ICAN, Obaseki ask FG to tackle brain drain

The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria have urged the Federal Government to prioritise the development of a culture of responsible governance.

Speaking at ICAN’s sixth Zonal Accountants’ Conference held in Benin, Edo State, with the theme “Quest for Good Governance in Nigeria: The Chartered Accountants Perspective”, they emphasised the urgent need for a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and the importance of adequately rewarding those who adhere to effective resource management.

They claimed that by doing this, the government would effectively address the growing issue of brain drain, attracting and retaining talented individuals within the country.

According to a statement from ICAN, Obaseki, who was the special guest of honour at the conference, noted that for good governance to be seen to have been achieved, processes and institutions must produce results that meet society’s needs while making the best use of the resources at their disposal.




He called on all professional bodies including ICAN to proffer solutions that would enhance the delivery of dividends of democracy to the citizens and stakeholders especially in the area of advisory on increased revenue generation strategies, prevention of wastage in expenditure, internal controls and prevention of fraud.

The President of ICAN, Dr Innocent Okwuosa, said there was a need for government to rethink governance architecture in both the public and private sectors and administer the collective patrimony of Nigerians with equity, justice, transparency and accountability.

He said it was time for Nigeria to take its deserving place in the comity of nations through the deliberate creation of a culture of responsible governance, zero tolerance for corruption and provision of adequate reward for adherence to effective resource management.

He noted that for several years, concerns about poor governance in Nigeria had been on the rise, citing the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance for 2022, which placed Nigeria at the 30th spot out of 54, classifying the rank as increasingly deteriorating.

He said, “As Chartered Accountants, our role in ensuring that our nation’s governance improves is pivotal. We are to ensure strict adherence to strong governance processes, and sustainable fiscal processes while employing leading practices.”