… Commends SWAN for Impacting Lives through CSR
Lagos State Government has called on Women Accountants across the country to rise up to the challenges of financial mismanagement, recklessness and wastes in public service so as to save the nation’s economy from total collapse.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Finance, Mrs.Yemi Ayoola, gave the advice during a courtesy visit by the Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN) to the Ministry at the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
She stated the need for women Accountants across the Federation to use their innate talents as mothers, as well as the ethics of their profession, to effect positive changes necessary for ethical rebirth and financial discipline in public service across the country.
According to her, Women Accountants in the country have a vital role to play in bringing back sanity, transparency, due process and financial discipline to the nation’s public service to pave the way for more sustainable growth of the nation’s economy.
While commending the body for using its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to impact the lives of vulnerable Nigerians, Ayoola tasked SWAN not to relent in waging war against domestic and sexual violence, drug abuse, banditry, kidnapping, youth restiveness and other social vices capable of undermining the nation’s development growth.
Her words: “As a senior member of SWAN, l want to acknowledge your various contributions to the growth of our society. Your association, despite being non-profit, has done a lot in assisting the less privileged, giving voice to the voiceless, raising the hope of the hopeless as well as standing against all forms of abuses against women”.
She added that the State Government is second to none in prioritising the capacity building of its professionals in the State Public Service, including ICAN members, noting that efficient service delivery is hinged on the availability of a competent and well-trained workforce, who must always be there to drive various development initiatives of government.
The Permanent Secretary, while thanking the National President of SWAN, Mrs. Felicia Bamigbose, also commended the leadership and members of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Somolu Branch, who had also paid a similar visit to the Ministry, noting that the solidarity visits by the two sister bodies would encourage her to work harder and bring more glory to the accounting profession.
Ayoola, however, charged them to prioritise the capacity building of their members by regularly organising training and retraining programmes as well as retreats to enhance their professionalism and social exposure.
Earlier, SWAN President, Mrs. Felicia Bamigbose said the visit was aimed at showing solidarity and identifying with the success made by the Permanent Secretary as one of their members.
According to her, it is a thing of joy for the association seeing one of their members not only becoming Permanent Secretary, but also reaching the pinnacle of the Profession and occupying a position often dominated by men.
“We are proud of you, we thank God for your elevation, while we pray for divine wisdom and favour that will make you excel in this new position”, she prayed.
Mrs. Bamigbose, who harped on the role of SWAN and what it stood for, listed some of their achievements to include the empowerment of members, capacity building and rendering support to the less privileged members of the society, among others.
