This course of study is centered on the appraisal of the success and failure of public sector accountability. This is to say that, the essences of public funds are the provision of social benefits to the people who contributed to it. It is therefore, important that the public administrator should be given a clear account of what they did with public funds, if the aim of such an administrator is to complete its tenure in the office this is because people can resist tax payment, if they are not properly informed of what was done with their funds. This study exposes t he individual on his or her right to demand for an account from their trustee as their representatives.
The researcher made out thirty-five questionnaires which, were presently to respondents and which were gathered back after their opinions were given, regarding the basic issues being addressed out of the thirty-five questionnaires distributed, thirty were accepted for analysis.
To finalize the research work, I am saying that there is a very poor attitude towards public sector accounting in Nigeria. It was unfortunate that we could not establish or indicate out major problems. People still wallow object poverty because of corrupt government that placed no value to the individual’s welfare.
Finally, I recommended that, the government must ensure that all politicians declare their assets before assuming office. Their assets are again assessed on the completion of offices by the politicians. All banks that kept ill gotten wealth should be blacklisted and their operating license withdrawn. External auditors should be appointed to audit and publish all government account. Internal auditors should be made to report directly to the government.
The study is centered on the appraisal of the success and failure of public sector accountability in Nigeria. It will show or give the extent; the public funds have being prudently utilized to maximize his welfare in Nigeria for the period of 1991-2002, and the provision of social benefit it has contributed to the people. We will know how important it is for the public administrator to give clear account on how they are spending the public funds.
Help to ascertain the taxpayer’s attitude towards tax payment. This study will help to expose the individual on his or her right to demand for an account from their trustee as their representative.
The meaning of public sector, the success, failures and also the problems will be treated and more especially how public sector came into existence in Nigeria.
Solution on how to improve in the public sector accountability.
Approval page
Acknowledgment
Dedication
Abstract
Table of contents
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Background of Nigerian Public Sector
2.2 Sources of public fund
2.3 Uses of public fund
2.4 Public sector accounting and private sector accounting compared
2.5 Problems and prospects of public sector accounting
2.6 Duties of the government
2.7 The authorization of expenditure from government funds
2.8 Recurrent expenditure
2.9 The burden of public fund
2.10 Organizational framework
References
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Definition of population
3.3 Method of sampling and determination of sampling size
3.4 Sources of data
3.5 Description of the questionnaire and interview question
3.6 Method of data analysis
3.7 Statistical test for hypothesis
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION ANDS ANALYSIS
4.1 Tabulation of responses
4.2 Data analysis
4.3 Test of hypothesis
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary of findings
5.2 Conclusions
5.3 Recommendation
Bibliography
Appendix
Every society is made up of individuals, who agree to come under one unit and to be governed as an entity for the society to function effectively, some individual must manage its affairs as it affects the society over all good, be it financial goal, social goal or political goal. Against this background of managing the affairs of the society funds must be raised and used to achieve some of the goal of the society. The funds must rest in the hands of the people’s representatives, to be administered in such a way that maximum social benefit to be achieved.
To the extent of the funds contributed by the individuals and entrusted in the hands of representatives, services will be provides by the use of funds. Eventually then, these representatives will not only keep custody of the funds, they will account to the people who contributed to the funds. This is based however, on the existing of full democratic system of government.
Back here in Nigeria when the public sector accounting did not develop to any meaningful extent, until the coming of the British accounting for the public funds has been posing a lot of problem since the past 1991-2002 era. It is unfortunate that all efforts by the government to encourage public sector accounting did not achieve the desired outcome of providing adequate information regarding the use of the public funds. Proper accountability should demand that, the extent of financial performance of any government for the period ruled by the government.
The bone of the problem of the Nigerian public sector has been the improper accountability and management of the taxpayer’s money entrusted in the hands of their representatives. These representatives have rather to wealth amassment at the expenses of the taxpayers, when it was clear that little or no punishment was meted on them. They would rather be given titles as an encouragement for their fraudulent practices.
Consequently, there is poor rate of development and very poor standard of living of the average taxpayer. The researcher is therefore interested in increasing the awareness of the need for their trustees as their representative to properly account for the taxpayers fund.
The cardinal objectives of the research work are: -
The essences of public funds are the provision of social benefits to the people who contributed to it. It is therefore, important the public administrator should be given a clear account to what they did with public funds; if the aim of such administrator is o complete its tenure in the office. This is because people can resist tax payment, if they are not properly informed of what was done with their funds.
This study exposes the individual on his or her right to demand for an account from their trustees as their representatives. It also exposes the public administrator on how best to manage the taxpayers fund and achieve maximum support from the masses.
It will therefore, be useful o public administrators, account in the public sector tax administrators, the legislature and the executive arm of government as well as bankers. It will also enable the reader to know what has happened in the past, in terms of public sector accounting in Nigeria. This is a useful guide against the future Nigeria public administrators and politicians.
In order to reflect on the relevant ideology needed in the research work, based on public sector accounting, the research work is enclosed on the following hypothesis. These are built into Null hypothesis, Ho and alternative hypothesis, Hi.
HYPOTHESIS 1
Ho: There is no positive relationship between the amount of tax paid and the benefit derived from the payment.
Hi: There is positive relationship between the amount of tax
HYPOTHESIS 2
Ho: Improper management and accountability of public fund had not led to unemployment and uneven development among various states of Nigeria.
Hi: Improper management and accountability of public fund has led to unemployment and uneven development among various states of Nigeria.
HYPOTHESIS 3
Ho: The public fund has not been wisely utilized towards maximizing their collective benefit in Nigeria.
Hi: The public fund has been wisely utilized towards maximizing their collective benefit derived from the payment.
This study is aimed only at identifying the extent of accountability in Nigerian public sector for period of 1991-2002. The research work was however, hampered, by the following unavoidable constraints.
BRIEF HISTORY OF NIGERIAN PUBLIC SECTOR
It is widely held opinion by financial experts that the public sector in Nigeria controls about seventy percent (70%) of the asset base of this country. This is likely to be so in most countries of the world more so in socialist and communist economies where the national government plays overwhelming roles.
The Nigerian public sector consists of three separate levels of government whose status powers and relationship are defined and guaranteed by the constitution. They are the federal government, state government including Abuja, which has the status of a majority and the local governments councils.
The federal and state government conduct their activities through two bodies, which of course made up the public sectors ministers and public enterprises. The public enterprises include all corporations, parastatus, authorities, boards, councils and limited companies which the government has full or majority interest.
The public sector is not a profit-oriented sector of the economy and therefore, the more reason they adopt the cash basis for accounting purpose and where they are profit oriented they adopt the accrual basis.
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