With a burning desire to fulfill his high motivational achievement in the field of academia and accounting profession, Dr. Dante Bendu has recently excelled himself in accounting discipline with the acquisition of an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualification.
Dr. Bendu, who said he’s cherished the accounting profession since his childhood days, holds a first degree, two post graduate masters and a PHD in accounting. Before obtaining his recent ACCA, Dr. Bendu has been a “university don” for a considerable period of time, and has since contributed in no small way towards the training of a huge number of accountants who now serve in all the major financial institutions in the country.
In a brief but very inspiring interaction with regards to his motivation recently, Dr. Bendu looked very much unassuming and innocent with a quiet disposition, but versatile in his discipline. In that brief chat, I learnt a lot from him, especially on what he defined as ‘functional education,’ which does not only limit anyone to academic endeavor but one that enhances one’s professional and practical endeavors to maximize quality socio-economic outputs .
He is all out ambitious when you take a reflection of his humble background from the prestigious Bo Government School right onto Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, where he obtained his Bsc, MA and Msc in accounting and finance before he later enrolled for his PHD in the same discipline.
Being a patriotic Sierra Leonean, Dr. Bendu has since taken to teaching and academia since1986 to help develop young Sierra Leoneans seeking a career in accounting and finance, while many of his contemporaries have since abandoned the classroom in the University for greener pastures.
I personally came to know Dr. Bendu a couple of years back as a likable teacher at the various syndicates in Freetown, where senior or high school pupils were prepared for the final general certificate school examination at ordinary level, which would qualify anyone to enroll at the University in furtherance of higher education.
Dr. Bendu and Mr. Kenneth Osho during our secondary school days were the most popular tutors at the cardinal, model, holy trinity and the Albert Academy syndicates.
The reason for their popularity was based on merit and their commitment in handling their respective subject areas which eventually propelled many students to universities, both at home and abroad.
Most of us wouldn’t have made it to the university level had it not been for the selfless efforts exhibited by Dr. Bendu and others, who skillfully compromise their busy schedules to inculcate knowledge in potential students who are today entrusted with public offices.
With the above contributions towards the development of human resource capacity in Sierra Leone, I don’t think this enviable University material would want to quit the corridors of University at this point in time when the university is grossly understaffed. Rather, I believe Dr.Bendu would prefer to stay and engage in consultancies as usual, conducting research, lecturing and serving as an external examiner at both local and international levels.
“If professors in other countries are doing it, why not me?” he said.
By Solomon Rogers
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