Accountants have been warned not to compromise their profession's ethics.
The charge was delivered yesterday at the 8th Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) and induction of newly certified members of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN).
The guest speaker, Mahmoud Mukhtar, who delivered a paper titled 'Managing the Impact of Non-Audit Services on Auditors' Independence,' advised the inductees to promote the profession's integrity, warning that anyone found in breach of the code of ethics would be expelled.
Dick Irri, a deputy director at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) represented by Sani Dahiru, lectured the inductees on the importance of confidentiality in accounting, noting that "any attempt to divulge information or documents of any organization may tarnish that individual's life as an accountant."
He added: “Be objective and always see yourself as part of the management that you are probing, as this is part of the ethical code of conduct.
“Auditors are expected to provide services without being biased because the person or organisation giving the work may tend to provide additional income. And in that context, such accountant may thwart the practice, and that could attract greater consequences.”
Speaking earlier, ANAN president, Benjamin Osisioma, represented by his vice president, James Neminebor, said the profession is the hallmark in any office, stressing that when an accountant fails in his duty, a company collapses.