–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 By<\/i> <\/i>Bashorun JK Randle, OFR, FCA<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n
The President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales [ICAEW], Mr Martyn Jones delivered judgement in favour of chartered accountants on CNN yesterday:<\/p>\n
\u201cAccording to popular myth, chartered accountants are dry, boring and narrowly-focused.\u00a0 We in the profession beg to differ and now we have a great opportunity to prove that the \u201cbeen-counter\u201d description really does not equate to the wider realities.\u201d<\/p>\n
That is precisely why chartered accountants are here in large numbers to participate vigorously and enthusiastically in the National Colloquium anchored on the theme:<\/p>\n
\u201cLeadership Factors And Good Corporate Governance \u2013 Key To National Growth and Development\u201d.<\/p>\n
The roadmap with which we have been provided has been calibrated to gauge the following perspectives and sub-texts:<\/p>\n
(i)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Role of Society and Politics<\/p>\n
(ii)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Religion and Ethnicity in Corporate Nigeria<\/p>\n
(iii)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Professions and Nation Building<\/p>\n
(iv)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Socio-Economic Development in Nigeria<\/p>\n
(v)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Corporate Governance \u2013 The Nigeria Experience<\/p>\n
Quite frankly the colloquium could not have come at a more opportune time as our nation\u2019s image at the intercontinental\/international level is at its lowest ebb.<\/p>\n
Much of the damage was inflicted by the abduction of 276 girls from Chibok by Boko Haram terrorists.\u00a0 Almost belatedly, the Federal Government has now admitted its blunder with regard to communication (locally and internationally) when the kidnapping occurred.<\/p>\n
Much of the damage was done by the gory spectacle on You Tube of the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Sekau callously boasting that he would sell off the girls as wives and that he was beyond capture by the Federal Government of Nigeria.\u00a0 Not even by the United States of America.<\/p>\n
This was followed by an unauthenticated video of a girl who had proved \u201cstubborn\u201d by refusing to convert to Islam.<\/p>\n
She was frog-marched at gunpoint into a hole which had been dug in the ground and stoned to death.\u00a0 Really horrible.\u00a0 Even more gruesome was the video of male victims of Boko Haram whose throats were cut while they were still alive.\u00a0 It does not get worse than that.<\/p>\n
Our collective responsibility at this Colloquium is to reflect on the emergence and performance of those we have vested with power and authority through a semblance of democratic process or those who simply wrestled power from us, rendering us powerless even when we feign that we are fearless.<\/p>\n
The obvious starting point is to remind ourselves of the cannon of wisdom delivered by Abraham Lincoln:<\/p>\n
\u201cNearly all men can stand adversity.\u00a0 But if you want to test a man\u2019s character, give him power.\u201d<\/p>\n
The rest of the world has beamed its searchlight on us and is anxiously waiting for evidence of \u201cSSOI\u201d (Significant Signs of Improvement).<\/p>\n
We must refuse to surrender to despondency even when we are confronted by the front page headline of the \u201cDaily Trust\u201d newspaper (June 26, 2014):<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cJONATHAN:\u00a0 BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY WORSE THAN CIVIL WAR\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
President Goodluck Jonathan has said the Boko Haram insurgency is worse than civil war that broke out in Nigeria in the late 60\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Jonathan said this at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday while receiving the College of Bishops of the African Church led by Primate Emanuel Udofia, who paid him a courtesy visit.<\/p>\n
He said during the civil war, the battle line was drawn and the enemies known; while in a terror war, the enemies are from within and are faceless.<\/p>\n
Thanking the bishops for their prayers, Jonathan pledged that his administration would continue to do everything possible to move the nation forward.\u00a0 \u201c\u2026apart from those of us from the Eastern region who witnessed the effects of the civil war, people have not witnessed this kind of insecurity in the country.<\/p>\n
In the North-East, it is almost like it is even worse than the civil war because in the civil war, you know if you are here, you know the battle line, either a Biafran or Nigerian.\u00a0 You know where to run to. \u00a0Right now, you don\u2019t even know where to run to because the enemies are in the sokoto (trouser) pocket,\u201d Jonathan said.<\/p>\n
He urged the church to continue in moulding the character of the nation \u201cespecially now that most parents are too busy to have time for their children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier, Primate Udofia described the Boko Haram insurgency as the most unfortunate affront on Jonathan\u2019s administration and accused some members of the security agencies of being sympathetic to the terrorists.<\/p>\n
He also described the religious connotations to the insurgency as largely responsible for the continued spread and strength of terrorist activities in the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of the security agents charged with the responsibilities of combating them are silently sympathetic to Boko Haram.\u00a0 Our hope to bring an end to Boko Haram lies in our God Almighty who is the mighty Man in Battle and ever ready to help His people in times of trouble,\u201d the Bishop said.<\/p>\n
The President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria last week admitted that the Nigerian government should have dealt with the communication issues in respect of the abduction of 276 girls from Chibok promptly and vigorously.\u00a0 The lapse has severely damaged Nigeria\u2019s international image and reputation.<\/p>\n
