By Tosin Omoniyi

Vice President Yemi Osibajo has said that the nation’s professional elite constitutes an important part of the administration’s fight against corruption in the country.

The Vice President also expressed the readiness of the federal government to work on both the judicial and justice sector reforms.

Osibajo, who met with leaders of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, on Tuesday, noted that some of the reforms being envisaged will require legislation.

The delegations were led by the two associations’ presidents: Augustine Alegeh, of the NBA, and Samuel Olufemi Deru, of ICAN.

Vice President Osibajo, who is also a lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, stated that reforms are crucial in the justice sector.

The NBA president, in his remarks thanked the VP for his charge and also expressed the happiness of its members over the elevation of the Vice President, adding that it showed the quality of his personality.

He called for judicial reforms, including the need for appointments especially into the appeal and supreme courts from the academia and deserving legal practitioners.

In a separate meeting with ICAN, Osibajo said there was the need for responsible professional elite in any thriving society, one that is ethical and courageous, especially at this time when everyone knew about the evils of corruption.

He said ICAN was especially rightly placed to expose corruption since its members are the professionals that audit the books of corporations and government agencies.

The Vice President observed that there were several government agencies, financial institutions and professional bodies that fell short of accounting standards and lacked transparency and accountability.

“What is now important is what each and every one of us, especially the professionals, can do to check and expose the evils of corruption,’’ he said.

Osibajo noted that if ICAN members and other professionals were diligent and courageous in the performance of their duty, it would go a long way in helping the administration in its fight against corruption, adding that ICAN members can always expose false accounting and insist on transparency and accountability in their daily work.

He also urged the Institute and other professional bodies to encourage whistle blowers to expose the ills of society.

He equally noted that ICAN had done well, adding that maintaining a smooth transitional process in its leadership clearly showed it was a democratic organization.

The ICAN president in his remarks hailed the resolve of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to tame corruption, adding that the Institute was poised to support the administration to fight the menace and other ills in the society.

“Our motto is accuracy and integrity and we are ready to support the government in this fight to ensure that our country is economically viable and that we do not imbibe the culture of corruption where anything goes,’’ he said.