Amosun, ICAN President, Obayan advocate professionals involvement in politics

Ogun State governor , Senator Ibikunle Amosun , President Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria , Titus Soetan and a former deputy governor, Edo State , Peter Obayan, have advocated the involvement of professionals in politics .


They spoke at the maiden convention of ICAN forum of political ambassadors held at Abeokuta on Friday with theme: ‘ Leveragin on accountants integrity for political success . ’

Amosun who waa represented by the Commissioner for Finance , Adewale Osinowo , said the time lhas come for professionals to come into politics , most especially chartered accountants , given the present economic realities in the country .

He noted that the current economic situation required deft planning by all the tiers of government , adding that accountability and integrity would also come to play .

While he said accountants should be at forefront of this crusade , he explained that no country could develop without having people who were credible and accountable .

He said , “ The theme of this conference becomes assailing, there is no society that can develop without the integrity of its citizens and that of its leaders but this concerns us more as accountants .

“ Because other people look up to us not just as professionals but because accountants should be at the forefront of accountability most especially at this defining moment of economic reality in our dear country .

On his own part, Soetan said if professionals did not take part in governance , they would only whined and complain when those in government were clueless and merely rule by trial and error method .

He noted that accountants were conservative and they had hitherto shunned politics , but he said that attitude had changed over time , as there are five serving governors among other elected and appointed chartered accountants who members ICAN and IFOPA .

He said , “ As accountants , we are conservative people and we look at politics as dirty people’ s game , it’ s not for us .
“ We are cleaner than that so that is the notion we have carried over the years .

There is good reason for that because if you don ’ t want to soil yourself and if you don ’ t want to play in a game where people keep on soiling themselves . So that made the professionals especially the accountants to distance themselves from active .

“ But over the years we have seen that when you are not there, the people who are there will do it the way they can do it. So the people that have been ruling us , whether they are educated or they didn ’ t have principle , they just rule us according to the details of their own mind and so we don ’ t have results .

“ That is why we are saying the professionals cannot excuse themselves from politics . ”

Obayan, who was the chairman of the event , also said accountants should not shy away from politics as changes could only be effected if they were in government and not outside it .

Resource persons presented papers on the topics – ‘ Bridging the divide -accountants and politicians ’ and ‘ Accountants as anti - corruption agents. ’

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