marriages, if we are desirous of making any appreciable progress in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals by year 2030″, he strongly posited. He stressed that though these challenges are not new, but for too long, public expenditure and service have been driven by narrow personal gains rather than the common good, adding that for too long, the nation has celebrated wealth without recourse to source. “For too long, we have placed the cart before the horse in our developmental agenda. We must collectively right the wrong of our ages past. And also avoid policy summersaults.
” Accordingly, as a professional body, we will partner with the government to redefine national values, economic priorities and resource utilization strategies such that the mass of the citizenry can be lifted out of avoidable poverty. We will leverage our professional expertise to support stakeholders in the informal sector, whose unsung value-creating activities will define the position of the nation on the ladder of sustainable development. Above all, leadership at all levels must and will be held to account. Without accountability, development will remain a pipe dream”, Tijjani stated.
Earlier in her handover speech, Mrs Comfort Olu Eyitayo, 57th President, ICAN expressed confidence that the new President will no doubt, take the institute to new heights.
Recounting the institute’s achievement during her tenure, Eyitayo disclosed that ICAN established Practical Entrepreneurship Initiative and built from the scratch, the ICAN Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC).
“We have graduated two streams of participants from the Centre. In addition, we enjoy collaborations of the Bank of Industry in establishing the ICAN-BOI Innovation Plus Hub and First Bank of Nigeria Limited on the Enterprise offerings at the EDC,” she stressed
