Akpabio mourns Akintola, says Nigeria lost an icon

The first native chartered accountant in Nigeria, Chief Akintola Williams, passed away on Monday in Lagos at the age of 104. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has expressed sorrow over his passing.

In a message of sympathy sent on Tuesday and signed by Eseme Eyiboh, his special adviser on media, public affairs, and communications, Akpabio bemoaned the loss of an institution and noted that the late Williams was an icon for the country.

According to Akpabio, “I took the news of the passing of our first indigenous chartered accountant, Chief Akintola Williams, with the utmost grief since there could not have been a better time than now when Nigeria needs to relish his fatherly advise and wisdom.

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The Senate President said, “It is undeniable that no Nigerian has had as much of an impact on the accounting profession as the late sage for his achievements are firmly set on the sands of history and would stay indelible in the annals of our country.
Senator Akpabio stated that “Nigeria has indeed lost an icon, an institution, and the father of accountancy who stood for truth and honesty and proclaimed the principle of accuracy and integrity with passion.”
The Senate President added that Chief Williams was a model citizen, an accountant to the core, and a stern enforcer whose footprints would be challenging for any accountant in Nigeria to match. He emphasised that “he symbolised hard work, resilience, and determination.”

According to Akpabio, “He played a key part in carving Nigeria’s enviable place on the international map in the accounting profession as the first indigenous chartered accountant. A great number of generations of accountants who entered the field as a result of him looked up to him.

“I join the millions of well-wishers around the world in offering my condolences to his immediate family, the accounting profession, and overall the Nigerian people.to lose this wise man.

The statement concluded, “May the Merciful God have mercy on the soul of Chief Akintola Williams and welcome him in His paradise, Amen, and may He have mercy on the family and give them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”