ICAN backs Buhari’s anti-graft war
Speaking with State House correspondents after leading a delegation to President, its 51st President, Otumba Olufemi Samuel Deru said Buhari’s war is in line with ICAN’s professional integrity and accountability.
He led the delegation on courtesy visit to the president after ICAN marked its Goldeen Jubilee.
He said: “Government interest is our interest. We are into integrity and accountability. We have like minds. I’m so grateful to the President for giving us time to articulate our papers.
“ICAN is the voice of business. Accountability is our business and we uphold the tenets of transparency and we must be transparent in what we do.
“We also have the whistle blowing fund so that anybody who misbehaves and they want to penalise our members, we have N50 million set aside to fight such course so that our people can work and be transparent and be unbiased.”
Noting that not everybody that is called an accountant is a chartered accountant, he said chartered accountants are only 40,000 in number in Nigeria.
On his part, Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who is a chartered accountant, said what President Buhari has come up with in the last 100 days is about credibility and integrity for those in public offices.
He said: “Buhari has come up with moral leadership in the last 100 days and that is what is needed to fight corruption in the country.
“Nobody is judging anyone; what we have seen since May 29 is about strong leadership that had shown direction to all Nigerians; the mantra of such leadership that is being reflected by the president is what we are seeing in other states.
“Everybody is beginning to feel that they must obey the rule of law. All revenue agencies are now paying to a single account and that makes everyone to be accountable.”
Earlier, Governor Ambode had appealed to members of ICAN to support ongoing anti-corruption and re-orientation efforts of President Buhari.
Ambode spoke during the opening ceremony of the 45th Annual Conference of ICAN, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, yesterday.
He said the pivotal role played by accountants in the day-to-day running of government means that they must be above board in discharging their duties.
He said: “I once heard someone says “only accountants can save the world-through peace, goodwill and reconciliations. That tells me that the people who can save Nigeria are in this hall today. We must kick-start that process now by developing mechanisms that will make it compelling for members of the Institute to exhibit a high level of integrity wherever we find ourselves.”
According to him, as custodians and managers of financial resources, accountants must be above board and resist the temptation to compromise professional ethics and personal integrity.
He also tasked accountants in the country to commence the process of raising the bar of integrity through a pragmatic rebuilding of the nation’s value system so as to redefine the vision of the profession.
The governor recalled that since the establishment of ICAN in 1965, the Institute has lived up to the expectations and dreams of the founding fathers, which has berthed world class chartered accountants offering quality services at the top echelon of both the public and private sector organisations.
“From a mere 250 members to over 40,000 membership, the Institute has, no doubt, made a remarkable achievement that is worth celebrating. This is in addition to the continuous reforms in response to the evolving changes in the 21st century.
“Today’s celebration however, presents a golden opportunity for the present leadership to bequeath to the coming generation, legacies and landmarks that will be worthy of celebration in the next 50 years. That legacy, in my mind, can be found in our motto”Accuracy and Integrity,” he said.
Stressing that there is going to be synergy between Lagos and Federal Government now that they are of the same party, he said the last 100 days in Lagos State has been continuity with improvement.
On whether he is probing his predecessor, he said: “I have said it is continuity with improvement.”
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