The governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria have pleaded with the federal government to give the creation of a culture of responsible administration first priority.
Speaking on the topic of “Quest for Good Governance in Nigeria: The Chartered Accountants Perspective” at ICAN’s sixth Zonal Accountants’ Conference in Benin, Edo State, they emphasized the urgent need for a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and the significance of adequately rewarding those who adhere to effective resource management.
They stated that by doing this, the government would successfully combat the growing problem of brain drain by luring and keeping smart people in this country.
Obaseki, who was the conference’s special guest of honour, said that for effective governance to be perceived as having been accomplished, processes and institutions must yield results that satisfy societal requirements while making the greatest use of the resources available, according to a release from ICAN.
He urged all professional organizations, including ICAN, to offer suggestions that would improve the distribution of democratic rights and benefits to the public and other interested parties, particularly in the area of advice on improved revenue generation strategies, the avoidance of wasteful spending, internal controls, and fraud prevention.
In order to manage the collective patrimony of Nigerians with equality, justice, openness, and accountability, the government must rethink governance architecture in both the public and private sectors, according to the President of ICAN, Dr. Innocent Okwuosa.
A purposeful culture of responsible administration, a zero-tolerance policy for corruption, and the provision of suitable rewards for adherence to good resource management, according to him, is necessary for Nigeria to reclaim its rightful place in the company of countries.
He mentioned the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance for 2022, which ranked Nigeria at the 30th slot out of 54, defining the rank as steadily declining, and said that worries about Nigeria’s weak governance have been growing for a number of years.
