From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has called on professional bodies in Nigeria to join hands with it in the fight against money laundering and corruption in the country.
Chairman of the Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who made the call yesterday, at the 2023 Presidential Retreat of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), held at Sylvia Hotel, Independence Layout, Enugu, said the request become imperative because of the duties of the professionals.
He noted that professionals were saddled with the responsibility of instituting transparency and accountability in any organisation by ensuring that transactions were valid and properly recorded, according to established standards.
Represented by the Commission’s Zonal Commander, Enugu Command, Johnson Oshodi, the EFCC boss was optimistic that with the support of the government and intensified effort by the commission, corruption would soon be eliminated in Nigeria.
He said: “We enjoin all professional bodies to come on board and join the fight against money laundering and corruption in general. And, also, to make their activities known, so that they will not be chosen to launder any form for the betterment of our country’s economy.
“Professionals in every field of endeavour must also acknowledge the duty to protect the public interest, and under obligations under vigorous codes of professional and personal ethics, which calls for the highest levels of integrity and objectivity in the course of their business.
“The professional bodies should chant a song of transparency because the activities of the professionals are the spectrum of every activity in the country. They need to be on board because, without them, nothing will progress in the country.”
APBN President, Manason Rubainu, in his address, stated that the involvement of professionals in policy making would help the government to render governance to the society.
He assured that 99 per cent of Nigeria’s problems would be solved if professionals practiced based on their ethics and pledge to Nigeria.
Rubainu said: “The APBN 2023 presidential retreat generally, is to talk to ourselves, look at how we are fairing as professionals and see how we can improve on what we do.
The retreat will remind us what professionals are and what we do and go about doing it.
“We want to look at ourselves to know if we’re fulfilling the ideal of the society. Are the professions really given those services to society? Are the government making use of the professionals in governance. If you hear the national pledge, we don’t pledge to the president or anybody but to Nigeria.
“Professionals don’t pledge to anybody, but to Nigeria because they are licensed by law. If things are going wrong, how much is it going to be tackled by professionals, because professionals always operate ideally. What I believe is that if professionals practice tactically, 99 percent of Nigeria’s problems will be solved.”