CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Financial management focuses on decision making about the use and management of the finances of an organization or corporation. Financial management is a subset of managerial activities that concentrates on how to plan and control the financial resources of an organization. Financial management also involves the sourcing and optimal utilization of funds for the smooth running of an organization. Financial management centers on the identification of possible ways of maximizing the net-worth of an organization, allocation of scarce productive resources between competing demands and execution of strategies to attain the stated objectives of such organizations. To this end, public financial management can be describe as process of sourcing, controlling, planning, coordinating, organizing and directing the financial resources of government’s parastatals. These parastatals can be federal ministries, state ministries, local councils, government agencies and departments.
The local government is the lowest level of government which is closest to the people. Local government in this present dispensation emerged from the pre-colonial transitional system of government which was highly localized according to peculiarities of the state. The local council represents the basic unit through which any nation administers her people at grass-root level. The implication of its constitutionally guaranteed governance structure and its proximity to the people necessitate the need for accountability in financial management, and their norms in governance, more evident at this level (Adiogu, 2013). But contrarily, local governments in Nigeria are often recognized as a breeding ground for barefaced corruption and near absence of accountability in the conduct of public service. Local government council however, instead of discharging their functions as development centers to the people at grassroots, acquired notoriety for corruption, fiscal indiscipline and gross financial mismanagement. Agbo (2012) maintained that lack of integrity; accountability and transparency at the local government level constitute a set-back to the wellbeing of the people. In addition to these, stealing, embezzlement, nepotism, misappropriation of public funds, ill-use of public assets and circumvention of financial and non-financial issues has become customary in Nigerian local governments.
Public accountability is a characteristic of a modern-day democratic society. Accountability in the public sector across the globe is given maximal attention because public fund is in the hands of the government. Those in authorities assume fiduciary status with attached responsibilities requiring them to render stewardship accounts to those for whom the authority is held in trust (Haruna, etal, 2015). Public officers are expected to be accountable by demonstrating effective use of public assets and funds in the discharge of services and pursuit of government’s objectives.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
The public sector is saddled with the responsibility of harnessing public resources, collection of monies (revenue) and their expenditure for the betterment of the populace. The principle of accountability is based on trust, faith and resources vested on the management of an organization (private accountability) or government (public accountability). There is a strong need for public officers that are accountable to the general public to deliver complete, relevant and accurate information about the management of public funds. The public sector which is regarded as the manager of public resources, statutes and mechanisms for national development has lost its goodwill in the eye of the citizenry due to lack of proper accountability.
Haruna, etal, (2015) alluded that government ministries, agencies and departments are not duly adhering to the tenets of accountability. This assertion conforms to that of Akinbuli (2015) who stated that the duties and trust vested on public officers are not effectively and efficiently performed. There has been disrespect for accountability in public sector. Majority of public parastatals in Nigeria do not keep good records of account and they rarely publish annual reports and audited financial statements as at when due. Financial mismanagement, inefficiency, ineffectiveness, maladministration and negligence have been identified by scholars as the characteristics of public sector in Nigeria.
The problems associated with lack of accountability in public sector financial management especially in local government councils are employment racketeering, corruption in procurement, siphoning of funds meant for infrastructural development into personal bank accounts, stealing of public assets, illegitimate internal revenue collection, award of contracts to wrong contractors, friends and families, payment of salaries and allowances to ghost workers, lack of documentation of overhead expenditures, misappropriate of funds by council executives for illegitimate personal gains, destruction of documents that are not favorable to the council chairman or officer-in-charge to avoid prosecution after service, nepotism, etc. Most of government parastatals are not totally complying with the principles of accountability. Little wonder, Appah (2012) averred that accountability is very difficult to achieve in the Nigerian public sector. To this end, this study examines the impact of accountability on public sector financial management in Nigeria – a case study of some selected local government areas of Lagos State.
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