DELSU VC Seeks More Partnership With ICAN, As 56th President Visits Abraka District

By Daniel Dafe (Abraka)

Vice Chancellor, Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Professor Andy Egwuyenga, has highlighted areas the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) can partner with the citadel of learning to achieve his administration’s quest to make Accounting Department very outstanding.

Professor Egwunyenga who spoke when the 56th President of ICAN, Dame Onome Joy Adewuyi, paid him a courtesy call on Monday, added that the university has high respect for the president.

Dame Adewuyi was on a two-day working visit to Abraka District.

According to him, on the 12th of March, 2021, he led others from DELSU to Lagos where the university entered into partnership with ICAN under the Mutual Cooperation Agreement with Tertiary Institutions (MCATI) to be a beneficiary of the institute’s arrangement to help build capacity in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

He continued: “We expect greater partnership with ICAN and I have identified ways in which this can happen.

“We want our academics and professionals to participate more in ICAN activities to publish in ICAN Journals. We want the university to be a beneficiary of ICAN 2.5 million naira annual research grant for academics.”

“We have also discussed with ICAN how we can collaborate to improve the capacity of our AIS laboratory and thus help us have a strong electronic laboratory which is critical for teaching and research in the Department of Accounting. ICAN can also assist in providing solar power to the laboratory,” he added.

He noted that the institution has a very high number of ICAN qualified professionals, saying that most of the senior accountants in DELSU’s Bursary Department are ICAN accountants.

The VC who also congratulated her for a successful tenure, said Delta State has benefited so much during her administration, noting that the ICAN Resource Center to be commissioned soon in Warri was one of the benefits of her tenure to the people of the state where she hails from.

Earlier, in her address, the ICAN boss hinted that ICAN has partnered with over 150 institutions in Nigeria, adding that the regular accreditation of accounting programes of tertiary institutions by ICAN affords graduates from such institutions to enjoy exemption from the ICAN’s professional examinations.

She added that the quality of accounting education of DELSU seen when the ICAN team visited the department led to the school’s recommendation for the MCATI scheme.

She said ICAN is very available to engage the Accounting Department of DELSU in order to deepen the collaborative initiatives of the institute.

Adewuyi was accompanied by Council members to the university community on Sunday for the two day visit.

She was received by the executive of the District led by the President, Ogheneroro Udjo, at Gordons Resort, Abraka, from where she proceeded on a visit to the Ovie of Oruarivie Abraka Kingdom, HRM Akpomeyoma Majoroh, Ojeta 11.

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Speaking at the palace of the monarch, she asserted that “ICAN holds “traditional institutions in high esteem,” adding that until governments at all levels accord this institution its rightful place in national development, the nation’s journey to meaningful development may not be realised.

She continued: “We are a respected voice on the budget process of the country and glad that after several years of our advocacy for early approval of the budget before January of every budget year, the current government has demonstrated commitment to adhering to this global standard. We hope that this would be sustained as it is critical to achieving any development plan of government.”

Speaking further, she said: “In our drive towards bridging the capacity building gap in the country, we have reached an advanced stage in the establishment of a specialized university.”

“The specialized university would address the challenge of thousands of postgraduate students seeking to study management courses such as accounting, economics and business administration but cannot gain admission due to limited spaces in the existing tertiary institutions,” she hinted.

Responding, the monarch said ICAN is known as an institute of integrity, saying that he is a friend of ICAN.

”I am very abreast and in touch with the activities of ICAN,” the monarch said.

He prayed that under the present administration, there will be peace as they go from strength to strength.

A dinner night was organized by the District on Sunday evening in her honour.