COMPLIANCE AUDIT IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: A STUDY OF IDAH LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL, KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The importance of compliance of  audit of the finance of Public administration cannot  be over Stressed. Without audit compliance, the polices adopted by the Local authorities in a great variety of fields may not be capable of successful implementation and sometimes even provide stimulus to the implementation of policies. This research work is an attempt to find out how Compliance audit is an instrument of internal control in the Public administration in Nigeria. The work is divided into five (5) Chapters. Chapter one deals with the introduction to the work. The review of the relevant existing literatures on Compliance audit, Statement of Hypotheses definition of key concepts, data collection method and analysis one contained in chapter two three deals with the ethnographic setting and historical background of the study are – Idah Local Government Area. While chapter four contains presentation and analysis of data. Finally chapter five contains the summary of the work and drawn conclusion with suggested recommendations deemed necessary for the improvement of Compliance audit in the Public administration in Nigeria.

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.0       BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The importance of audit compliance of the finance of public administration cannot be overstressed. Without audit compliance, the policies adopted by local authorities in a great variety of fields may not be capable of successful implementation. But where there is proper auditing it can usually facilitate implementation and sometimes even provide stimulus to the implementation of policies.
Auditing is therefore defined as “the examination of financial statements of an organization for the purpose of determining their substantial accuracy”. It could be further described as examination by an auditor of the evidence from which the financial accounts and balance sheet of an organization have been prepared in order to ascertain that they present a true and fair view of the summarized transactions for the period under reviews and of the financial state of the organization as at the date ended; thus enabling the auditor to report thereon. This is in the case of external auditing.
The auditor despite examining the books, accounts and vouchers of the establishment may go further in examining the actual assets held by the organization.
Compliance audit is a series of process/technique through which an organization’s employee ascertains for the management by means of firsthand on-the-job observation whether established management controls are adequate and effectively maintained. It also reveals whether financial and accounting records reflect actual operations and cash divisions or other unit is carrying out the plans, policies and procedures for which it is responsible.
Compliance audit therefore is an independent appraisal activity within an organization for the review of operations as a service to management (Stettler, 1977).

1.1       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In Nigeria, the oil boom of the early 1970’s increased the funds available to the public sector, hence the public administration in Nigeria as a third tier government is expected to perform more crucial role(s) for the citizenry at the grassroots level. Regrettably however, the Nigerian Local Government has encountered serious internal problems which handicap the achievement of its goal(s).
Mismanagement, misappropriation, fraud, etc. have become more conspicuous as some of the factors which limit the normal processes of the system. Apart from the notable problems above, the public administration
has been characterized of late with prebendal politics: The system has been
used by the politicians as a means of enriching themselves and as such has not been able to meet its basic objective of provision(s) of social amenities to the people at the grassroots level.
Based on the above, the following questions are raised:

1)           How does lack of qualified manpower affect effective or efficient operations of the Audit in the local government?
2)           What is the relationship between the character of the Nigerian State and poor performance of Audit in Idah Local Government Council?
3)           Does lack of equipment hinder the effective operations of the Audit in Idah Local Government Council? 

1.2       OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The general objective of this study is to x-ray the nature, effectiveness and efficiency of Audit as an instrument of internal control in the Public administration in Nigeria. Specifically the study aims at the following:
i)                            To identify the audit system of the Nigerian public administrations.
ii)                         To ascertain the nature of Audit Unit and the extent of compliance with established policies, plans and procedure.
iii)                       To investigate the connection between the Auditor and the

Chief Executive.
iv)                       To find out the effect of number (iii) above on the practice and audit compliance, and
v)                         To recommend ways of improving the Audit System in order to reduce or exterminate the incidence of mismanagement, misappropriation and fraud in the Nigerian Public administration.

1.3       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is important in many ways: First, in view of the increased funds available to the local government and its expected role(s) to the citizenry at the grassroots level which remain a far cry, it is important, therefore, that a study of this nature be carried out with a view to making useful discoveries concerning the process of improving Compliance audit and financial control in the public administration.
Secondly, to serve as a helping tool for other researchers who may wish to make inquiry into the factors that mitigate against Compliance audit and financial control in Nigeria.

1.4       SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Considering the large scope of auditing and financial management, the time limit, the heavy financial involvement in research and the host of other factors that inhibit research in Nigeria; it is imperative therefore to limit the
scope of this study to Compliance audit and financial control in the Nigerian Public administration with Idah Local Government Council as the area of survey.

As mentioned above, emphasis will be on basic but other concealed problems that have militated against effective/efficient Compliance audit as instrument of internal financial control in Idah Local Government council in Kogi State.....

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Item Type: Project Material  |  Attribute: 45 pages  |  Chapters: 1-5
Format: MS Word  |  Price: N3,000  |  Delivery: Within 30Mins.
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