The chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde has charged accountants and
auditors to shun corruption and take up the gauntlet in the fight against
corruption. Lamorde made this call at a national workshop on anti-corruption
organized by the Chartered Institute of Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, at Akwa, Anambra State.
Lamorde who was represented by Osita
Nwajah, acting deputy director, Public Affairs said corruption was the bane of Nigeria’s
development and that accountants and auditors should be the first line of
defence against corruption. He stated that if corruption must be exterminated,
all hands must be on deck to fight the social malaise. He lamented the
situation where Nigeria
is ranked high in the corruption perception index.
Nwajah also told the gathering that
their actions and reactions to commission of a crime, their ability or
inability to do a thorough check on the books of companies or offices could be
a clog in the fight against corruption. He challenged them to take ownership of
the fight by dealing with corruption without sentiment.
Adedoyin Idowu Owolabi, the 48th
president of ICAN in his keynote address, observed that the institute had
hosted several anti-corruption workshops as their contribution to the fight
against corruption and nation building. “This workshop, like previous ones, is
designed not only to beam searchlight on a core aspect of the Nigerian economy
considered germane to the building of the nation of our dream but also to
reaffirm our position that the task of nation building is a collective
responsibility”.
He declared that the theme of the
workshop, “Enhancing Economic Growth through Anti-Corruption Measures”
was chosen “to assess and evaluate not only the way and manner corruption has
impacted negatively on the Nigerian economy in the form of unbridled larceny
and criminal diversion to private use, of scarce public funds generated from
local and international sources, but also to contribute towards the on-going
debate on the way forward for the country”.
The president called on ICAN members to
embrace the fight against corruption as it remains a challenge not only to Chartered
Accountants, but also External Auditor who examines books of accounts of
companies, institutions and organizations.
He warned that any member found to be
involved in any act of corruption would be dealt with.
Governor Peter Obi, who was the host
governor, said he was particularly delighted with the issue of discourse.
Governor Obi enumerated the different ways corruption is celebrated in the
country especially among the political elites and their supporters. He said “everyone
must be subjected to checks and balances in order to achieve the best.”
Other papers presented at the workshop
were “The Role of Chartered Accountants in Curbing
Corruption in Nigeria” by Barnabas Achaka,
Plateau State Auditor-General; “An Overview of the ICPC Act, the EFCC Act,
the Money Laundering Act and the Code of Conduct Bureau Act: Enforcement and
the Role of Chartered Accountants” by Prof. Taiwo Osipitan and “The
Global Dimension of Corruption and Nigeria’s Economic Growth” by Ekpo Nta,
Chairman ICPC, who was represented by Adebayo Kayode.
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