January/March 2013 Students Journal - The Institute of Chartered ...

SPECIALwise, we have been able to develop the unionism and union leaders should take come to stay; the face of accounting hassystem because our union is very critical. note of this. You just don't call out your changed totally. IPSAS is also on the way.You know that over the years, we people to embark on strike or disrupt the If we are not to lose our leadership status,encourage our staff to acquire education system. Even when there is crisis, you have we need to renew our members both oldand they did so but became more critical as to evaluate the various options. You look at and new. How do we do this? You knowthey became more educated. It was like one them critically before you say okay we are when we introduced MCPE in 1996, somesharpened their teeth to bite management. going on strike today. You also look at who were looking at it somehow but today allBut it was good for the management. If we will be the loser for it. You also ask “Are we other professional bodies are doing it. Wewant to take any decision, we become more likely to achieve our objectives?” The introduced MCPE to equip our members.careful. We will now consider a lot of union should be changing also as the Things have changed so dramatically thatthings. It makes our decision making management is becoming more and more MCPE alone cannot even meet up. So, weprocesses more robust. We think through complex. Accounting profession for introduced Faculties again. The facultiesthings and look at the implications from all example is undergoing most radical must become very aggressive and potentangles because we will have some critics. changes, not only in Nigeria but the world because it is the faculty that now givesThere is something fundamentally good over and the challenge is more here in what we call specialised skills. The days ofabout NASU in ICAN. When they criticize Nigeria because of our own peculiar generalist accountant are over. Nobodythey come up with suggestions, they just environment. You know we have plurality pays you for just preparing accounts. Thedon't come up and say this thing is bad and of bodies here and there. They go to value you add to his business is what herubbish the whole programme and offer no National Assembly every day. So, you considers. As the profession is growing, wesuggestion. They have criticised some of have to appreciate the position of need fundamental changes if this Instituteour best programmes and they have added management on some decisions. As of is to continue to be the vehicle by whichvalue to the system. There were things we now, the Institute is moving to the next our members will acquire the necessaryhave thought we had gotten right, but when level. I expect the union itself to move. skills and competences to retain theirthe Union came up with criticisms, we That is my candid advice. leading edge. Our organisation needs adiscovered certain things had not beenchange. To move forward, the Institute'sperfected. There are many good things Q: Let's take a look at your vision for secretariat must become highlyabout union in ICAN. Yes, they are critical ICAN leadership i.e. management, professionalised. Why is this necessary?but they have never got to the level of Council and Presidency. What kind of The skills required to drive the process arebreaking down laws and order or bringing leadership do you think will take ICAN top ones and you cannot invest those skillsa third party or even strike. The Union has to the promised land?in volunteers who can leave thecontributed in no measure to theorganisation at any point in time. You mustdevelopment of the Institute. There is noA: In fact, this is the most importantinvest those skills in those people whoway the history of the Institute would bequestion. Today, the accountancyfrom year to year will be available. I canwritten without mention of the Union.profession is going through veryrecollect the resistance we got when weThere is another good thing about thefundamental changes. You will notice thatstarted practice monitoring. SomeICAN union… It is well known that if anyit is not only the office of themembers in practice, especially the smallof their members does anything wrong orRegistrar/Chief Executive that waspractitioners felt this was an attempt tocommits fraud or cheats or steals or doesadvertised on the ICAN website recently.make other practices to take their jobs. Butsomething destructive to the system, theThat is part of the changes happening inif it is staff that is conducting practiceICAN NASU will not support thatICAN. What are these changes ammonitoring, there would be no such fearmember. They will not go and beg thatemphasising? The first of them is the factbecause the man knows that staff has a jobbecause he's our member, he should bethat the skills required for the practice ofand couldn't take his own job. Though wespared. We operate together, we rub mindsaccountancy have changed. We havecannot do without volunteers; they willand we have created avenue where thepassed the stage of just being able tostill be there but the arrowhead must be theunion comes and offers suggestions.prepare accounts and get the financialstaff. If we are highly professionalised, theThough we have had our differences but Ireports ready as a Chartered Accountant.work will be done more efficiently.tell you, the Institute has been better for it.Computer can get you final accounts in noCouncil and committees are only to betime and can even work more efficiently ininvolved in governance issues, toQ: What is your advice for the that wise than human beings can do it. So,formulate general directions but day to dayleadership of the union?decision making, management andoperations can only be effectively done bycommunications are part of new skills setthe secretariat. And it is when we haveA: The Union must be evolving. That is it, and competences that are required in thecompetent secretariat that value could bethe union itself, just like ICAN, must be profession. This now brings a challenge todelivered to our stakeholders. Every dayevolving. Like I told you, the environment the Institute. One, how do we ensure thatwe receive criticisms. Everybody is awareis changing and the Institute is also those who enter the profession acquire theof the number of stakeholders we have andchanging dramatically. Unionism is also skills? You do this through yourtheir varied interests. You know, with theirchanging, so NASU should also be curriculum, through your education andvaried interests, there's no way we will notevolving and changing. Unionism is training programmes. The morehave criticisms. But as those issues comebecoming highly professionalised. So fundamental problem is how old membersup, we will address them. Thus we willnegotiation skills are very important in who will not become irrelevant. IFRS hasdevelop the system and these are some ofICAN Students’ Journal, January/March, 2013 17