By Chinedu Adonu

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, has enjoined all the professional bodies in Nigeria to join the commission in the fight against money laundering and corruption in general.

The EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa made this call yesterday during the 2023 presidential retreat of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, APBN, held at Sylvia Hotel, Independence Layout, Enugu.

Bawa, represented by zonal commander, Enugu command, AC Johnson Oshodi said that professionals are saddled with the responsibility of instituting transparency and accountability in any organization by ensuring that transactions are valid and properly recorded according to established standard.

He assured that with the support of the government and intensified effort by the commission that corruption would soon be a thing of the past.

“We enjoin all professional bodies to come on board and join the fight against money laundering and corruption in general. And also to make their activities known so that they will not be chosen to launder any form for the betterment of our country’s economy.

“Professionals in every field of endeavour must also acknowledge the duty to protect the public interest, and under obligations under vigorous codes of professional and personal ethics which calls for the highest levels of integrity and objectivity in the course of their business.

“The professional bodies should chant a song of transparency because the activities of the professional are the spectrum of every activity in the country. They need to be on board because without them nothing will progress in the country” he said.

Earlier in his address, the APBN President, Mr Manason Rubainu said that the involvement of professionals in policy making would help the government to render governance to the society.

Rabianu assured that 99% of Nigeria’s problems would be solved if professionals practiced based on their ethics and pledge to Nigeria.

“The APBN 2023 presidential retreat generally, is to talk to ourselves, look at how we are fairing as professionals and see how we can improve on what we do. The retreat will remind us what professionals are and what we do and go about doing it.

“We want to look at ourselves to know if we’re fulfilling the ideal of the society. Are the professions really given those services to society? Are the government making use of the professionals in governance. If you hear the national pledge, we don’t pledge to the President or anybody but to Nigeria.

“Professionals don’t pledge to anybody but to Nigeria because they are licensed by law. If things are going wrong, how much is it going to be tackled by professionals, because professionals always operate ideally. What I believe is that If professionals practice tactically, 99% of Nigeria’s problems will be solved,” he said.