The federal government has disclosed its readiness to partner with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) to train civil servants on forensic investigation to ensure accountability and efficient service delivery.
Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita made this known in Abuja when president and members of the governing council of ICAN visited her in her office.
She said time has come for the inculcation of new innovations and proactive attitude to improve the skills of civil servants thereby ensuring better service delivery to Nigerians.
She training of civil servants on forensic investigation would not only restore integrity and dignity of the service which the present administration hopes to achieve, but also ensure an efficient, productive, Incorruptible and citizen-centred civil servant.
She said accuracy and integrity place the accounting profession above board in the discharge of its duties which is in consonance with the newly adopted International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).
She said the IPSAS is an accrual based standard used for the preparation of general purpose financial statements by government and other public sector entities around the world to enhance the quality, consistency and transparency of public sector financial reporting world-wide.
In his remarks, president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Mr Otunba Femi Deru said there was the need for nomination and sponsorship of accountants in the civil service to enable them attend courses outlined by its professional body in order to enhance their skills.
He said the training was necessary because knowledge is perishable when not renewed.
He expressed confidence that civil servants would perform optimally if the present administration would explore possible ways to equip them with relevant skills and materials, especially in this era of ICT.