From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

With overseas migration becoming the order of the day among Nigerian youths, the Executive Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes & Wages Commission, Mr Ekpo Nta, has advised those with such plans to imbibe integrity, transparency and hard work before leaving Nigerian shores.

Nta gave the charge at the 2022 Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN) Integrity and Excellence Award Ceremony held in Abuja recently.

According to him, “one of the traits that are highly appreciated in the western world and is necessary for success in those societies is integrity.

“I think it’s a feature that is very difficult to keep because integrity comes with a lot of pain and things you will miss. But at the end of the day, it pays off because it is something that you can transfer to your family. You might not be able to transfer money or physical assets but you can transfer a good name which will open doors for your family in the future. And for the young persons particularly, all those who are going off to foreign lands or what you now call “Japa”, you will discover that in those lands, what they value most, is ethics and integrity.

“So you must have that before you begin to think of going to other people’s communities. And that is what this Society of Women Accountants represents and that is what I keep telling every single person in this country.”

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Speaking further, the former Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission’s (ICPC) Chairman, further said: “Can you imagine if we use this concept of ethics and integrity with our market women? They would measure with the right containers. Even if you look away, they will not use the back of the container to measure rice for you. So, it cuts across everybody. It doesn’t have to be when you are a public officer.”

He urged the SWAN to educate women in the nation on proper money management, noting that they bear a heavy burden as the foundation of the family.

“I am very particular about women because they are under extreme pressure and if you don’t build the woman to build the home, then your nation is not anywhere. Have you ever seen a woman eat before the child in the home? The father will eat and say “I am going to look for more money to survive.” But the woman is the root of the home and if you get the home right then, you will get the nation right. That is why I am charging the Women’s Society of Accountants to begin to teach women how to manage money,” he stated.

In her remarks, SWAN Chairperson, Abuja chapter, Joy Esu, explained that the event was an avenue for the organisation to garner support for its various charity projects and to recognise captains of various industries who have distinguished themselves in their fields of endeavours.

“Normally, during the year’s end, we have award events such as this. So for this year, 2022, we decided to have a charity ball event to raise money to fund the charity. We have orphanage visitations, catch them young events, hospital visitations, and a whole lot more. So we did this to raise support for those activities and also to award deserving captains of industries, organisations and individuals that have excelled in their different fields and areas of endeavours. So we put this together as a way of encouraging people to do more, as a way of encouraging people to be excellent in whatever thing that they do,” she said.