At the 2022 Dinner and Award Night, Dec 11, 2022
Protocol
Distinguished professional colleagues, guests, ladies and gentlemen. It is indeed my pleasure to welcome you all to our maiden dinner and awards night. Today’s event is historical and I can only give thanks to God Almighty for how far He has brought us since our inauguration as a District Society May 12, 2021.
On behalf of my exemplary Exco members and the entire members of our great District, let me express my joy and appreciation to you all for finding time to celebrate with us this evening.
I would like to welcome in a special way the industrious Vice President of our great Institute – Barr. Samuel Agbeluyi, FCTI who also double as my mentor. I thank you very much sir for finding time to grace this occasion despite you having another major event today in which you are the host.
Permit me to lift my own words as captured during my investiture as your first chairman of this great District. “Yes, I am here today by the grace of Almighty God as the pioneer chairman of CITN Mowe/Arepo & District Society. I shall adopt and pursue a pragmatic road map that will distinguish and make our great district a cynosure of excellence and a pride not only to our parent district but the Institute at large. In synergy with my colleagues, I shall endeavour to lay a formidable foundation for the generations to come’’.
You would agree with me today that by the special grace of God Almighty we are on track and in perfect alignment with the aforementioned judging by our progress since inception. A very big thanks to my Exco, committee chairmen and members, and the entire members of our great district for their unflinching support and commitment towards all our programmes.
Worthy of mention are our dogged elders who have been of immense support and great pillars to our great district.
Today’s event is an avenue to converge tax professionals and other stakeholders in a less formal setting where we all network, dine and wine together while taking stock of the successes and inadequacies we recorded during the year. It signifies the end of all our activities as a district for the year.
Let me specially thank the 2022 dinner & awards night planning committee under the able leadership of Mr. Adebekun Rotimi for working tirelessly to give us a befitting event today.
One of the major highlights of today’s event is the award session. It is my joy that we are honouring our elders in the house today and I pray God continue to keep them all for us.
Distinguished guests, despite the harsh economic environment compounded by the war in Ukraine, global inflationary trend, sharp currency devaluation, and other unfavourable factors our district has continued to wax stronger. We have sixteen (16) members till date who were able to secure their CITN practicing licence, we have nothing less than eight (8) members serving in various committees at the national level, we are increasing in membership strength, we have been doing well in the area of capacity building for our members, also a few months ago we set up a Cooperative Society to assist members in the area of welfare and to enhance saving culture.
By the special grace of God in 2023 we shall be more intense in capacity building for our members, this is pertinent as we intend to key into the recent initiative of our indefatigable President- Mr. Adesina Adedayo, mni, FCTI with the slogan ‘’Tax Professionals…. the Hope of the Nation.
When you look at it critically, we are truly the hope of the Nation. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) contributed about 60% of revenue shared by FAAC in 2021, the figure has increased further in 2022. See THISDAY Newspaper June 28, 2022. It suffices to state that the survival of the nation is dependent on tax revenue. This simply means there are jobs for us all as tax professionals. What we need to learn more are:
- How do we identify these opportunities?
- How do we get better equipped?
- How do we carry out our tasks in a more professional way?
- How do we leverage ICT as tax professionals?
- How do we leverage the unique advantage of taxation being a multi- disciplinary profession?
It is on this note, I wish to seek your continuous support for our district and the Institute at large. Please, let us attend our monthly district meetings regularly especially when we call for physical meeting. We need one another, the benefits are enormous. I have on record several members who have been benefiting immensely as a result of being fully integrated into the district. Endeavour to serve in committees and other areas of leadership within the district and let’s continue to take our district to greater heights.
Permit me to bring my speech to a close as today is for us to dine and wine together while giving thanks to God Almighty.
I congratulate the recipients of our prestigious awards for contributing to the growth of our great district, the development of tax profession in Nigeria, and fostering the ideals of our great Institute.
Once again, I thank you all for your presence. Please, use this opportunity to network, exchange ideas and merry. Let me also use this medium to wish you a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year ahead.
Thank you and bon appetit.
Akin Akindele, LL.B, ACTI.
Pioneer District Chairman
Sunday, December 11, 2022.