In the same vein, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister for the economy made the following deposition:<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes ago, I was attending a conference in New York and a young man brought about 11 African newspapers to me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of them were saying negative things.\u00a0 From Kenya to Ethiopia to Nigeria, all of them.\u00a0 This is not good, especially for young people who are the future.\u00a0 We should accept and empower them.\u00a0 We should give them confidence and hope, particularly in these trying times.\u201d<\/p>\n
The minister acknowledged the role of young people in the development of the continent and advised them to take up their rights by forcing the leaders to work.<\/p>\n
On the country\u2019s insecurity challenge, she emphasized the need to tackle terrorism from social and economic perspectives.<\/p>\n
Okonjo-Iweala also commended the international community for their willingness to assist the country in rescuing the female students kidnapped by Boko Haram in Chibok, Borno State.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the African Union believes that the presence of the international community in Nigeria is an indication that the menace of cyber-terrorism will be defeated.<\/p>\n
Erastis Nweche, deputy chairperson of African Union, condemned the kidnap of Chibok girls and expressed appreciation to all the countries that have pledged to assist.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sympathize with the people of Nigeria and thank the international community for standing by the country\u00a0 to tackle this menace,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTerrorism is not just in the Sahara.\u00a0\u00a0 It is all over the place.\u00a0\u00a0 It is organized.\u00a0\u00a0 It is financed and cannot be contained by one state.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also speaking, President of the African Development Bank (ADB), Donald Kaberuka, described the abduction of female students by Boko Haram as an attack on the right of girls to education, saying it would never be tolerated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regardless of the apologies tendered by Mr President and the Minister of Finance, the front page editorial of \u201cThisDay\u201d newspaper of July 7 2014 did not pull any punches:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe monumental corruption and waste that go on in the name of governance at virtually all levels have all combined to deny the people a decent standard of living.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is bound to provoke the question:\u00a0 But where are the auditors and chartered accountants?<\/p>\n
Perhaps it was purely co-incidental that on the same day, several firms of chartered accountants took their case to court to protest against the over-domination of the accountancy profession by the \u201cBig Four\u201d international firms.<\/p>\n
The killer assessment was delivered by a Lagos based firm which chose to grab the bull by the horns and pleaded with the court to deliver the rest of the cow which is being milked by only four firms.<\/p>\n
The strategy to be adopted is that from each state of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja at least one firm of chartered accountants would pursue a similar action in court to challenge the \u201cmonopoly\u201d of the accounting profession.\u00a0 This is an explosive matter.<\/p>\n
Already, the searchlight is on Nigeria.\u00a0 The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon is committed to the \u201cOne Nation At Time\u201d policy whereby the next General Assembly scheduled to hold in New York from July 14 to 18, 2014 would focus on only one country \u2013 NIGERIA !!<\/p>\n
The brilliant innovation has already secured the support of President Barack Obama of the United States of America who on NBC\u2019s \u201cGood Morning America\u201d defended his endorsement of \u201cThe Power of One\u201d:<\/p>\n
\u201cAmerica remains a super power.\u00a0 However, we are not ready to commit our military to fighting wars all over the world \u2013 especially other people\u2019s wars.\u00a0 We shall deploy our military to defend our interest only when there is a clear threat to the safety and security of our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The President of the United States of America then resorted to the use of a coded message:<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhat is going on in Zimboda is a semblance of democracy.\u00a0 They are not preparing for election in 2015.\u00a0 What they are preparing for is war.\u00a0 The fall out of the war will be a colossal disaster.\u00a0 What is emerging is a consistent pattern of \u201cEDS\u201d [Exceptionally Disturbing Signals] ranging from Boko Haram insurgency to electoral malpractices and endemic corruption on a scale which has provoked the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Rotimi Amaechi to declare on CNN:<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe reason corruption persists is because we do not stone the culprits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barrack Obama was not done yet.\u00a0 He added that America remains committed to global stability, good order and justice.<\/p>\n
Hence, he is ready to instruct his representative at the United Nations, Samantha Power to table the following issues at the forthcoming General Assembly:<\/p>\n
President Barack Obama had barely finished his policy statement when the television station was flooded with demands for \u201cThe Right of Reply\u201d as enshrined in the American Constitution – those who disagree with the President are entitled to equal time on television, radio etc.\u00a0 First in the queue were \u201cThe Academics\u201d whose main focus is Boko Haram, which in their opinion should not be slammed with the designation of \u201cFTO\u201d [Foreign Terror Organization] because they prefer to rely on \u201cpersuasion\u201d rather than \u201cnon-negotiation\u201d with terrorists.<\/p>\n
The full text of their deposition is as follows:<\/p>\n
\u201cAs scholars with a special interest in Nigeria and broad expertise on African politics, we are writing to urge you not to designate Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FT0).\u00a0 We are acutely aware of the horrific violence perpetrated by Boko Haram, including attacks on both Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, whether government officials or civilian targets.\u00a0 We share your concerns about the impact of extremist violence on Nigeria\u2019s democratic progress and security in general.<\/p>\n
