Public finance management reforms in Edo State will be receiving support from professional accountants under the aegis of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
The association pledged to give this support during its courtesy visit to Adaeze Aguele-Kalu, Edo State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning and a Fellow of ACCA in her office in Benin City.
Tom Isibor, Country Head, ACCA Nigeria, said the body was proud of her appointment by the Edo State government, noting that the commissioner was an ambassador of the association and that they were ready to give her all the necessary support to excel in her new position.
“The ACCA leadership made up of the executive and the council deemed it very important to pay you a courtesy visit to demonstrate our support and recognition of your hard work, the talent and the ACCA values that you have lived and shared,” Isiobor said.
“Because we recognized that the office you hold is a senior government position in Nigeria, our message today is really to demonstrate or communicate our support and acknowledge the high standard to which ACCA holds you,” he added.
Isibor noted further that, at this critical point of public finance management reforms in Nigeria and, of course, understanding that Nigeria is also very highly focused on revenue drive, they also felt that it was very important that, as an ambassador of ACCA, the commissioner would bring her expertise in the public sector to bear in Edo State.
He disclosed that they had the highest expectations from the commissioner to contribute not only to national but also to the sub-national aspirations of government that she was part of.
“ACCA will partner and collaborate with you as you are aware that we are a global body, and with the sort of qualifications you have, knowing that we are very strong in terms of public finance management, we also know that you are a part of ACCA global public sector working group as well.
“We have also come to share the ACCA charge to you to be exemplary and to hold high the ethical standards and to ensure that you support effectively the public finance management process for Nigeria and in Edo State in particular,” Isibor said
He also pledged ACCA’s commitment to the commissioner in terms of how they could collaborate and support in achieving her objectives.
“ACCA is a global body. We have communities of members across the world, that have also been and served in the public sector that can support you with ideas, and funds in your new role that can help you to strengthen the capacity and skills that you need to perform your duties”, he said.
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Isibor also disclosed that the association had a very extensive research and professional insight that would help her in terms of resources to help improve capability and capacity in the state.
In her remarks, the commissioner commended the leadership of the association for the visit and promised not to disappoint them. “It is a thing of pride and joy that a body I belong to, and a Fellow of, has come to Edo State to visit me, and promised to give me support in this new role. So, it is a complete honour to have them here”, she said.
She assured that she would continue to work effectively, honesty, and be accountable to the body and to all stakeholders in the ministry, promising to deplore the necessary technology to carry out her functions, and noting that budget and economic planning were all about strategy.
According to her, “technology makes things easy. When you deploy technology in your new role in carrying out your duties, it makes the duty much easier and there is room for accountability, people can see the track records of what you have done in using technology.
“It also makes communication easier, makes approval easier, and everything easier. It also makes budget performance review easier. So, technology is one thing I want to drive in the course of my duties”, she assured.
