FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN GWER-WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF BENUE STATE: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS. (2012 – 2016 )

ABSTRACT This project work is entitled “Financial Management in Gwer-West Local Government Area of Benue State” covering the period between 2012-2016. The broad objective of the research work is to determine the extent to which Benue state local government embraces financial management practices, and by extension Gwer-West local government. It is important to know that Benue state government make policies on finances of local government but less attention is placed on the management aspect of finances of local governments and so the study is focused on Gwer-west local government with the specific objective such as ascertain the extent of the compliance with laws and regulations governing the use of finances by the local government. To know if the staff handling finances are conversant with the provisions of the law and regulations on finances, whether the political class do accept advice to them on the procedure for handling the finances of the council and to see if internal controls are adequate to stop corruption. To undertake the work successfully, data and information gathering procedure were adopted such as questionnaire administered to a sample size of 116 out of the study population and the actual population of 90 respondents forming the strength on which the analysis has been made. The work is premised on efficiency services theory owing to its emphasis, that local government exists to bring about development and that no institution is better placed to develop rural areas than local government. Findings from the research shows that financial rules and regulations are not adhered to by managers of the of the local government finance. The staff handling finances do not understand what is expected of them to do and that the political class do not take advice given to them by the professionals and that even adequate control measures are not adequate internally to check corrupt practices. The research concludes that sound financial practices are a necessary preliminary for service delivery and must be instituted by the council. Recommendations for improvement are given in the last part of chapter five.