The president of the Compliance Institute, Nigeria (CIN), Mr. Pattison Boleigha, has said Nigeria can easily win the anti-corruption war if it encourages compliance culture among the populace.
Boleigha disclosed this in Lagos yesterday at the induction and investiture ceremony for over 180 new members of the CIN.
He said the investiture is a giant stride towards actualizing Nigeria’s efforts to stem the scourge of corruption, defeat terrorism, instil discipline and a culture of compliance in Nigeria.
“The political and economic environment in Nigeria and globally has recently gone through tremendous changes with a fast pace in changes in regulation in all sectors.
“To meet the fast pace changes, the need for compliance culture to be driven by compliance professionals become very expedient and this led to the existence of the institute,” he said.
While congratulating the inductees, Boleigha assured them that they have joined a select crop of professionals that will help reshape the corporate compliance culture in Nigeria, Africa and the world.
“The skills, knowledge and expertise that you have gained will enhance your professional competencies and enable you to secure good compliance jobs.
“The induction has imposed on you the challenges of having to stand tall in integrity, impeccable in character, professional in service and uphold high ethical and professional standards,” he added.
He added that the institute has spread its activities to cover the rest of West Africa by having a Gambian as one of the inductees being one of the goals of the institute for 2018.
While delivering his keynote address titled: “The Role of CAC in the implementation of Beneficial Ownership Disclosure in Nigeria” at the event, the Director of Compliance and Litigation, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Alhaji Garba Abubakar, said no other governmental agency in Nigeria has the liberty of registering and incorporating companies, which makes it easier to track companies involved in money laundering.
“A lot of people have used the opportunity of a registered company as a tool for money laundering in the country. This is why there is need for the disclosure of all beneficiaries of companies so as to be able to enhance transparency and to help reduce the level of corruption in the country,” he said.
He urged all government agencies to promote synergy in order for all to be able to perform their respective duties effectively.
He called on all Compliance Officers to verify the status of companies with the CAC in their professional dealings with members of the public.
Among those inducted as Fellow of the CIN was the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu and eighteen others.
