1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In Nigeria, there are three tiers of public sector administration – the Central (Federal) government, State government; and Local governments. This project is devoted to the examination of the local government’s accounts, and the development of financial management with their departments. It is therefore pertinent at this point to mention that the local government is the third tier of government in Nigeria.
Local government in Nigeria derives their existence from the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (promulgation) Decree No. 12 of 1989 and the civil service (re-organisation) Decree No. 43 of 1989 as brought about a new awakening to make the public sector virile dynamic, result and development oriented. At present with the creation of more 177 local governments, the total number of local governments in Nigeria has therefore increased to ….. One would then guess what effects will it have. Even before that, like since 2009, there has been a significant rise in local government expenditure in line with greater emphasis on grassroots participation. For instance, in 1992 while complete political administrative and financial independence was granted to the local government. From State control, its responsibility was enlarged with effect from 1992, local government has been directly responsible for primary health care. This is in addition to its statutory functions.
Johnson (1992) said that, though virtually all developed countries have a system of local government, some systems involve considerable local autonomy while others involve less. On a spectrum, the Nigeria systems probably involve less, rather than more autonomy. Then the question and answers are important as they reflect that type of financial and accounting framework required.
Sharpe (2010) noted that the participatory value if not the liberty value, still remains as a valid one for modern local government. Not perhaps in the full glory of its early promoters, but as an important element in a modern democracy nonetheless. But as a co-ordinator of services in the field, as a reconciles of community opinion, as a consumer assure group as an agent for responding to rising demand and finally as a counterweight to incept syndicalism, local government seems to have come into its own.
The following points were listed in the local government’s favour by the Layfield Committee (2006).
As a result of increase in the responsibilities and the fantastic expenditure associated with them, it is vital that the local governments extend their sources of revenue beyond the present level. They would endeavour to tap all the potential resources so as to see their revenue base fortified. Any improvement to this effect will be welcomed as it would give the local government an added impetus in discharging its statutory functions and socio-economic advancement to the local inhabitants.
From the inception of local governments, they have been relying substantially on grants from State and Central governments and also statutory allocation from the federation account in addition to a percentage of the internally generated funds of the State.
As a matter of fact, the internally generated revenue by the local governments was very abysmal. Now that it has been granted autonomy, it is statutorily required to rely more on internally generated funds for the performance of its functions. This being the case, government grants and statutory allocation are only supplementary sources of revenue to the local government. Babangida (1992) for the local government to be self-sustaining financially without reducing the level and quality of its services to the people. It is essential that it exploits all potential internal revenue sources which would supplement existing ones. This as well suggests that the existing ones be adequately exploited and properly managed.
Finance and Accounting in local governments is probably more complex, than in any other part of the public sector. In Nigeria, the inability of local governments to raise adequate funds and keep accurate accounts to sponsor its expenditure and activate grassroots development has been discovered as one of the major predicaments thwarting the frantic efforts of the local governments. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to assess the problems of finance and accounting in local government so as to determine their prospects.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY:
Our local governments have in these recent times been riddled with financial and accounting problems. These undoubtedly have stultified the unflinching efforts of most local governments to instill and of course restore sanity in the system, hence the need for a study on the problems and prospects of contemporary local government finance and accounting in Nigeria.
The study leaves no stone unturned in examining the problems confronting the existing revenue sources of the local governments and appraises talent revenue resources which could be used to fortify the overall revenue base of the local governments.
This study therefore points out significantly that improved local government finance and accounting system in the cornerstone to the much desired economic growth and development. It potentially serves as a guide to policy making in designing a better strategy for the rural development in Nigeria. The study also forms a source of reference in other related topics and to researchers in similar topics.
The study covers the problems and prospects of local government finance/ account in Nigeria using Nsukka local government as the case study.
As has been earlier mentioned, finance and accounting in local governments is fraught with complexities. It is then not possible to provide a fully comprehensive coverage of all facts of the subject in this kind of study, local government finance and accounting has developed in a distinctive fashion and as such has evolved a terminology that may be unfamiliar even to those with experiences of finance and accounting in either the public or private sector.
This study restricts itself to the evaluation of the various revenue sources and expenditure patterns of the local governments, examination of the problems associated with them and the prospects for enhancing them. Since it is not possible for a research project of this kind to delve into a study of the entire local governments in Nigeria individually, this research work is confined to information gathered from Nsukka Local Government.
The student researcher of this work is of desired intention to carry out an elaborate and comprehensive study of the problems and prospects of the local government in Nigeria, but has to obey impenetrate limitations encountered during the research. At the local government under study necessary statistical data could not be obtained in a particular location and bureaucratic tendencies seemed to be a rule rather than an exception.
Moreso, majority of the local government staffers are illiterate people and could not give written information without assistance from enlightened fellows. Yet some respondents are reluctant to comply with piece of information needed from them.
In the final analysis, this research work was also limited to the data gathered from the finance and accounting department of the local government. As such, it should be interested to note that treasury department was the major source of information used in analyzing the study.