The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) has launched an investigation into a viral video allegedly showing candidates being impersonated during its ongoing examinations.
In the footage, which circulated widely on social media, a man was apprehended for allegedly sitting the exam on behalf of a bank manager.
Another clip, also showed a woman who claimed she was writing the test for a commissioner in Taraba State.
In a statement signed by Registrar/Chief Executive of ICAN, Lanre Olasunkanmi, the institute reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on examination malpractice.
“The Institute’s examination processes are guided by globally accepted standards of integrity, and any attempt to compromise them is treated with utmost seriousness,” Olasunkanmi said.
He added that a thorough investigation had commenced and assured stakeholders that disciplinary measures would follow.
“Appropriate disciplinary measures will be applied in accordance with established regulations and the findings will be communicated transparently to stakeholders,” Olasunkanmi noted.
Taraba Commissioner Reacts
However, the Taraba State Commissioner of Finance, Dr. Sarah Enoch Adi, has strongly denied claims linking her to the impersonation scandal.
The female suspect in the viral clip alleged she was writing the ICAN examination on behalf of the commissioner. But Adi dismissed the claim as false and mischievous.
“Please, I don’t know anything about this issue. I saw the video clip in which a lady was caught writing the ICAN examination, and she claimed that I sent her. I have nothing to do with that,” the Taraba Commissioner told Daily Trust.
The commissioner further clarified that she is not affiliated with ICAN and, therefore, could not have been involved.
“I don’t know the lady caught, let alone sending her to write the ICAN examination, a body which I did not belong to,” she said.
She added that she had not been invited by the police over the matter and has chosen to ignore calls and messages about the viral video.
While ICAN continues its investigation, the case has drawn public attention to the wider issue of examination malpractice in Nigeria. Concerned Nigerians have urged the body to get to the root of the matter and protect the integrity of its certification process.
