ICAN Seeks More Role For Members In Public Sector, As Awka Exco Holds Retreat
Members of 2024/2025 Awka ICAN Exco
Dr Joseph Aroh, 3rd Chairman of Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAN), Awka and District Society has decried the non appointment of sufficient number of members to head accounts departments in public service.
Aroh, a retired Chief Lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic Oko made the observation at the 2024 annual leadership retreat for newly elected executive of Awka and District Society on Monday.
He said having professionals in such strategic positions would strengthen the public sector accounting system as they will detect and raise alarm as appropriate in line with their training.
He said the role of accountants by their training was to check, detect, introduce controls that would reduce fraud because they had proper understanding of accounting books and the integrity to act.
“challenge is that most cases, professional accountants are not employed in the public sector, there are more of us in the private sector
“But those in the public sector also have rules and guidelines which place authorities over them, thereby limiting their capacity to perform their roles.
“Because of these factors which are largely political, their reports and whistles they blow are not considered by the officer who is supposed to act on them but when you have a professional at the helm, there are usually some impact,” he said
Aroh commended the Mr Francis Ezenwa led Executive Committee for eagerness to improve on the leadership quality in the district by organising the retreat to know and learn from past experiences.
He urged the Chairman to be courageous enough to carry the members of Exco along and ensure they worked harmonuosly.
“It is a step in the right direction, they are less than two months in office and now, they are holding this retreat just to learn from last experiences and improve on it.
“My advice is that the chairman should be humble and focused while others be
In his remark, Ezenwa who is the 9th chairman of ICAN, Awka and District Society said the retreat provided the 15-man executive committee to tap from the experience of its past leaders who were lecturers of the day.
He said members of the district would continue to uphold the founding principles of the institute which were accuracy and integrity by reporting accounts that would not mislead the public.
“This event is the 2024/2025 retreat which brings together all the newly elected members of executive committee to get guidance and inspiration from our past leaders who lecture us on those ingredients which are not in our bylaws but necessary for our success,” he said.
The retreat was themed “Succeeding Together: Collaborating Towards the Common Goal, Adhering to the Byelaws and Having Members Interest at Heart”
Other lecturers at the events were
Mr Obi Okechukwu, 2nd District Chair, Mr Kingsley Dim 7th District Chairman and Dr Seyi Olanrewaju, Awka District Council Coordinator/ Honorary Treasurer of ICAN.
