By Francis Wilfred
The President and Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Haruna Yahaya, has praised Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Executive Chairman Mr. Ola Olukoyede for his notable achievements in Nigeria’s fight against corruption.The commendation came during a courtesy visit by ICAN’s management team to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
According to the Commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, Yahaya highlighted Olukoyede’s efforts in recovering high-value assets worth hundreds of billions of naira, securing thousands of convictions, and strengthening international financial credibility, including Nigeria’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Grey List.
Yahaya also proposed six areas for collaboration between ICAN and EFCC, including forensic accounting, financial investigation, capacity building, expert witness support, public sector financial oversight, and public awareness initiatives. He emphasized that the fight against economic crimes is most effective when investigators and professional accountants work hand in hand.
In response, Olukoyede welcomed a strategic partnership with ICAN, noting that collaboration would include joint committees to formalize an MoU. He emphasized the importance of forensic accounting and expert witnesses in investigations and prosecutions.The EFCC chairman also urged ICAN to address the issue of accountants enabling financial crimes. “It is concerning that some chartered accountants have facilitated fraud. Part of our collaboration will focus on publicly addressing members found culpable to uphold professional ethics and integrity,” he stated.
The visit underscores ongoing efforts to strengthen anti-corruption measures through partnerships with professional accounting bodies.
