President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to accountants and auditors in the country to assist in fighting corruption.
The President made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja at the 48th Annual Accountantsโ Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
Buhari was represented by the Minister of Budget and National Planning; Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma.
The President also urged ICAN members to deliberate on how they could contribute to support government efforts to reduce corruption and restore the economy
โIn regards to fighting corruption you have a special contribution to make as accountants.
โYour members serving as accountants and auditors can bring to bear your special skills in ensuring that books and records are properly kept.
โWorking closely with the statutory agencies responsible for fighting corruption, ICAN will no doubt assist government in its effort at fighting this national malaise,โ he said.
Speaking on insecurity in the country, Buhari argued that fighting insecurity and other crimes required the collaboration and cooperation of every citizen.
He said that Nigerians had a shared responsibility to provide credible information to security agencies.
โWe must preach and promote peace within our communities, hold on to the core values of honesty, probity, hard work and our neighboursโ keeper that defines us as people with esteemed values and as a nation where peace and justice reign.
โWe must come together to condemn all forms of criminal activities and say NO to hate speech and acts that could destabilise the cooperate existence of our nation,โ he said.
On the economy, Buhari said that his administration had put in place the right infrastructure to diversify the economy away from oil dependence.
Buhari said that the Social Investment Programme of the Federal Government was meant to provide support to the unemployed youth, the poor, the excluded and the vulnerable in the society.
Earlier in his address, ICAN President Alhaji Razak Jaiyeola called on government to formulate and implement strategic policies that would achieve sustainable growth.
He said the theme of the conference, โSecuring our shared future, a collective responsibilityโ, was apt as it hit at the core of national integration and growth.
Jaiyeola called on delegates to contribute immensely in issues meant to the development of the country.
Also, the President of International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), Mrs Rachel Grimes, said accountants had great skills to positively influence the future.
โWe canโt secure the future alone.
โWe must seek out and work with others who share our commitment to the public interest and a stronger global economy and society.
โThe vision for IFAC is that, the global accountancy profession is essential for strong to build sustainable organisations, financial markets and economies.โ she said.