However an FTO designation would internationalize Boko Haram, legitimize abuses by Nigeria\u2019s security services, limit the State Department\u2019s latitude in shaping a long term strategy, and undermine the US Government\u2019s ability to receive effective independent analysis from the region.<\/p>\n
An FTO designation would internationalize Boko Haram\u2019s standing and enhance its status among radical organizations elsewhere.\u00a0 Boko Haram\u2019s recent tactics, including the use of suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices, raise questions about their foreign links.\u00a0 The network\u2019s focus has been overwhelmingly domestic, despite an August 2011 attack on the United Nations office in Abuja.<\/p>\n
Rhetorically, some of Boko Haram\u2019s critique of northern underdevelopment and elite corruption is within the realm of mainstream political discourse.\u00a0 But there are clear indications that their tactics and targets have turned most Nigerians against them, including local populations in the north.\u00a0 An FTO designation would potentially shift the organization\u2019s posture towards the US and validate the more radical factions\u2019 analysis of outsider influence in Nigeria.\u00a0 It would also undermine the Nigerian government\u2019s ability to address the problem through law enforcement and thereby improve rule of law.<\/p>\n
An FTO designation would give disproportionate attention to counter-terrorism in our bilateral relations, and increase the risk that the US becomes linked \u2013 whether in reality or perception \u2013 to abuses by the security services.\u00a0 An FTO designation would effectively endorse excessive use of force at a time when the rule of law in Nigeria hangs in the balance.\u00a0 There is already evidence that abuses by Nigeria\u2019s security services have facilitated radical recruitment.\u00a0 This was made unequivocally clear in 2009 following the extrajudicial murder of Mohammed Yusuf, which was broadcast across the internet.<\/p>\n
That incident was immediately followed by Boko Haram\u2019s radicalization, splintering and increased propensity for large scale violence.\u00a0 Moreover routine use of the military for domestic law enforcement is a cause for alarm in a country with a deep history of military rule and where formal declarations of states of emergency have historically led to broader political instability.<\/p>\n
In publicizing this letter, it is also our hope that the Department of Defense and other concerned agencies will reaffirm the limitations of their roles: informing or implementing policy rather than making it.\u00a0 Accurately understanding and properly addressing the issue of Boko Haram will require a diplomatic developmental and demilitarized framework.\u00a0 The State Department and its civilian development partners must be in the lead.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe FTO list system has its origins in Executive Order 12947 in 1995, which was designed to prohibit transactions with organizations that interfere in the Middle East peace process.<\/p>\n
\u201cCongressional legislation the following year codified a process for making such decisions under the Effective Death Penalty and Anti-Terrorism Act.\u00a0 Once the State Department makes an FTO designation and that entity is added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list managed by the Treasury Department, it is illegal for US citizens to have any interactions with that entity unless they apply for a license.\u00a0 At least 1.1 million individuals and entities are also on secret lists, according to an audit by the Federal Bureau of Investigation\u2019s Inspector General.\u00a0 Lack of information about the criteria for being listed makes it impossible to be removed and encourages selective enforcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis cumbersome and arbitrary process has made it impossible for some humanitarian organizations to operate in the neediest areas of Africa.\u00a0 If economic development is to play a role in alleviating tensions in northern Nigeria, we should not hamper access by USAID or private NGOs in providing aid and assistance in the region.<\/p>\n
Should Boko Haram be designated an FTO through this regime, it would be illegal for non-governmental organizations to interact with members of Boko Haram \u2013 even if the purpose of such contact was to persuade them to renounce violence.\u00a0 The US Supreme Court upheld these restrictions in 2010, declaring that such contact would constitute providing \u201cmaterial support\u201d to terrorist groups.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the threat this refer to President Jimmy Carter said on legal restriction \u201cthreatens our work and the work of many other peacemaking organizations that must interact directly with groups that have engaged in violence.\u00a0 \u201cIt would therefore be illegal for third party intermediaries to play a role in some future peace process or in the confidence building measures required to get there.<\/p>\n
\u201cLess attention has been brought to the academic inquiry more generally.\u00a0 An FTO designation would prevent independent scholarly inquiry about Boko Haram and increase suspicion in the future about researchers with no governmental ties.\u00a0 Public policy benefits from dialogue with public scholars and an FTO designation would effectively criminalize broad categories of research.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring a visit to Nigeria in February, former president Bill Clinton commented on the security crisis there by concluding that \u201cit is almost impossible to cure a problem based on violence with violence.\u201d\u00a0 A lasting solution to Boko Haram will require robust political and developmental components initiated by the Nigerian government and broadly endorsed by the Nigerian people through democratic processes that enhance the rule of law.\u00a0 We believe that an FTO designation for Boko Haram would limit American policy options to those least likely to work, and would undermine the domestic political conditions necessary in Nigeria for an enduring solution.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe thank you for taking our views into consideration.\u00a0 Our affiliations are listed for identification purposes only and do not constitute an institutional endorsement.\u201d<\/p>\n
The list of the academics is as follows:<\/p>\n
Additional names added since May 21:<\/i><\/p>\n Bashorun J.K. Randle is<\/p>\n Chairman & Chief Executive<\/p>\n JK Randle Professional Services<\/p>\n Chartered Accountants<\/p>\n \u201cX KPMG HOUSE\u201d<\/p>\n\n