Search and Rescue

We are clearly at a crossroads.  Some would even insist that we have a grave (excuse the pun) crisis on our hands – death is everywhere.  Kidnappers are on the prowl; armed robbers are now operating in broad daylight (after 6 pm they demand extra pay for working anti-social hours!!); rapists are having a field day; and the newspapers; radio; television; magazines and internet are turbo-charged with gory tales of turbulence and carnage in our nation.

Yet it was not so long ago that all was calm and serene in our beloved nation.  Or is it a fanciful memory trick?

Anyway, let us as professionals take stock or more appropriately take heed as we strive to make sense of the turmoil that has engulfed our nation and the role allotted to us in the monumental search and rescue operation which has become inevitable.

The first hurdle we must cross is to convince our fellow countrymen and women that we lay no claim to being superior (or being possessed of superior knowledge).  We are all literally groping in the dark – no thanks to the epileptic power supply!!  Indeed, regardless of the poor visibility, inclement weather and a hostile environment the search and rescue operation must proceed in earnest.  Otherwise we are doomed to share in the heartache and forfeit our investment (equity) in hope.

As chartered accountants (or indeed any of the other professionals) we must accord due recognition to the “Bottom Line” but nobody prepared us for a bottomless pit or a moral, ethical, professional bottom lie that has vanished on account of being thoroughly vanquished by the collapse of the financial and political infrastructure (and architecture) of our political economy.

Before embarking on our rescue mission, perhaps we need to remind ourselves of the basic tenets of our various professions – our starting point is what we know before we proceed to the unknown.  For us, the unknown is not defined by “UFO’s” [Unfinished Flying Objects].  Rather, the unknown is the avalanche of circumstantial evidence with which we are inundated but as regards which we have been incapacitated – no audit trail; no substantive/compliance testing; no verification; no corporate governance; incomplete records in abundance; mutilated documents; unreliable witnesses and no independent confirmation.

Therefore, on what basis can we draw any conclusions not to talk of expressing an opinion regarding a true and fair view of the state of our beloved nation?

However, we have a moral and profound obligation to respond to the slagging off of Nigeria by President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.  It has gone viral on internet.

Headline:NIGERIANS ARE CORRUPT

•President Mugabe of Zimbabwe (March 16 2014)

“President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has taken a swipe at Nigeria, labeling the country and her citizens as corrupt.  He made the remark during his 90th birthday luncheon hosted by the service chiefs and the public service commission.

Mugabe said Zimbabweans are now almost behaving like Nigerians who have to be corruptly paid for every service.  “Are we now like Nigeria where you have to reach your pocket to get anything done?” he said.  “You see we used to go to Nigeria.  Every time we went there we had to carry extra cash in our pockets to corruptly pay for everything.  You get into a plane in Nigeria and you sit there and the crew keeps dilly dallying without taking off as they wait for you to pay them to fly the plane,” said the president followed by a huge laugh from the delegates attending his birthday bash.

The current corruption rankings in the world rank Zimbabwe’s corruption a lot worse than Nigeria.  Nigeria is ranked 163 worst corrupt country in the world while Zimbabwe is an embarrassing 170 third from the bottom.

The report was carried by Bulawayo24 News, in Zimbabwe.”

As confirmation of the boldness, vibrancy and independence of our press, the “Vanguard” newspaper carried the same story with bold headlines on its front page:

“ARE WE NOW LIKE NIGERIA WHERE YOU HAVE TO REACH YOUR POCKET TO GET ANYTHING DONE?”

•Mugabe

“President Robert Mugabe took shots at Nigeria during his 90th Birthday luncheon recently.  He said that Zimbabweans were almost now behaving like Nigerians “who have to be corruptly paid for every service.”

“Are we now like Nigeria where you have to reach your pocket to get anything done?  We used to go to Nigeria and every time we went there we had to carry extra cash in our pockets to corruptly pay for everything.  You get into a plane in Nigeria and you sit there and the crew keeps dilly dallying without taking off as they wait for you to pay them to fly the plane, “the president said, and he was immediately supported with raucous laughter from the delegates.

Well, the stats still say Zimbabwe is more corrupt than Nigeria.  Nigeria is 163 on the international corruption list, with Zimbabwe ranking 170, which is third most corrupt country from the bottom.

However, last year, it is reported that Nigeria was involved in corruption to the tune of $3 billion, while Zimbabwe was at $2 billion.  It was in this context that Nigeria may be considered more corrupt than Zimbabwe.”

For us as professionals who are obliged to adhere strictly to the ethics of our various professions, Mugabe’s damnation is a dagger plunged directly into the hearts of our professions.  The humiliation and embarrassment are excruciating.

