A total of 5,160 students of combined 2010/2011 and 2011\2012 sessions formally graduated from the Nigerian College of Accountancy, Kwall, near Jos yesterday.

The fresh graduates bring to a total of 25,641 the number that has graduated from the college since 1984 when the college, a postgraduate school arm of National Association of Nigerian Accountants (ANAN), first graduated a set of 10 students.

Speaking at the 5th Convocation for Courses 17 & 18 of the college at the college permanent site in Kwall, Bassa local government area of Plateau State, President of ANAN Hajia Mariam Ladi Ibrahim who serves as chairman of the college's Board of Governors, urged the graduands to recognise that Nigeria's collective wealth "is in the hands of accountants" and to push for accountability and transparency and to fight corruption in all its ramifications wherever they work.

Chairman of the Convocation ceremony and pioneer Managing Director of Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria, now PAN Nigeria, Alhaji Isa Ozi Salami, asked the graduating accountants to accept responsibility for transparent accounting procedures and help cure the country of corruption.

Director General of the College Dr Joseph Femi Adebisi, explained that the college is a training ground for professional accountants.

He said, "After their university or polytechnic education, people come here to learn to be professionals. This institution brings you into a world of accounting practice."

The college is for accounting graduates what the Nigerian Law School is for fresh law graduates.