Samuel Tyonongo Ukura, B.Sc, MBA, M.Sc, ACTI, FCA, OFR

Born on 5th June 1956 at Akpa-Mbakor in Tarka LGA of Benue State, Mr Ukura is a graduate of Accounting from Bayero University and also holds an MBA from University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu Campus. In 1992, he was conferred with the Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, (FCA) and also an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, (ACTI). Mr. Samuel T. Ukura served in various capacities and in various Ministries in the Benue State Government of Nigeria. He served as Accountant in-charge of salaries of Ministry of Education, Markudi, 1985; Accountant Sub-Treasury, Markudi, 1986; Principal Accountant  Final Accounts-Office of the Accountant General, Benue State, 1990-1993; Chief Accountant- Hospitals Management Board, Markudi, 1993-1997;  Member of Funds Management Committee set up by the Benue State Government; and Auditor General for  Benue State, 1997, amongst others.

He is a member of various committees such as:
(A) Chairman, Markudi and District Society of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) 2007 till Date.
(B) Lecturer – ICAN Revision Classes for Markudi and District Society.
(C) Member, Representing the North Central on Committee set up by the Auditor- General for the Federation (AGF) to draft Audit Law for Nigeria.
(D) Chairman, Committee to determine total revenue collected and amount remitted to Government  between 1996-1998 in Benue State.
(E) Represented State Auditors –General during Public Hearings of both Houses of the National Assembly on the Bill for an Act to Provide for additional  powers and for the office of the Auditor – General for the Federation and matters connected there with.

On June 9, 2010, Mr S. Ukura was counted very worthy to be appointed the Auditor-General for the Federation by the late President Umaru Musa Yar-Adua and was subsequently confirmed by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Also, on 20th September 2014, Mr Ukura was conferred with the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) award by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan (GCON). The Auditor General has attended various courses/workshops within and outside the country.  He is happily married with three Children.

Obiageli Ezekwesili

(Guest Speaker on Leadership – “Turning Leadership from Capacity to Capacity)”.

    Obiageli Ezekwesili is a Nigerian Chartered Accountant. She was a co-founder of Transparency International, serving as one of the pioneer directors of the global anti-corruption body based in Berlin, Germany. She served as Federal Minister of Solid Minerals and then as Federal Minister of Education during the second-term Presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo.
    Since then, she served as the Vice President of the World Bank’s Africa division from May 2007 to May 2012. As Vice President she was in charge of the bank’s operations in 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and supervised a lending portfolio of over $40 billion.
In the aftermath of the nearly 300 mainly Christian girls who were abducted from Chibok by the Islamist militant group (Boko Haram), Ezekwesili was instrumental to the start of the viral #BringBackOurGirls campaign on social media, which trended internationally.
Ezekwesili holds a Master’s Degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos, as well as a Master of Public Administration degree from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. She trained with the firm of Deloitte and Touche and qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
Prior to working for the Government of Nigeria, Ezekwesili was working with Professor Jeffrey Sachs at the Center for International development at Harvard.

Jim Obazee

(Guest Speaker on Audit Innovation - “The Impact of IPSAS on Reforming Government Financial Management and Information Systems”.)

Jim Obazee has been Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer at the Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria (formerly Nigerian Accounting Standards Board) since November 2010.
Mr. Obazee has played very active roles in the development and issuance of accounting standards in Nigeria. In his role as accounting standards setter, he has been on attachment to the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), USA, Accounting Standards Board, Canada and at other times, on working visit to the International Accounting Standards Board (ISAB) and Accounting Standards Board, United Kingdom.
Mr. Obazee holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Benin, a Master of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos and a certification in Strategic Financial Analysis for Business Evaluation from Harvard University, USA. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a Professional member of the Nigerian Institute of Management and the American Accounting Association (AAA). He has so many written works.