Indeed, we have every reason to be apprehensive if other African leaders go public with what has hitherto been their private anxiety and apprehension regarding the reputation of Nigeria and Nigerians – not excluding Nigerian professionals.

Perhaps we can at least agree that the power structure in our nation places the Executive (represented by a hugely powerful president) at the top of the pole.  In theory, the Legislature and the Judiciary are vested with powers which are meant to check-mate the Executive under the doctrine of checks and balances as vital ingredients of democracy which is in turn anchored on the Rule of Law and Justice.  Somehow or the other the press has accorded itself the accolade of the “Fourth Estate of The Realm”.

However, there is no specific reference to professionals in the power sharing or in the Constitution.  Our power and our relevance are secret and mysterious.

As we speak, the internet and the airwaves are buzzing with the following major events:

•The mysterious disappearance of the Malaysian airline MH 370 with 239 passengers and unconfirmed reports that it is lying at the bottom of the Indian Ocean instead of its intended final destination – Beijing, China.

•President Vladimir Putin of Russia has invaded Crimea and hoisted the Russian flag over what was until a few days ago Ukrainian territory.

•In Rome, Italy our President Goodluck Jonathan and the First Lady are guests of Pope Francis I at the Vatican.

•In Nigeria, the Boko Haram insurgency is unabated.  It has metamorphosed from a volcano to a hurricane.  Now it’s a tsunami that is destroying all in its path – men, women, children, Christians, Muslims and non-believers.  No discrimination.

•In Abuja, the CONFAB of nearly five hundred delegates has got off to a shaky start but the first item on the agenda, according to cynics, is the sharing of money and payment of allowances.  We as professionals must not rush to judgement.

What is relevant is that there is no specific reference to professionals in any of these momentous events.  No niche has been carved out for us.  We would be thankful for now; we simply do not know how many professionals have perished in the MH 370 air disaster or those who have been slaughtered by Boko Haram.  When the Search and Rescue Mission commences, should we give preference/priority to professionals or accept that in these monumental tragedies, all lives are equal?

Regardless, we must resist the temptation to strut or boast that we alone carry in our genes/DNA the recipe for survival and triumph.  Rather, we should concede that luck is a critical factor in missing the plane that was doomed to crash or avoid a hitherto peaceful village that was on the watchlist of rampaging marauders – Boko Haram.  Whatever forensic skills we possess cannot be relied upon to provide answers.  The forensic must surrender to the ballistic.  That is the new message of force and missiles.  Where will forensic get us in rough seas and unpredictable currents?

Let us be realistic, in our power equation the ‘Black Box’ is firmly in the custody of the politicians.  They have no intention of sharing power with anybody.  They are both the pilot and co-pilot.  Everybody else is just a passenger although we are at liberty to grab seats in the First Class cabin; the Club Class cabin or the Economy Class at the tail end of the plane.  Every now and again, the soldiers dislodge the politicians – but it has nothing to do with the professionals.  The soldiers have long ago discovered the supremacy of guns and ballistic missiles over the forensic skills of professionals.

Interestingly, when the politicians mess matters up they know where to look for salvation.  They go looking for professionals.  The latest case in point is provided by the front page headline in the Financial Times of London:

“TOP BARRISTER WILL LEAD BANK OF ENGLAND INQUIRY”

“The Bank of England has called in the services of a leading lawyer as it seeks to tackle allegations that officials turned a blind eye to foreign exchange rigging.

Lord Grabiner QC, who has been involved in commercial litigation for 40 years, will lead BoE investigation into the forex affair, which has led to the suspension of one official.

Lord Grabiner’s previous roles have included chairing the management and standards committee set up by News Corp to deal with the phone-hacking scandal.

Press reports have said in the past that he charges clients up to £3,000 an hour, but the BoE said he was charging a fraction of the sums claimed in the media.

His credentials were unrivalled as “the right man for the most tricky jobs”, said Rob Moulton, a partner at the law firm Ashurst.

The BoE probe, which is being supported by the law firm Travers Smith, will examine whether any central bank official was aware of actual or attempted market manipulation between 2005 and 2013 or of any “unlawful or improper behaviour or practices”.  It will look into whether any officials were involved in sharing confidential client information or aware of market participants sharing such information.

Mark Carney, BoE governor, and Paul Fisher, markets director, faced tough questions from the Treasury committee on Tuesday, with MPs asking why the bank had not done more to examine claims there were problems in forex markets.

Lord Grabiner’s investigation will be given full access to BoE records, staff and outside experts.  It will report after the Financial Conduct Authority’s inquiries are complete.”

J.K Randle