The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) has elected new officers to run its affairs for the next one yea, with Mrs. Onome Joy Adewuyi, emerging as the 56th President.
Her investiture took place at the institute’s secretariat in Lagos, after an election yesterday.
In her acceptance speech and inaugural address, Adewuyi promised to partner with the government to redefine national values, economic priorities and resource utilisation strategies such that the mass of the citizenry can be lifted out of avoidable poverty.
According to her, ICAN would leverage its professional expertise to support players in the informal sector, whose unsung value-creating activities will define the position of the nation on the ladder of sustainable development.
She lamented the paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty being experienced by Nigeria, adding that the nation is at a point in its economic development where all hands must be on deck to address the ugly situation.
“According to the 2019 World Bank Human Development Report, 53.5 per cent of Nigerians live below poverty line of US$1.9 a day. I am inclined, like many analysts, to believe that the situation is even worse considering the high rate of crime and criminality all over the country. The situation is better imagined if we take cognisance of the possible effect of COVID-19 in the near term.”
On refocusing ICAN capacity building initiatives, Adewuyi explained that this year, the institute would formalise its online training and incorporate them into the annual training brochure. She added that the Members’ Education and Training would be bolstered with cut-edge virtual training programmes.
“These would run together with the established traditional model of delivering trainings. Also, the ICAN faculties would be equipped to become centres of excellence for virtual training in the seven specialist areas of Accounting,” she expatiated.
Speaking further, the ICAN President said the lesson of the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged ICAN to redefine the values it shares, the way it relates and account for its actions and inactions.
“Evidently, the proactive deployment and proficiency in the use of technology will continue to define corporate and individual success. This emerging paradigm has implications for how we relate and bond as professionals who share a common vision of working together to build a great nation with a sustainable economy driven by strong institutions,”.
She assured that as the Institute would strive to hold leaders at all levels accountable, it would also enforce compliance to the professional code of ethics and sanction all proven cases of misdemeanor by members without fear or favour.
Source: THISDAY
