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The unethical practices of accountants and auditors and the compromising stance of professional bodies in the corporate world: Evidence from corporate Nigeria

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  • Owolabi M. Bakre

Abstract

Investors in Nigeria have lost several billions of dollars through the collusion of accountants and external auditors with companies’ management and directors to falsify and deliberately overstate companies’ accounts. As a consequence of unethical practices by accountants and auditors, which have resulted in the distress or occasionally the closure of companies, some indigenous Nigerian Managing Directors of multinational corporations such as Lever Brothers Nigeria Plc and Cadbury Nigeria Plc have been sacked and replaced with expatriates. Some companies placed under receivership have also lost billions of dollars due to professional misconduct by their official receivers. Contrary to the claim of ‘protecting the public interest,’ accountants and auditors may be partly responsible for cases of distress and closure of companies and banking institutions in Nigeria. However, the various Statutory Provisions and Acts relating to companies and professional bodies all place the responsibility on the accountants and auditors to detect and report to the regulators cases of suspected fraud and accounting malpractice. Through detailed consideration of cases of fraud, falsifications and deliberate overstatement of companies’ accounts, this paper examines the claim that the professional bodies are capable of protecting the public interest. It utilizes archival documents to provide evidence that suggests professional misconduct by accountants, particularly the members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). The paper provides further evidence that ICAN has been reluctant to either investigate or sanction its erring members. The paper posits that the reluctance or inability of the ICAN’s “Investigation and Disciplinary Machinery” to either investigate or discipline the erring accountants and auditors suggests that whether by design or default, the ICAN’s “Investigation and Disciplinary Machinery” operates to shield the activities of its erring members in accountancy firms from critical scrutiny.

Suggested Citation

  • Owolabi M. Bakre, 2007. "The unethical practices of accountants and auditors and the compromising stance of professional bodies in the corporate world: Evidence from corporate Nigeria," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(3), pages 277-303, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:accfor:v:31:y:2007:i:3:p:277-303
    DOI: 10.1016/j.accfor.2007.06.001
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kimani, Danson & Ullah, Subhan & Kodwani, Devendra & Akhtar, Pervaiz, 2021. "Analysing corporate governance and accountability practices from an African neo-patrimonialism perspective: Insights from Kenya," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    2. Abdul-Baki, Zayyad & Uthman, Ahmad B. & Kasum, Abubakar S., 2021. "The role of accounting and accountants in the oil subsidy corruption scandal in Nigeria," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    3. Otusanya, Olatunde Julius, 2011. "The role of multinational companies in tax evasion and tax avoidance: The case of Nigeria," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 316-332.
    4. Juhendra Debbarma & Chinmoy Roy, 2023. "Effects of Corporate Governance on Creative Accounting Practices: Evidence from NSE-listed Companies in India," Indian Journal of Corporate Governance, , vol. 16(1), pages 52-78, June.
    5. Bakre, Owolabi M. & Lauwo, Sarah, 2016. "Privatisation and accountability in a “crony capitalist” Nigerian state," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 45-58.
    6. Jeppesen, Kim K., 2019. "The role of auditing in the fight against corruption," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(5).
    7. Yinka M. Salaudeen & Jide Ibikunle & Emmanuel Ib Chima, 2015. "Unethical Accounting Practice and Financial Reporting Quality: Evidence from Nigeria," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 5(2), pages 143-150, April.
    8. Sankay Oboh, Collins, 2020. "The Influence Of Perceived System Of Justice, Magnitude Of Consequences And Social Consensus On Ethical Decision-Making Among Professional Accountants In Nigeria," International Journal of Contemporary Accounting Issues-IJCAI (formerly International Journal of Accounting & Finance IJAF), The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), vol. 9(2), pages 46-73, September.
    9. Akintola Owolabi & Francis O. Iyoha, 2012. "Adopting International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Africa: benefits, prospects and challenges," African Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 1(1), pages 77-86.
    10. Fagbemi Temitope Olamide, 2020. "Impact of Environmental, Demographical and Personal Factors on Auditors’ Ethical Decision Making in Nigeria," Studia Universitatis „Vasile Goldis” Arad – Economics Series, Sciendo, vol. 30(3), pages 35-58, September.
    11. Antony Young & Yi Wang, 2010. "Multi-risk level examination of going concern modifications," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 25(8), pages 756-791, September.
    12. Musa Success Jibrin & Success Ejura Blessing & Iyaji Danjuma, 2014. "The Role of Auditors in the Recent Nigerian Banking Crisis," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 4(3), pages 231-251, March.
    13. Anubha Srivastava & Preeti Kulshrestha, 2021. "Ind-AS Enforcement in India: An Assessment of Readiness, Benefits and Key Challenges," Paradigm, , vol. 25(1), pages 25-41, June.
    14. Gallhofer, Sonja & Haslam, Jim & Kamla, Rania, 2011. "The accountancy profession and the ambiguities of globalisation in a post-colonial, Middle Eastern and Islamic context: Perceptions of accountants in Syria," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 376-395.

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