Osinbajo stresses need for accountability among professionals
NAN-H-94
Accountability
By Donald Ugwu
Abuja, Oct. 11, 2016(NAN) The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday in Abuja stressed the need for professionals to be accountable in order to move the nation forward.
Osinbajo, who spoke when he declared open the 46th Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) conference, also said that public and private officials should be held accountable for their actions.
According to him, everything we consider as a problem in our nation today is probably related to the concept of accountability, accountability in the profession, government and commerce.
Osinbajo noted that a lot of people say that here in Nigeria we have all manners of great ideas adding “since we got into government, I found out that there is practically nothing that has not been written or researched about.’’
He, however, observed that unfortunately such write ups lay somewhere unutilised.
“People are actually having new ideas but the main problem is getting things done especially in government.
“Part of the reasons that it is difficult to get things done is because public officials are hardly ever held to account.
“In most private organisations, there is some performance measurements, some way of measuring performance, and it is the way of measuring performance that ensures promotion.
“That is not always the case in government; so it is possible for you to set targets and for those targets not to be met,’’ he said.
Osinbajo said that one of the key things the administration was trying to achieve was to create an enabling environment for ease of doing business.
He said that President Muhammadu Buhari had set targets on the ease of doing business programme.
He noted that the critical thing was that government was collaborating with the private sector “and in particular we have invited some private sector consultants who are working with us.’’
He said agencies created to promote business should be able to at the end of three months declare how many small businesses they facilitated their approvals or helped to come on board.
“Holding the public officer to account is going to be a key way of ensuring that we are able to bring development,’’ Osinbajo declared.
He said that in the administration of justice, sometimes the processes were so slow, noting that the implication was that it slowed down business and discouraged investments.
“The administration of justice is a public resource, court is a public resource, judges, lawyers must be held to account,’’ he said.
Turning to the ICAN members, the VP added that accountants are supposed to be liable for financial statements they make and financial advises they give.
“There are several situations we have seen in the country where banks have been certified over time as being reasonably fit.
“Of course there are all manners of argument but what matters is that we certify them only to the extent of what they have shown us.
“But if we are to scrutinise what had been done, many accountants would be found wanting in not being careful enough to make some other financial statements than the financial judgments they make.
Osinbajo recalled that some accounting firms abroad that failed in their disclosures were met with closures and abandonment.
He, therefore, urged the Nigerian professionals to live above board as everyone depended on expert advice in many activities.(NAN)
DCU/OU
======
Edited by Obike Ukoh
=================