Effective Audit
Effective Audit
Effective Audit
2012
Oladele Rotimi
Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko,
Ondo State
Abstract
School administration in Nigeria is primarily concerned with rendering services that is essential
to all citizens; hence a career attitude to accountability for effective auditing is needed for
efficient and effective administration. This study tries to find out what school audit is all about,
the role of audits and the difference that an audit can make towards accountability, especially in
school administration. The need for this study also arose to correct a misconception that school
account are not meant to be audited and to restore confidence in parents and guidance that
money spent on educating the child is not embezzled. This study employed a descriptive design.
The researchers found out that lack of: technical competence, independence and inadequate
level of resources do directly affect the performance of the school audit. Conclusively, intensive
and regular training programmes should be mounted for school accountants and auditors, and
there should also be proper delegation of duties.
Key words: Auditing, Accountability, School Administration, Auditor
Introduction
Organization all round the world be it financial, educational, or otherwise needs auditing
for proper assessment of their financial statements. In order to achieve set out goals and
objectives, resources must be properly managed to get the profound results needed.
Auditing in the Nigerian educational system is relevant hence effective financial
management in any school leads to the success and growth of the school. Auditing as a tool for
accountability for efficient and effective school administration is a clear term study which will
educate us on the importance of school audit and how it will affect the child if mismanagement
of funds eventually occurs. Parents and guidance who send their wards to school will be rest
assured that with the help of school audit the money they pay for the education is not wasted.
During the course of this study, the researchers noticed that insufficient technical
competence, the degree of independence and the level of resources are the core problems that
lead to mismanagement of funds in an institution. This means that in carrying out a school audit,
the accountants (auditors) should be able to evaluate the controls in which management has
currently put in place and assess them to know if it is effective or efficient. It is upon this ground
that the study intends to find out whether auditing is a tool for accountability of efficient and
effective school administration.
The main objective of this study is to determine whether auditing is a tool for accountability,
efficient and effective school administration.
Specifically, the study intends to:
1
results. However, for auditing to be a tool for effective and efficient management it has to
identify the functions, evaluate and monitor some specific controls within the bound of internal
control system.
Auditing Classification
Auditing scope was widened extensively in the recent past that an attempt to provide an
exhaustive classification becomes impossible. However, for the purpose of this study auditing is
classified into two groups, thus:
a.
Statutory or external audit and,
b.
Internal Audit.
Statutory audit is the audit of an enterprise compulsorily required under the provision of an
Act or Degrees or Law of the Land (Aguolu, 2004). Statutory audit (Anichebe, 2004), is a type
of audit imposed by statute which is carried out within the enterprise as a result of being
compulsorily required by legislation. Auditing of schools as contained in the provision of CAMA
1990, auditing of banks as required under BOFIA, auditing of insurance company are all
examples of statutory audit.
In the view of Nwankwo (2006) and Aguolu (2007), internal control is defined as the set
of accounting and administrative controls and practice that help to ensure that approved and
appropriate decision are made in an organization. Auditing standard of England and Wales sees
internal control system as the whole system of controls, financial and otherwise, established by
the management in order to carry on the business of the enterprise in an orderly and efficient
manner, safeguarding its assets and secure them as safely as possible and also the completeness
and accuracy of the record. It comprises both internal checks and internal audit. Ezeani (2011)
citing Ezinando (2005) emphasized that one basic principle of auditing is that it must serve as a
tool for better performance.
i.
ii.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
Nwankwo (2006) affirms efficiency is concerned with doing things right while
effectiveness is doing the right thing. Efficiency and effectiveness are separate concepts and
cannot be used interchangeably, in particular it is perfectly possible to have all effective
organization which is inefficient and vice versa.
Efficiency
The fact that most organization aspire to certain objectives by the employment of limited
resources give rise to the concept of efficiency in productivity. The efficiency of a system can be
regarded as the ration of outputs of the system, a high ration, implying high efficiency of
productivity (Aguolu,2007).
Effectiveness
According to Adeniyi (2004), there are two approaches to the study of organizational
effectiveness in the literature. The first approach, known as the goal model approach, views
effectiveness in terms of good attainment, that is the more an organization goal are meet or
surpassed, the greater is its effectiveness. For an organization to establish a clear goal, the
organization must have an effective organizational structure (Aguolu, 2008).
