By Chioma Obinagwam
As part of efforts to promote ethics and professionalism, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has said it would be launching a new Ethics and Professionalism module.
The Head of ACCA Nigeria, Thomas Isibor revealed in a statement in honour of the Global Ethics Day held on October 18, 2017.
“It was Global Ethics Day on the 18th October 2017. At ACCA, it was an important occasion to focus on why ethics and professionalism matters on a global level,” Isibor said.
“That’s why ACCA is in the process of unveiling a series of evolutions in our Qualification, including a new Ethics & Professional Skills module,” he continued.
He added that the ACCA also recognises that it has a public duty to promote ethics beyond the boundaries of regulated professionals.
“Doing the right thing is everyone’s responsibility and, from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) down, any one of us can tarnish trust if we act unethically,” he stated.
In a digital age, Isibor said, we depend more than ever on the support of the wider business community to help uphold these standards.
“That is why we ask all of you to join ACCA in recommitting to ensuring business does the right thing and is a force for good,” he emphasized.
Yet for the business community here in Nigeria, the wider value of ethical behaviour, he noted, should be a 24-7, 365 concern.
“A decade on from the global financial crisis, communities and individuals are still living with the social and economic impacts of ethical failure,” he said.
“Professional ethics goes beyond risk management and compliance. When upheld, they are the foundation stone of trust and exchange,” he added.
All those involved in professional education have a duty to make sure individuals are equipped to apply the highest standards of ethical judgement throughout their careers in a fast-moving world.
ACCA is the global body for professional accountants.