President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Davidson Alaribe, on Tuesday, inaugurated the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) chapter of the body.
He charged officers of the FIRS chapter to continue to uphold high ethical standards associated with the accountancy profession.
Alaribe, speaking at the ceremony in Abuja, said the significance of the chapter of ICAN at FIRS is founded on the tax agency being the largest employer of chartered accountants in the country.
FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, in a statement by his Technical Assistant (Media), Sikiru Akinola, quoted the ICAN President to have said out of the 66, 000 chartered accountants in the country, more than 2,800 are in FIRS, the largest by any government agency.
Alaribe commended Adedeji for leading the transformation of the agency, noting that it is now vital to national economic development by making revenue available to the three tiers of government to finance major projects.
He assured ICAN, FIRS chapter, of constant support, just as he tasked its pioneer officers to actively engage members to establish a strong foundation for the chapter and also ensure the elevation of its profile.
The FIRS chairman, represented at the event by the Coordinating Director (Medium Taxpayers Group), Dr Dick Irri, charged the leaders of the ICAN chapter to continue to display high ethical standards in the discharge of their duties.
Adedeji, a Fellow of ICAN, said he gave the approval for the establishment of the unit as a result of the critical roles of chartered accountants, particularly at FIRS.
“ICAN is dear to me in many ways. Apart from being a fellow of ICAN, we have close to 3,000 ICAN members working in FIRS.
“I like to tell you that all your members have always upheld the core values of ICAN. They have set standards others are working to catch up with.
“This event is a great avenue to advocate the cause of accounting at FIRS. The quality of the people in the executives says it all.
“There is no denying the fact that ICAN members in FIRS are blazing the trail as we have the highest number of chartered accountants in Nigeria,” he said.
In her acceptance speech, pioneer chairperson of the FIRS branch, Dr Josephine Onyia, thanked Adedeji and the management of FIRS for the support and endorsement of the new leaders.
“As members of a noble profession like ours, we are crucial in upholding financial integrity, fostering economic advancement and promoting trust within the business community.
“I am honoured to be the pioneer chairman of the ICAN-FIRS chapter which comprises many chartered accountants who stand for these core values and contribute actively to the advancement of the accounting profession and revenue collection for national development,” she said.
Onyia promised to foster a lifelong learning and professional development culture by ensuring that members have access to the requisite resources and support necessary to excel in an ever-changing environment.
Other officers of the unit included Mrs Adenike Adegoke (Vice-Chairperson); Abdurauf Aderemi (General Secretary); Mrs Patricia Ofili (Treasurer); Mr Aduka Borr (Publicity Secretary), among others.
