CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The subject, financial accountability is vital to any organization, be it profit oriented or non profit oriented. Lack of financial accountability result to embezzlement, fraud and misplacement of funds. The regular nature of the Nigeria economy has made any topic in accountability, financial or other wise, worth discussing. Nigeria has had her fair share of financial impropriety both in the public and private sectors, this is not unconnected with her political set up, the history of the evolution of her financial institution and of course the level of the country development. Its due to the problem mentioned above which is associated with lack of financial accountability in any organization that has motivated the researcher to choose the topic enhancing financial accountability in the private sector of Nigeria economy through a system of control. Internal control system comprises the plan of organization and all co ordinate method and measure adopted with in business to safeguard its asset, check accuracy and reliability of its accounting data, promotes operational efficiency and enlarge adherence to prescribed managerial policies. The research will focus on finding if the reference company has installed this control system and if so, how effective it is as to enhance early detection of mistake deliberate misappropriation and detection of servally check collusion, fraud or embezzlement of funds through proper authorization, reliability of financial record, safeguarding of assets and hence, maintenance of financial accountability. However, the ability of any business organization to enhance its financial accountability depends mostly on the type and effectiveness of its internal control system should be designed in such a way that it is effective as to benefit primarily the organization.
1.2 STATEMENT OF STUDY
Every policy formulated in boardrooms would have been a success if any were being carried out there too. But alderence to planned policies by employee is the problem of many a management companies. Management is the act of getting things done through other. The owners of every lousiness expect a reasonable return on their investment, irrespective of who executes the policies the problem of policy execution is further compound by the evolution of larger organization personal supervision of employee by individual manager seems an attempted at impossibility with larger span of control. Therefore, the need for an internal control system is such an indispensable tool in the hands of management if it wishes to obtain adequate and useful information, protect company asset and control successive operation which land to accountability but despite the established necessity for installing and internal control system, if has been discovered that most business do not maintain any internal control system because they assume that it is expensive to operate many managers do not see the need for installing an internal control system to prevent big losses at every little additional cost. That many control procedure whose effectiveness depend on segregation of duties are being circumvented by the collusion of the employee is yet another problem. The degree of compliance with the control procedure are often left to deteriorate due to negligence of duty carelessness, mistake and even personal factors. These factors are problem to the firms and eventually undermine the effectiveness and efficiency of internal control system if not taken care of. These problem question abound:
How adequately are subordinate adhering to the internal control measure
What measure should management adopt to test observance of internal control procedure?
Should the internal auditing be an adequate means of checking circumvention of internal control measure?
Should management rely on internal auditing to appraise the efficiency and adherence to internal control?
Should the effective of internal control be relied on for derivative financial accountability?
There question prompt the need for a research study of the kind embarked upon here, and they are further addressed in subservient chapters of the project
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
A research into the internal control system of any organization is a research into its efficiency, profitability apparatus, viability prospect and of course accountability of the entire organization. It is the purpose of this study therefore to have a close look at the sort of internal existing in Godm steel industry (NIG) limited if there is any, then to know how effective this has assisted in attaining financial accountability. The important area to be looked into is as follow:
To ascertain whether there is adequate division or segregation of duties of various level of management in the organization.
To ascertain or know the step taken when efficiency is detected in the internal control system and know the effect on accountability.
To know whether there is a system of adequate authorization and recording to provide reasonable accounting control over assets liabilities, revenue and expenses
To undertake a critical appraisal at the system generally and to suggest solution where the system is seen ineffective and
To suggest a way of enhancing early detection of mistakes, deliberate misappropriations checks collection, fraud or embezzlement of funds.