From Joy Dennis, Yola

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) has called for stronger accountability and independent auditing of security expenditure, agricultural interventions and other public funds, saying financial transparency is critical to tackling insecurity and promoting economic development in Nigeria.
The call was contained in the communiqué issued yesterday, Thursday, at the end of the 21st Northern Zonal Accountants’ Conference held in Yola.

The accountants urged the Federal Government and National Assembly to strengthen public financial accountability by ensuring an independent and adequately empowered Federal Audit Service, while subjecting defense expenditure, security votes and security trust funds to appropriate audit and transparency. They also called for legal reforms, including the enactment of the proposed Audit Service and Procurement Bills.
The conference further recommended stronger financial controls in security procurement, including pre-qualified suppliers, defined spending limits, joint logistics coordination and mandatory post-procurement audits.
It also called for continuous verification of personnel records, payrolls, bank mandates, pension and related payments to reduce leakages and corruption within security institutions.

On agriculture, the conference said accountability gaps in intervention programmes had undermined efforts to achieve food security, noting that insecurity disrupts farming, market access and livelihoods. It recommended independent audits, beneficiary verification, transparent disbursement and repayment reporting, as well as evidence-based planning and long-term funding for agricultural programmes rather than politically driven interventions.
The accountants also called for greater involvement of professional accountants in combating kidnapping, terrorism financing and organised crime through the tracing of illicit financial flows and identification of suspicious transactions. They urged accountants to strengthen forensic accounting, financial intelligence, internal controls and compliance with anti-money-laundering requirements while maintaining professional independence and ethical standards.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, represented by the Commissioner of Finance, Augustina Wandamihya, said accountability was not only a professional ethic but a foundation for national security and economic development.
The 62nd ICAN President, Hajiya Queensley Sofuratu Seghosime, urged accountants to reject unethical practices, stressing that professional integrity and institutional accountability were essential to building public confidence and addressing insecurity.