Table of Contents
ACRONYMS
DEFINITIONS
PREAMBLE
ARTICLE 1 GENERAL STATEMENTS
Section 1 Name
Section 2 Nature of the Association
Section 3 Governing Law and Place of Registration
Section 4 Objectives
Section 5 Powers
ARTICLE 2 MEMBERSHIP, RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Section 1 Membership
Section 2 Members Rights and Responsibilities
Section 3 Cessation of Membership
ARTICLE 3 GOVERNANCE
Section 1 Governing Bodies
Section 2 The General Assembly
Section 3 The Council
Section 4 Executive Committee
ARTICLE 4 OFFICERS
Section 1 Officers
Section 2 The Presidency
Section 3 The Treasurer
ARTICLE 5 FINANCE, FUNDING AND AUDIT
Section 1 Funding
Section 2 Financial Provisions
Section 3 Audit
ARTICLE 6 MEETINGS
Section 1 General Assembly
Section 2 Council Meeting
Section 3 Annual General Meeting
Section 4 Notice
Section 5 Chairperson
Section 6 Quorum
Section 7 Voting System
ARTICLE 7 THE SECRETARIAT
Section 1 Administrative Office
Section 2 Secretariat
Section 3 The Executive Secretary
ARTICLE 8 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1 Common Seal
Section 2 Property
Section 3 Official Languages
ARTICLE 9 AMENDMENTS
Section 1 Power to Amend
Section 2 Effective Date
ARTICLE 10 DISSOLUTION
ARTICLE 11 TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS
ARTICLE 12 INTEPRETATION AND CONFLICTS OF GOVERNING DOCUMENTS
ACRONYMS:
ABWA : Association of Accountancy Bodies in West Africa
ECOWAS: Economic Community of West African States
IASB: International Accounting Standards Board
ICAG : Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana
ICAN: Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria
IFAC: International Association of Accountants
PAFA: Pan African Association of Accountants
PAO : Professional Accountancy Organisation
SMOs: Statement of Membership Obligations
DEFINITIONS
In this Constitution:
A duly constituted
meeting is a Council or Executive Committee meeting (a) for which due notice has been provided to the appropriate members, or for which notice has been waived in accordance with the Bye-laws, and (b) at which a quorum of the members, has been established.
All Sections and Articles
Note: All references in this Constitution refer to the provisions of this
Constitution, unless otherwise stated.
Bye-laws means the Bye-laws of ABWA as approved by the Council of ABWA in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.
Congress means a gathering of delegates of member bodies, friends and invited
guests for the exchange and dissemination of professional knowledge and views.
Council means the Council of ABWA.
Council Meeting refers to both an Ordinary Meeting and Special Meeting of the Council.
Delinquent Member
Body means a member body that has failed to pay its financial contributions
within three months of the date that such contributions fall due.
General Assembly means a General Assembly of ABWA held on the occasion of every Congress.
Good Standing means that the member body, associate or affiliate, as the case may be, which has not been suspended, and that have met all obligations (financial, active participation in the activities of ABWA, etc.
Member Body means a professional accountancy organization that has been admitted by the Council to ABWA.
Suspended Member
Body means that although not in good standing, such member body continues to
retain its status as a member body but shall not be entitled to the rights and privileges of a member body.
Statements of
Membership means requirements established by IFAC and adopted by ABWA for
Obligations full members and associates to promote, incorporate and assist in implementing international standards issued by IFAC and IASB.
West Africa shall comprise the following countries from the ECOWAS region:
(1) Benin
(2) Burkina Faso
(3) Cameroon
(4) Cape Verde
(6) Cote d’Ivoire
(7) Ghana
(8) Guinea
(9) Guinea Bissau
(10) Liberia
(11) Mali
(12) Niger
(13) Nigeria
(14) Senegal
(15) Sierra Leone
(16) The Gambia
(17) Togo
OPENING SECTION:
Vision
To effectively lead the development of the accountancy profession in the West African sub-region in the public interest.
Mission
To promote the growth of and strengthen the accountancy profession in West Africa such that it remains a valued partner in the building of strong, sustainable organisations and financial markets for the development of sub-region’s economy while acting in the public interest.
PREAMBLE
We, the members of the Association of Accountancy Bodies in West Africa, which was inaugurated in 1982 as a regional organisation for the accountancy profession in West Africa, registered as a body corporate in 1994 in Nigeria, with its corporate headquarters located in Abuja, Nigeria, having recognized that the Constitution under which we have been operating is no longer adequate; having realized that in order to better serve our purposes at this stage of our development, thus need a new Constitution, do hereby resolve to revise the Constitution under which we presently operate.