Another way for organizational effectiveness focuses on the relationship between the
organization and its environment, this is called system resources. This system resource approach
defines effectiveness as the degree which an organization is successful in acquiring and utilizing
scarce resources. System resources approach defines effectiveness as the degree which an
organization is successful in acquiring and organization utilizing scarce resources. However,
organization bring in resources from their environment and return them as value outputs, the
more effective organization survive because they can maintain a greater intake of resources than
is required to produce their output.
Accountability
Whoever accepts position of trusts or responsibility becomes accountable for his actions and
inactions as it concerns its position. Amojori (2002) sees accountability as explanation for
actions of these having custody of power, human resources, public money and other resources. It
therefore deals with the justification of financial transaction as conforming to organizational
roles and procedures, business concepts of morality, professional ethics and the law of state.
You may picture your schools situation thus:
Manage your
effectively
Responsibility
This is to say that the basic ingredient for modern school administration is effective
delegation of responsibility and authority to get effective accountability.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
*
*
*
*
*
Nature of Some School Administrators: Some of our school administrators are greedy in
nature. Many principals who are greedy connive with their accountants to perpetuate corrupt
practices.
Loopholes in our Legal System: There are a lot of loopholes in our legal system with respect to
embezzlement of public funds. Our laws are not too strict to misappropriation of government
fund. These discoveries of such loopholes serve as incentives to those who may wish to commit
fraud.
Poor Remuneration: When accountants are not well paid to measure up with the constraints of
the economy accountants will be compelled to steal, this is so because physical cash is involved.
Inadequate Training and Re-training of our Accountants: This leads to poor performance
and that breeds malpractice. Failure to undergo on-the-job training, relevant outside source or
even attend seminar of that nature, will lead to unsatisfactory performance which eventually
creates more room for malpractice by the outgoing accountants and auditors.
Some other factor militating against effective and efficient school audit are: Inadequate
internal audit cycle management ignorance, ego favoritism, policy inconsistency and efficient
school.
Theoretical Framework
This study was anchored on descriptive approach theory. Theory developed using the
descriptive approaches are basically concerned with what accountants and auditors do.
Therefore, descriptive approach shows what accounting bodies do to educate, train and develop
accounting professionals in Nigeria. The descriptive approach of the role of accounting
professional bodies in education and development of accounting professionals should include
independence, objectivity and fairness. Accountants and auditors should maintain integrity and
objectivity in carrying out their professional responsibility. This principles helps the school
accountant to see himself as an independent person and also be objective in is professional
duties.
The application of this descriptive theory to the present study shows that school auditors
and accountant should have a fraud free school administration.
The relevance of the descriptive theory to this study is that school accountants and auditors serve
as an instrument in helping to get a successful school administration.
Conclusions and Recommendations
An audit is an indispensable tool for the effective and efficient controls of school
administration and in fact any organization. They benefit which we may derive from a systematic
and thoroughly conducted audit are as follows:
It will help to ensure that plans are realistic since the officials know that such plans will form the
basic of an audit evaluation.
It helps to safeguard the assets of the school, as effective control with need to be established in
respect of each class of assets.
It enforces adequate, accurate and up-to-date recording as this will be the first part of call by the
auditor.
It instills discipline and eliminates friction as audit procedures require a well defined
organization structure with clearly defined responsibilities assign to all key personnel.
It compels adherence to set targets (Budget estimates) as officials will be required to provide
reasonable and acceptable explanations for any variances.
*
*
*
*
*
*
REFERENCES
Adeniyi, A. A. (2004). Auditing and Investigations. Yaba College of Technology,
Yaba Lagos.
Aguolu, O. (2004). International Auditing in Nigeria: Prospects, Mmiridian
Associates.
Aguolu, O. (2007). Enhancing Efficiency in University Administration through the
Auditing Processes. The Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, 24-27.
Aguolu,O. (2008). Fundamental of Auditing. Institute for Development Studies,
University of Nigeria Enugu Campus.
Amojiri, B. A. (2002). The Head of Department (HOD) Public Accountability and
Financial management in Local Government in Nigeria, Lagos, Lizziban
Printing Publishing Company.
Anichebe, A.S. (2010). Auditing and Investigation. Onitsha: Ade Graphics &
Publishers 275p.
Dury, C. (1987). Management and Cost Accounting U.K:.Birkshine-Van Nosfraud
Reinhold Co. Limited.
Nwankwo, I. O. (2006).Auditing: Issues and Principles Lagos: Nigeria.