The President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Dr. Innocent Iweka Okwuosa, has extolled the late Chief Akintola Williams, Nigeria’s first chartered accountant, as the person who provided professional shade for chartered accountants to prosper in Nigeria with the founding of the ICAN.

Okwuosa paid this glowing tribute to Williams at a press conference to, “Commemorate the Life and Times of Pa Akintola Williams” in which he described Williams as one of the few illustrious Nigerians whose character was untainted with any form of financial misappropriation in a country that corruption has remained an albatross to national development.

He said: “This Is the least we could do for a man who planted the tree that is providing professional shade for over 60,000 chartered accountants.

“Let me reiterate the essence of this press conference: It is a reminder to everyone to live a life that is truly worth celebrating. It is to re-echo the importance of thinking beyond ourselves and to see the bigger picture of service to humanity.

“We are here to restate the immutable law that no society grows without its citizens realising that nation-building is a collective responsibility. This simply encapsulates what Mr. Akintola Williams practically demonstrated in his 104years of existence.”

He also described Williams’ life as that of sacrifice and service as he used every opportunity in his long period of years to positively impact lives.

“It suffices to say that without his visionary leadership, we may not be here today. He established an institute that has remained a formidable force in the accounting profession not only in Nigeria but globally,” he said.

Okwuosa said Williams’ leadership style was impeccable and enjoined every member of the institute as leaders in their own right to follow the path of truth and integrity as Williams did.

“We all yearn for a country that works, but Nigeria would work when we all work hard to make it work. We must eschew, as our doyen religiously did, anything that would not contribute to national growth and development.

“Mr. Williams was a man of peace who was outstandingly successful in all his endavours. Growth and development would remain a mirage in an atmosphere of pervasive insecurity and unrest. Every part of our society must contribute to restoring peace and safety in the country, with the government providing the lead while every citizen supports in our own different ways,” he said.

The 59th president of ICAN noted that even though corruption has become an albatross to national prosperity, “Mr. Akintola Williams remains one of the illustrious Nigerians whose character was untainted with any form of financial misappropriation.

“As chartered accountants, one way we would immortalise his memory is to continue to advocate for a society where accountability and transparency are the norm rather than the exception.” (THISDAY)

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