Forensic Audit President Enape, solicits cooperation from ICAN

Dr Victoria Enape, Pro tem President, Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Auditors of Nigeria (CIFIAN), has appealed for cooperation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and other professional bodies. Enape urged other professional bodies, especially ICAN, to join hands with CIFIAN, in order to ensure that forensic auditing, which is a new trend in global auditing, becomes a reality.

Enape spoke in Abuja, during CIFIAN’s training and mandatory continuing professional education programme, with the theme, “Transition to Forensic and Investigative Audit. The pro tem President said that “ there is no duplication of duties between CIFIAN, ICAN or any other professional body in Nigeria. The reason is because our forensic and investigative audit is a current trend in the whole world,’’ she said.

She maintained that as at 1965 when some of these bills were enacted, there was nothing like forensic audit, “even in the whole world.’’ Enape said that it was therefore wrong for anyone to say that this current trend is already embedded in the bill of 1965. “We are pleading with ICAN that they should calm down, let’s work together. We are no threat to any professional body in Nigeria but only trying to fill a vacuum,’’ she said. She  also said that  forensic and investigative auditors represent a global shift from traditional auditing practice to skillful deployment of science and technology to prevent and track fraud.

She said that forensic auditing was a child of necessity, as fraudsters had become sophisticated. Enape said that CIFIA’s emphasis is on forensic and investigative auditing and not just accounting. “The whole world has gone digital and Nigeria need to embrace this current trend.’’ She pointed out that “ICAN should know that accountant is an auditor, but an auditor must or may not be an accountant. Forensic and investigative auditors only need knowledge of accounting to unravel manipulations of accounting facts and figures in the financial statement prepared by an accountant.

“Therefore, forensic auditors must not necessarily be only accountants, considering the nature of the work involved,’’ Enape said. She said that CIFIAN was “here to salvage the country from total collapse, hence, any well-meaning Nigerian will join hands to ensure that the CIFIAN bill is signed into law.’’ She said that by the time the bill is signed, fraud will be prevented from taking place and the country will save money and channel it into infrastructure development.