Abia State Government Partners With ICAN to Establish Study Centre & More
Abia State Government is to partner with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria for the establishment of an ICAN study center in Umuahia to boost student enrolment in the state. ICAN will also collaborate with Abia State Government in areas of capacity building for its members of Staff in accounting and other related fields to enhance efficiency in the State’s Public Service.
These were part of the outcome of a meeting between the Institute’s Council and the State Government at the Government House, Umuahia last week when ICAN President Mazi Nnamdi Okwuadigbo, FCA, led some members of the Institute’s Council on a courtesy visit to the Governor Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
ICAN President also implored members of staff of Abia State who are Chartered Accountants to take advantage of the Institute’s Mandatory Continuing Professional Education (MPCE) training which are held on regular basis to update their professional skills and competencies.
Mazi Okwuadigbo called on the Abia State government to support the conduct of the second assessment of the ICAN Accountability Index (ICAN-AI), which is already under way, by encouraging the state’s ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to allow the project’s assessors and coordinators access to the data that would enable them prepare the second AI report. He revealed that the Assessors and Coordinators would visit relevant MDAs in various States of the federation in the first and second weeks of November.
He said that the Index was developed as part of the Institute’s strategies to promote best practices in public finance management and that the first report which assessed public financial management in 2017 received the support and commendation of reputable international orpganizations including the International Federation of Accountants and the Department for International Development (DFiD).
According to the President the thrusts of the Index was to drive efficiency in resource utilization in the public sector, eliminate wastes and sharp practices as well as promote transparency in public governance across the three tiers of government. He added that ICAN was not relenting in its resolve to continue to be governments’ partners in accounting and other related issues in the collective task of nation building. He explained that the roles of Professional Accountants and Auditors was to ensure prudent and efficient Public Financial Management including funds management, timely financial reporting, probity and accountability.
He commended the governor for supporting ICAN in its quest to develop accounting profession in the state as demonstrated in his donation of a parcel of land for the proposed ICAN Umuahia & District Society of Secretariat and sought the support of the State Government in providing counterpart funding for the building which was estimated to cost N100m.
In his remarks the Governor Dr. Ikpeazu commended ICAN for its visible contribution to the country’s economic development and said his administration was willing to partner the Institute for further development of Abia State.