Amputee footballer bemoans public apathy towards group’s game

Lagos – A Lagos- based amputee footballer, Sunday Ogunbiyi, on Friday appealed  to public-spirited individuals and corporate organisations to  support the development of the amputee football in Nigeria.

Ogunbiyi in Lagos said that the physically challenged footballers needed assistance to grow in their chosen career and bring glory to their country.

“It will not be good seeing people that are physically challenged roaming the street.

“But we are using this medium to create awareness for the public; they should come and support us.

“Everybody is needed, the ministers, the federal public servants, even private investors can come and help us.’’

He expressed dismay that physically challenged persons were begging for arms, saying little assistance could be all they needed  to engage in meaningful vocations such as football.

Ogunbiyi , however, charged the physically challenged to keep hope alive by imbibing  the spirit of “ability in disability”.

The amputee footballer expressed optimism that if the right things were put in place the group’s football would be a force to reckon with, just like the able bodied footballers.

Ogunbiyi also called on corporate bodies to donate facilities to the Nigeria Amputee Football Federation (NAFF) to enhance the training programmes of the athletes. (NAN)

Sources

High-profile persecutions needed to tackle corruption – Accountants

Accountants in the Sub-Saharan Africa have identified high-profile prosecutions and whistle blowing laws as necessary measures to tackle bribery and corruption in the business environment.

This is one of the highlights of a survey of accountants in the sub-region conducted by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

The survey showed that 77 per cent of accountants in the region believe that bribery is a major concern for businesses in the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector, while 64 per cent said it has a negative impact on the business environment as a whole.

Also more than half of the accountants surveyed said that the law should not treat bribery and corruption more leniently in the SME sector than in the large company or public sectors.

The report titled “ the SME Sector” was conducted by ACCA amongst 1000 of its global members. The findings reveal a concern that many SMEs are not taking the right steps to mitigate the risks of exposure to bribery and corruption. It also suggests that many businesses have been willing to mis-state financial statements to cover up for bribery and corruption and that recourse to such practices has been exacerbated by the global financial crisis.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Head of ACCA  Nigeria, “While Sub Saharan Africa is a huge place, it is clear that there is a consensus amongst respondents that bribery and corruption damages a business’s reputation and makes it harder to attract investment. The big question for accountants here in Nigeria is how do we tackle bribery and corruption?  The research respondents said the most effective methods would be whistle-blowing laws and more high profile prosecutions.”

Source: