THE EFFECT OF CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC AND THE WORLD ECONOMY A STUDY OF CONVID-19

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THE EFFECT OF CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC AND THE WORLD ECONOMY A STUDY OF CONVID-19

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Infectious diseases and associated mortality have abated, but they remain a significant threat throughout the world. We continue to fight both old pathogens, such as the plague, that have troubled humanity for millennia and new pathogens, such as coronavirus otherwise known as CONVID-19 that have mutated or spilled over from Wuhan China.

Coronavirus is a deadly epidemic to the whole world , imposing substantial but steady burdens. The health risks of coronavirus and the fear and panic that accompany it map to various economic risks.
First, and perhaps most obviously, there are the costs to the health system, both public and private, of medical treatment of the infected and of outbreak control. A sizable outbreak can overwhelm the health system, limiting the capacity to deal with routine health issues and compounding the problem. Beyond shocks to the health sector, coronavirus force both the ill and their caretakers to miss work or be less effective at their jobs, driving down and disrupting productivity. Fear of coronavirus can result in social distancing or closed schools, enterprises, commercial establishments, transportation, and public services as witnessed in China,Italy, Nigeria etc all of which disrupt economic and other socially valuable activity.

Concern over the spread of coronavirus have perhaps lead to decreased trade and locked down of Nigerian borders. Travel and tourism to regions affected by the outbreaks have also decline.coronavirus pandemic have also deter foreign direct investment as well.

The economic risks of coronavirus epidemic are not trivial. Countries affected by this outbreak have lost billions of dollars including both lost income and the intrinsic cost of elevated mortality. Even when the health impact of an outbreak is relatively limited, its economic consequences can quickly become magnified. Nigeria, for example, saw GDP growth decline 45percentage points from within few months of the recent coronavirus outbreak in the whole world.

The consequences of coronavirus outbreaks and epidemics are not distributed equally throughout the economy. Some sectors may even benefit financially, while others will suffer disproportionately. Pharmaceutical companies that produce vaccines, antibiotics, or other products needed for coronavirus outbreak response are potential beneficiaries. Health and life insurance companies are likely to bear heavy costs, at least in the short term, as are livestock producers in the event of an outbreak linked to animals. Vulnerable populations, particularly the poor, are likely to suffer disproportionately, as they may have less access to health care and lower savings to protect against financial catastrophe.

Economic policymakers are accustomed to managing various forms of risk, such as trade imbalances, exchange rate movements, and changes in market interest rates.

Containing the risk of coronavirus in Nigeria

Epidemic risk is complex, but policymakers have tools they can deploy in response. Some tools minimize the likelihood of outbreaks or limit their proliferation. Others attempt to minimize the health impact of outbreaks that cannot be prevented or immediately contained. Still others aim to minimize the economic impact.

Investing in improved sanitation, provisioning of clean water, and better urban infrastructure can reduce the frequency of human contact with pathogenic agents. Building strong health systems and supporting proper nutrition will help ensure good baseline levels of health, making people less susceptible to infection. Of course, strengthening basic systems, services, and infrastructure becomes easier with economic growth and development; however, policies to protect spending in these areas even when budgets are constrained can help safeguard developing economies from major health shocks that could significantly impinge upon human capital and impede economic growth.

Investment in reliable disease surveillance in both human and animal populations is also critical. Within formal global surveillance systems, it may be beneficial to develop incentives for reporting suspected outbreaks, as countries may reasonably fear the effects of such reporting on trade, tourism, and other economic outcomes. The Corovirus epidemic, for instance, might have been better contained if China had reported the initial outbreak to the WHO earlier.

Informal surveillance systems, such as ProMED and HealthMap, which aggregate information from official surveillance reports, media reports, online discussions and summaries, and eyewitness observations, can also help Nigeria centre for disease control (NCDC)and international responders get ahead of the epidemiological curve during the early stages of an outbreak. Social media offers additional opportunities for early detection of shifts in infectious disease incidence like Coronavirus.

Nigeria and other Countries should be ready to take initial measures to limit the spread of coronavirus . Historically, ships were quarantined in port during plague epidemics to prevent the spread of the disease to coastal cities. In the case of highly virulent and highly transmissible diseases, quarantines may still be necessary, although they can inspire concerns about human rights. Likewise, it may be necessary to ration biomedical countermeasures if supplies are limited. Countries should decide in advance if they will prioritize first responders and other key personnel or favor vulnerable groups, such as children and the elderly.

Technological solutions can help minimize the burden of sizable coronavirus outbreaks and epidemics. Better and less costly treatments including novel antibiotics and antivirals to counter coronavirus are sorely needed. New and improved vaccines are perhaps even more important.

We cannot predict which pathogen will spur the next major epidemic after coronavirus, where that epidemic will originate, or how dire the consequences will be. But as long as humans and infectious pathogens coexist, outbreaks and epidemics are certain to occur and to impose significant costs. The upside is that we can take proactive steps to manage the risk of epidemics and mitigate their impact. Concerted action now at the local, national, and multinational levels can go a long way toward protecting our collective well-being in the future.

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1.4 Research Questions

1.4 Research Hypotheses

1.5 Significance of the Study

1.6 Scope and Limitations of the Study

1.7 Research Method

1.8 Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO/LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Conceptual Framework

2.3 Empirical Framework

2.4 Theoretical Framework

CHAPTER THREE/METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Population of the Study

3.3 Sampling and Sampling Technique

3.4 Instrument/Method of Data Collection

3.5 Validity and Reliability of the Instrument

3.6 Method of Data of Analysis

CHAPTER FOUR/DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Data Presentation

4.2 Data Analysis

4.3 Test of Hypothesis

4.4 Findings

CHAPTER FIVE/CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary

5.2 Conclusion

5.3 Recommendations

5.4 Suggestions for Further Research

REFERENCES

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PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

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PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

 

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1.4 Research Questions

1.4 Research Hypotheses

1.5 Significance of the Study

1.6 Scope and Limitations of the Study

1.7 Research Method

1.8 Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO/LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Conceptual Framework

2.3 Empirical Framework

2.4 Theoretical Framework

CHAPTER THREE/METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Population of the Study

3.3 Sampling and Sampling Technique

3.4 Instrument/Method of Data Collection

3.5 Validity and Reliability of the Instrument

3.6 Method of Data of Analysis

CHAPTER FOUR/DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Data Presentation

4.2 Data Analysis

4.3 Test of Hypothesis

4.4 Findings

CHAPTER FIVE/CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary

5.2 Conclusion

5.3 Recommendations

5.4 Suggestions for Further Research

REFERENCES

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THE IMPACT OF HRM PRACTICES ON ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE: THE CASE STUDY OF SOME SELECTED RURAL BANKS

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THE IMPACT OF HRM PRACTICES ON ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE: THE CASE STUDY OF SOME SELECTED RURAL BANKS

CHAPTER ONE

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

            BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

 

In the last ten years, organisations especially in Africa have been hit with the  undisputable fact that the creation of competitive advantage lies in people. Organisations have increasingly recognised the potential for their people to be a source of competitive advantage. Not too long ago, so called HR functions was the preserve of „Personnel Managers‟ whose duties were to recruit and select, appraise, promote and demote. These superficial duties could be performed by any manager, it therefore never seemed necessary to employ an expert in the form of a human resource manager let alone create a whole department dedicated to HRM. Little attention was paid to human resource management issues and its impact on organisational performance. The emphasis on traditions and socio-cultural issues injected an element of subjectivity in „personnel manager‟ functions such as recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, promotion, demotion, and compensation.

In today‟s competitive and rapidly changing business world, organisations especially in the service industry need to ensure maximum utilisation of their resources to their own advantage; a necessity for organisational survival. Studies have shown that organisations can create and sustain competitive position through management of non-substitutable, rare, valuable, and inimitable internal resources (Barney, 1991). HRM has transcended from policies that gather dust to practices that produce results. Human resource management practices has the ability to create organisations that are more intelligent, flexible and competent than their rivals through the application of policies and practices that concentrate on recruiting, selecting, training skilled employees and directing their

 

best efforts to cooperate within the resource bundle of the organisation. This can potentially consolidate organisation performance and create competitive advantage as a result of the historical sensitivity of human resources and the social complex of policies and practices that rivals may not be able to imitate or replicate their diversity and depth.

Lately, organisations are focused on achieving superior performance through the best use of talented human resources as a strategic asset. HRM policies or strategies must now be aligned to business strategies for organisational success. No matter the amount of technology and mechanisation developed, human resource remains the singular most important resource of any success-oriented organisation. After all, successful businesses are built on the strengths of exceptional people. HRM has now gained significance academically and business wise and can therefore not be relegated to the background or left in the hands of non-experts. Attention must be paid to the human resources organisations spent considerable time and resources to select.

Armstrong (2009) defines Human Resource Management (HRM) as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisation‟s most valued assets; that is, the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives. Moreover, Human resource management practices can be defined as a set of organisational activities that aims at managing a pool of human capital and ensuring that this capital is employed towards the achievement of organisational objectives  (Wright and Boswell, 2002). The adoption of certain bundles of human resource management practices has the ability to positively influence organisation performance by creating powerful connections or to detract from performance when certain combinations of practices are inadvertently placed in the mix (Wagar and Rondeau, 2006). So if we think human resource management as just the services any manager may provide in recruiting and selecting, appraising, training and compensating employees, then we rather

 

would have to take the backseat for those who understand the influence HRM has on corporate performance to take the centre stage. Research has recorded a positive relationship between human resource management practices and corporate performance. Thus in order to stimulate corporate performance, management is required to develop skilled and talented employees who are capable of performing their jobs successfully (Klein, 2004).

Achieving better corporate performance requires successful, effective and efficient exploit of organisation resources and competencies in order to create and sustain competitive position locally and globally. HRM policies on selection, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation, promotion, incentives, work design, participation, involvement, communication, employment security, etc must be formulated and implemented by HRM specialist with the help of line managers to achieve the following outcomes: competence, cooperation with management, cooperation among employees, motivation, commitment, satisfaction, retention, presence, etc

In fact, Ahmad and Schroeder (2003) found a positive influence of human resource management practices (information sharing, extensive training, selective hiring, compensation and incentives, status differences, employment security, and decentralization and use of teams) on organisational performance as operational performance (quality, cost reduction, flexibility, deliverability and commitment). In furtherance of this assertion, Sang (2005) also found a positive influence of human resource management practices (namely, human resource planning, staffing, incentives, appraisal, training, team work, employee participation, status difference, employment security) on organisation performance.

 

For businesses to survive, HRM should be given its rightful place of relevance in any organisation and not left in the hands of line managers who neither have the expertise nor the time and space to carry out the enormous functions of a human resource manager.

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of HRM practices on organisational performance of 4 rural banks in the Ashanti region.

            STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

 

HRM has made significant inroads into the Ghanaian corporate world. It is common to see large organisations in Ghana set up a whole department for the sole purpose of managing human resources and hire experts in the field to be in charge of HRM. The enormous benefits of properly managing human resource cannot be over emphasised. However, the majority of the rural banks in Ghana are yet to catch the „HRM cold‟. Inappropriate HRM policies and practices of some of these banks can be attributed to the non-existence of HRM specialists or HRM departments. Research has established significantly a positive relationship between an organisation‟s HRM practices and performance. Most of these banks do not realise the impact of properly managing its human resource and therefore leave policies in the hands of line managers and board of directors who are non-HRM experts to implement or enforce strategies, policies, processes, programmes and practices. The value of properly managing human resources  is lost to such rural banks.

Human Resource Management is extremely important for banks especially because banking is a service industry. Management of people and management of risk are two key challenges facing banks. How you manage the people and how you manage the risks determines your success in the banking business. Efficient risk management may not be possible without efficient and skilled manpower.

 

Banking has been and will always be a “People Business”. Though pricing is important, there may be other valid reasons why people select and stay with a particular bank. Rural Banks must try to distinguish themselves by creating their own niches or images, especially in transparent situations with a high level of competitiveness. In coming times, the very survival of the banks would depend on customer satisfaction. Those who do not meet the customer expectations will find survival difficult. Banks must articulate and emphasize the core values to attract and retain certain customer segments. Values such as “sound”, “reliable”, “innovative”, “close”, “socially responsible”, “Ghanaian”, etc. need to be emphasized through concrete actions on the ground and it would be the bank‟s human resource that would deliver this.

HRM has sank into oblivion to most of the rural banks in the Ashanti region and it is about time rural banks saw the role and impact of HRM on performance and worked towards properly managing their manpower. It is in the face of this existing state that the researcher wishes to establish the impact of HRM on organisational performance and how rural banks can, through appropriate HRM practices improve performance.

            OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

 

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the perceptions of employees towards HRM practices of rural banks and to establish the impact of such practices on organisational performance.

1.3.1 General Objectives

 

The general objective of this study is to explore the role of HRM in organisations and its effects on organisational performance.

 

                Specific objectives are to:

 

  1. Examine the general HR practices, policies and programmes of these rural banks in the Ashanti
  2. Evaluate the perceptions of employees on HR practices, policies and programmes of these rural
  3. Assess the level of productivity in these selected rural

 

  1. Establish the   impact    of   properly   managing    human   resources   on     the organisational performance of selected rural

            RESEARCH QUESTIONS

 

  1. What are the general HR practices existing in the selected rural banks?

 

  1. What are the perceptions of employees and managers about HR practices of the selected rural banks?
  2. To what extent do these practices impact on the achievement of organisational goals?
  3. What practices can ensure the proper management of human resource and impact on the organisational performance of the selected rural

            METHODS OF THE STUDY

 

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of HRM on the organisational performance of selected rural banks in the Ashanti region. The target population for the study was the employees and managers of four rural banks namely Juabeng, Asokore, Amanano and Atwima Kwanwoma Rural Banks in the Ashanti region. A preliminary investigation carried out revealed that this study had a population size of not less than one hundred and fifty (150) people and this served as the sample size for the study. This study collected date from two main sources; primary and secondary data sources. The primary data are those collected and analysed by the researcher from the field mainly through

 

responses obtained from the respondents to questionnaires and interviews. The researcher also relied on secondary data which are data already collected for some other purpose by another person other than the researcher. The sources included rural banks handbook, employment policies, annual financial reports, ARB Apex performance reports and websites.

Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used to help triangulate and back up each set of findings with the different methodologies. To elicit for relevant information for this study, two sets of questionnaire were designed and administered personally to the banks‟ employees and managers. This was because the diverse opinions of both employees and managers on HRM issues were what the researcher sought for.

The questionnaire as an instrument was self-explanatory and consisted of only closed questions. The questionnaire had three sections; Section A asked for the personal details of the respondents, Section B had different questions on seven HRM dimensions such as recruitment and selection systems, compensation and rewards, training and development, performance management and appraisal, employee involvement, employment security, career planning; and two HRM outcomes specifically for non-managerial employees. The last section, Section C, tackled employee and organisational performance. There were, in all 70 items in the questionnaire for employees and 63 items in that of managers. (See Appendix 1 & 2)

Moreover, a semi-structured interviewing schedule solely for managers was developed and administered with a mixture of closed and open ended questions on existing HR strategies, policies, programmes and practices and the perceived outcomes that affect organisational performance.

 

            SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

 

The banking industry has changed from who runs the best adverts, has an international status, is prestigious, or has the finest offices to who develops innovative products, manages risks, is IT friendly, has great customer relationship management and keeps the customer coming back. Banking will need employees with special skills and abilities, right attitudes and behaviours to make these happen. Organisational performance culminating into effectiveness, efficiency, success and development depend on the optimal utilisation of human resource. Notwithstanding the level of technology, banking is primarily a labour intensive service sector. Hence it will not be possible for the banks  to sustain performance unless human resource management is given prime importance because the technology is only an aid to human effort and not a substitution thereof. Banks will need to create competitive advantage through their employees. Because no meaningful change is possible without the proper management of human resources, organisations would have to now emphasise on using human resources to differentiate in the competitive environment. It is a recognized fact that HR occupies a unique and sensitive position in the banking industry; therefore a study of this nature will help the selected rural banks to appreciate the impact of HRM of organisational performance. This study will propose appropriate HRM strategies, policies, processes, programmes and practices and the possible outcomes in the rural bank settings. It will also provide insights into adopting the “best fit” practices as strategic response for rural banks in the near future. The larger community stands to benefit since the improved performance of rural banks will enhance the living standard of mostly the majority informal sector that deals with them and contribute significantly to the growth of the Ghanaian economy. This  study will prompt policy makers and implementers to pay due attention to HRM practices and the role of HRM strategies in achieving organisational goals. The academic

 

significance of this work is to add to existing theories on HRM, serve as reference to those engaged in other related studies and create the leeway for another to further research into HRM and organisational performance. The findings and recommendations will provide a solid basis for rural banks to properly manage their human resources and serve as an opportunity for the selected banks to improve performance with existing workforce. The study is also to add to the knowledge of HRM concepts in the Ghanaian corporate world and serve as reference for future studies.

1.8 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY

 

This work is organised into five chapters.

 

The first chapter is the introductory chapter and it comprises; background to the study, statement of the problem, research questions which raise research objectives. It also covers the significance of the study and the sequential arrangement of the study.

Chapter two provides a broad background for the subsequent chapters and an extensive review of existing research works on the concepts and theories which give a better understanding of the subject matter.

Chapter three encompasses the methodology to the study. It provides for research design; procedure and method, population covered by the study, description of the study area, sampling techniques, instruments, data collection procedure and analysis. A review of the methodology is provided under this chapter.

Chapter four focuses on data analysis and interpretation of the results and discussions whiles Chapter five embodies the conclusions drawn based on the findings of the study upon which recommendations are made as well as directions for future research on the subject matter.

Women in the Newsroom in the Contemporary Media in Nigeria 

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Women in the Newsroom in the Contemporary Media in Nigeria

 

In our society today, because the female mass communication students taking up journalism as their profession, people now see them or take them to be shy from going into journalism. In the real sense, they are nit been naturally shy, it is the class which they are been placed in the society that makes them shy away or pretend not to be interested in the career. In Nigeria where people are raised in culture highly dominated by role differentiations, the women are often reminded if their natural roles as wives and mothers and that these are the only places where they can fit in and perform. The effect therefore, is that women especially in Nigeria tend to shy away from other roles they can comfortably fit into.

The issue here is that the women who read journalism as their profession are not even given the opportunity to be employed and show that stuff they are made of. Supporting this Okogie (2008) said “we have qualified professionals disciplined and responsible women who can hold top positions in this country, they should be given the opportunity to serve”. Nigeria has a wealth of knowledgeable women and resources that are being ignored and wasted. Maduagwu (2008”35) also said that “empowerment will enhance the potentials of women in education, business, political and skills acquisition”. Pointing out that it will help the women combat gender differences and marginalization. In real life, it is believed that motherhood leaves the African women at the centre but not necessarily in power.

If the women can be given the opportunity to share out door work with the man to earn a living, they will forget everything about shyness and have the interest in practicing their journalism profession. Woman need to demonstrate their priceless abilities as mothers and managers of the home in such careers as journalism, and surely they would do better than our men  folks. Journalism is profession for both men and woman. Nigeria woman should see journalism as natural intelligence and sense of perfection which are natural endowments and from God himself to woman.

In the media houses, research has been shown that the numbers of female presenters are more than male while the number of male reporters are more than female reporters. This shows that even in the media houses the employers think that the best place for the woman is in the section where they can present programme. They believe that woman cannot devote enough time, not strong or intelligent to go into the filed together and report news. This makes woman not be seen in the field work like their male counter parts and because of these it then seems as if they shy away from their profession.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN THE LORD’S CHOSEN CHARISMATIC RIVAL MINISTRY

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FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN THE LORD’S CHOSEN CHARISMATIC RIVAL MINISTRY

   Objectives of the Study

 

The aims of the research are as follows:

  • To examine the financing decisions of the
  • To examine the investment decisions of the
  • To examine the reward systems of the
  • To examine the challenges faced by the church in achieving the financial obligations.

 Research Questions

 

  • What are the sources of funds for the church?
  • What are the major investment opportunities for the church?
  • What are the reward systems available for the church?
  • What are the challenges faced by the church in achieving the financial obligations and how are the problems overcome?

CHAPTER ONE 1

INTRODUCTION 1

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 3

Objectives of the Study 3

Research Questions 4

Scope of the Study 4

Justification/Rationale of the Study 4

Limitations of the Study 5

Organization of the Study 5

CHAPTER TWO 7

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 7

Introduction 7

Definition of Financial Management Process 7

Basic Challenges of the Process 7

Church Budgeting 9

Accounting and Internal Control Systems 12

Definition of Charismatic Church 15

Principles and Beliefs 16

Pentecostals 16

Charismatic movement 17

2.5.6 Neo-charismatics 17

Sources of church funds 17

Major Investment Opportunities for the Church 19

Reward Systems Available for the Church 21

Implications on Rewards for the Church Organization 23

Challenges Faced by the Church in Achieving the Financial Obligations and how the Problems are Overcome 26

CHAPTER THREE 33

METHODOLOGY 33

Introduction 33

Research Design 33

Population of the study 33

Sample and Sampling Technique 34

Data Collection 35

Primary Data 35

Secondary Data 36

Instrumentation 36

Pre-Test of the Study Instrument 36

Data Analysis Procedure 37

Ethical Considerations 37

History of Charismatic Churches 37

CHAPTER FOUR 39

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 39

Introduction 39

Demographic Characteristics of Respondents 39

Sources of Funds for the Church 44

Keeping Records of Church Funds 49

Major Investment Opportunities for the Church 51

Reward Systems (motivation) Available for the Church 55

Challenges faced by the church in achieving the financial obligations 59

Overcoming the challenges faced by the church in achieving the financial obligations 63

Assessment of Financial Statements of the Churches using key Ratios 66

Profitability Ratio 66

CHAPTER FIVE 68

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 68

Introduction 68

Summary of Findings 68

Identify the Sources of Funds for the Church 68

Major investment opportunities for the church 69

Reward Systems (motivation) Available for the Church 69

Challenges faced by the church in achieving the Financial Obligations 69

Recommendations 70

Suggestion(s) for Further Research 72

Conclusions 72

REFERENCES 73

Contents

Impact Of Record keeping and Management In Modern Christian Churches 

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Impact Of Record keeping and Management In Modern Christian Churches. A Study OF OSHODI ARCHDEACONRY, LAGOS STATE

ABSTRACT

This research is concerning a study of record keeping and management: A case Study of Oshodi Archdeaconry of the Diocese of Lagos West (Anglican Communion). Record keeping and management is a vital tool for organizations in addressing issues related to governance, compliance, growth and retention. This research seeks to efficiently and systematically control the lifecycle of records that are routinely generated as a result of activities and transactions in Oshodi Archdeaconry. It examined record generation and documentation from biblical, sociological and theoretical perspectives. Undoubtedly, in every institution particularly in Churches, it is always necessary to store records for future use. Therefore, the study sought to find out the record types and formats created or received, establish records keeping system currently used, investigate the challenges faced in managing the records, and assess the status quo in records keeping and Church management as well as recommend possible solutions for the Oshodi Archdeaconry of the Diocese of Lagos West.  The study investigates whether there is proper accountability and responsibility in Oshodi Archdeaconry management.

The study reviewed literature on the concepts of Church management, record keeping, their forms as well as the lifecycle of Church records. It further outlined the challenges, antidotes and role of efficient record keeping in Oshodi Archdeaconry. The study employs a triangulation of methodologies, including biblical content analysis and interviews.  Therefore, it was recommended that management of Oshodi Archdeaconry should embrace the records management function to ensure its effectiveness, and clergymen are to be professionally trained to properly manage records in their Parishes, Archdeaconries and Dioceses.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page

  • Certification

  • Dedication

  • Acknowledgements

  • Abstract

  • Table of Contents

  • CHAPTER ONE: GENERAL INTRODUCTION

  • 1.1       Background to the Study

  • 1.2       Statement of the Problem

  • 1.3       Purpose of the Study

  • 1.4       Scope of the Study

  • 1.5       Significant of the Study

  • 1.6       Research Methodology

  • CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

  • 2.1       The Concept of Church Management

  • 2.2       The Concept of Record Keeping

  • CHAPTER THREE: HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF OSHODI ARCHDEACONRY 

  • 3.1       Origin of Christianity in Lagos Metropolis

  • 3.2       History of Lagos West Diocese

  • 3.3       Doctrinal Beliefs and Practices of Lagos West Diocese

  • 3.4       Church Management and Record Keeping in Lagos west Diocese

  • CHAPTER FOUR: ADVENT AND ROLE OF RECORD KEEPING IN OSHODI ARCHDEACONRY

  • 4.1       Advent of Oshodi Archdeaconry in Lagos West Diocese

  • 4.2       Challenges of record keeping in Church Management in Oshodi Archdeaconry

  • 4.3       Suggested Solution to the Problems facing record Keeping in Church Management in Oshodi Archdeaconry

  • 4.4       The efficient role record keeping in Church Mangement in Oshodi Archdeaconry

  • CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION

  • 5.1       Summary

  • 5.2       Recommendations

  • 5.3       Conclusion

  •             BIBLIOGRAPHY

Assessing the Implementation of Fieldwork in the Teaching of Geography in Some Senior Secondary Schools in Kano, Nigeria

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ABSTRACT

Geographical field work has been argued to be particularly useful in the development of insight, attainment of cognitive/intellectual, technical achievements and development of empathy in students. In view of this argument therefore geographical field work becomes an inalienable and corporate part of teaching and learning process in schools. The study therefore assesses the implementation of fieldwork in some senior secondary schools in Kano state. Stratified random sampling was used to select 10 schools out of the 34 public senior secondary in the metropolitan area. Teachers‟ and students formed the sampling frame for the study. All the geography teachers in the selected schools were use as samples since their number is not large. This way a total of 37 geography teachers were selected for the study. Stratified random sampling was employed to select 50 students from six schools out of the ten sampled schools. Data was gotten through the participant observation and administration of questionnaire to the samples. The students were pre tested on some selected concepts in physical geography before going to the field. The pre and the post fieldwork tests were analysed using mean, standard deviation and analysis of variance. The result show significant difference in the mean scores of students for the pre and post test scores. The study found among other things, that the field work was better in enhancing students understanding of geographical concepts and appreciation of the natural environment; it was also found that the involvement of students in group work was seen as a step in the development of leadership roles amongst them. Some of the major constraints to the effective implementation of field work in schools are attributed to inadequate preparation on the parts of the teachers, large classes, time constraint and inadequate funding insecurity amongst others.

INTRODUCTION

According Biggs et al (1999) the concept of field work is seen to be the “active engagement with the external world” whether every activity described as fieldwork fits the criteria of “active engagement” is debatable. Ajibade and Raheem (1999) Defined “fieldwork” to include field teaching, field trips, field research or field camps or indeed “any arena or zone within a subject where, outside the constraints of the four walls classroom setting, supervised learning can take place via firsthand experience” According to Gold and Jenkins( 1991) field work may be categorise into five types of activity: Short field excursion: limited travel in limited time; Cook‟s Tour: limited activity in extended travel ;Residential course: extended travel and time ; Study tour: multi location activity, Project work: (i) learner-practitioner and (ii) participant observation. No matter whichever form it may take ,Geographers have long regarded fieldwork as being central to their teaching, research, and as something intrinsic to the very nature of being a geographer. Gold and Jenkins (Fletcher et al 2003) argue that fieldwork is as rooted to the Subject Geography as clinical practice is to medicine. Teaching of Geography without fieldwork feigns the interaction of person and the environment. Geography as a secondary school subject aims at helping learners understand their immediate environment as well as that of the universe (Akintade, 2012) this cannot happen in rigidly planned classroom activities where the teacher and the textbook are the only source of information. For Learners to be able to give some explanations on what they see on the landscape they need to have direct contact with this landscape and the only way of achieving this aim is by taking learners out of the walls of the classroom to the place where they will experience a direct contact with the landscape. By so doing, learners will learn by doing and by observing. This is what chemistry students do in their laboratories and the laboratory for Geography lessons is on the field (Rogers et.al 1994; Barnett, 2009; Young et al, 2010). However in some quarters geographic field work tended to be confused with picnics outings or class excursions this should be seen as a narrow concept of the term field work. For success and attainment of the goals of field work, Barnett (2009) opined that the following stages are critical : Abstract conceptualisation (pre field activities in class teaching and learning), Active experimentation (planning for Fieldwork) Concrete experience (conduct of the field work), and Reflective observation (post fieldwork evaluation)

Contents

Effect of capital structure on firms performance for selected manufacturing firms

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Abstract

There exists divergence of opinion in literature on the relationship between capital structure and firms performance. This mix of opinions makes the direction of the relationship between debt holders and equity holders to be controversial. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of capital structure on performance of listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The study formulated four hypotheses and used generalized least square multiple regression to analyze the secondary data extracted from the annual reports and accounts of the 31 sampled firms for the period 2009 to 2014. The study found that total debt, long-term debt and short-term debt have significant impact on the financial performance of listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The study also found that total debt to total equity has no significant effect on the financial performance of the firms. In view of the findings, it is recommended among others that the management of listed manufacturing firms should work very hard to increase the short term debt to total assets component of their capital structure, since it has positive impact on their financial performance. Also, the firms should reduce the level of total debt to total assets and long term debt to total assets in their capital structure components, because they affect their financial performance negatively.

Contents

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL WHY WE STRUCK BY ADEBOWALE ADEMOYEGA

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL WHY WE STRUCK BY ADEBOWALE ADEMOYEGA

 

Authored by Maj. Adebowale Ademoyega with elegance and grace, “Why We Struck” is a classic that tells the story of the first military intervention in Nigeria’s politics, which led to the first military coup d’etat that was witnessed in the country.

The author, being one of the trios that planned and executed the coup, narrated the infamous event, which took place on 15 January 1966, as a witness, in the ten chapters book containing 194 pages.

As stated in the book, Maj. Adebowale Ademoyega explains with clarity the issues that signaled the attention of the coup plotters.

And notable among them was the division within the political classes, which was as a result of the politician’s selfish interest. The unbreachable gap lying between a few elite and the masses, economically, was also another factor.

NIGERIA-BIAFRA CIVIL WAR NOVEL

The three main conspirators of the coup were Maj. Kaduna Nzeogwu, Maj. Emmanuel Ifeajuna and Maj. Adebowale Ademoyega (Author).

Without leaving anything unturned, Ademoyega went as far as revealing the ins and outs of their preparation as well as admitting to the flaws in the execution stage which led to their failed plot.

“The next most important cause of our failure was the behaviour of Ifeajuna himself. Having seen that Ironsi had got loose and was already raising troops against us, Ifeajuna took Okafor with him and both of them suddenly disappeared from our midst.

“This raises the serious question of whether or not there was a common collusion between the two of them, and whether Okafor’s failure to arrest the GOC was not a case of deliberate or willful omission.

“To my mind and to be quite honest, Ifeajuna should have been angry with Okafor the same way that I was angry with him. Then, if Ifeajuna had been faithful to me like I was to him, he should have stuck with me and both of us together would have planned the next line of action.

“This ought to be the natural course of things because Ifeajuna and I had worked together alone on this Lagos sector project for the previous three months, and more or less to the exclusion of the other majors who were brought in individually as the need for them arose.

“Why the sudden change of front? This matter later brought a serious argument between myself and Ifeajuna when we were both detained together at the Uyo Prison…”

NEW TESTAMENT PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH FINANCING IN NIGERIA

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NEW TESTAMENT PRINCIPLES OF CHURCH FINANCING IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF FOUR SQUARE GOSPEL CHURCH)

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Money they say is a spirit and it has principles that govern it, both in church and the world at large.From the amount of time spent on investigating this matter of the principles of church financing in some New Testament churches, we have come to a well-reasoned conclusion that finance/money is the only topic of importance to the church and to the preachers. The rate most New Testament churches demand for money has become alarming and despite the emphasis upon money in these churches, money and giving is a vital part of New Testament Christianity, and we can see this in the Bible Acts 2 where the freshman church isdescribed:
And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need Acts 2:42-45.
Perhaps the paramount reason Christians seem to have so much trouble with this subject of money and material goods is that they see it differently and also have a wrong view of it. On the other hand, based on current thought in some New Testament churches, money and material goods are not evil; neither are they a curse, but a blessing from God and a fulfilled promise from Him. Taking a look at 1Timothy 4:1-5 Paul rebuked Timothy about those false teachers who would forbid marriage and certain foods as evil. Paul also said, “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude” 1Tim 4:4Paul also wrote in this same epistle: “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” 1Tim 6:17.
Therefore, worldly riches are not just there for us to only enjoy, they are also for us to share with the needy. And this is well explained in 1Tim 6:18-19 which says, “Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed”. In the early chapters of Acts the attitudes of the Christians in selling their goods and satisfying the needs of other Christians showedto a large extent the way the reality of their faith and the strength of the bond between Christians.
Money controls a lot. Rather than viewing money as a sign of spirituality, or that spirituality guarantees prosperity (1Tim 6:5) a misconception that is familiar to many in New Testament times and today, money was to be understood as a stewardship, an important thing that is meant to be wisely used and invested, and not to betaken and hidden or lavished upon ourselves (James 5:1-6, Lk 16:1-13; 19:11-27).Material belongings in the Bible are never seen as an end in themselves. Chasing after wealth/prosperity has caused great heartache, problem and difficulty to quite a number of Christians. Material things are to be viewed as a means through which we can prove our love for God and our love for our brethren.
Whatever we have is given to us by God. Hence, our belongingsare not completely ours. We observed from the book of Acts that Christians did not consider their possessions as belonging that completely belong to them. This means that they did not claim their right of ownership.From the description from the Apostle Luke: “And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them” Acts 4:32. From the scripture above, we can see that there is no mandatory collection of goods and money from anyone. This is most clear in Peter’s words to Ananias and Sapphira: “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control?” Acts 5:4a. The land belonged to Ananias and Sapphira and they are entitled to do with it what they wish. They were not mandated to sell the land, or to give any part of the proceeds to be used for the poor. The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was that of deception, lying to the Holy Spirit Acts 5:3-4.
Second, the text did not also say that everyone sold everything they had and pooled it all together. It further expatiated that no one made selfish use of his right of ownership. There actual ownership did not change except in the case of property that was sold. Therefore Luke said, “… not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own …” Acts 4:34. Material blessings are not only for us to enjoy alone, but for us to share with others who are in need; they are a vital means of showing Christian love and unity to believers and to express the life-transforming power of the gospel of our savior Jesus Christ.

1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The poor growth and expansion of churches in Nigeria as a result of finances has been a major stumbling block to Christianity and the spread of the gospel of Christ. The consistent poor financing of churches as a result of lack of financing principles has led to the mismanagement of funds and the spending of money on inappropriate things which therefore has prompted the study.

1.3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major aim of the study is to examine the New Testament principles of church financing. Other specific objectives of the study are;

  1. To examine the level of church financing in four square gospel church and other churches in Nigeria.
  2. To examine the impact of church financing on church growth and survival.
  3. To determine the financing principles of churches in Nigeria.
  4. To recommend ways of improving church financing in Nigeria.

1.4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

  1. What is the level of church financing in four square gospel church and other churches in Nigeria?
  2. What is the impact of church financing on church growth and survival?
  3. What are the financing principles of churches in Nigeria?
  4. What are the ways of improving church financing in Nigeria?

1.5. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0: Church financing principles does not have an impact on church growth
H1: Church financing principles has an impact on church growth

1.6. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study would be of immense importance to church management in Nigeria as it would enhance church growth, expansion and development by examining the New Testament principles of church financing on church growth and expansion. The study would also benefit students, researchers and scholars who are interested in developing further study on the subject matter.

1.7. SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study is on New Testament principles of church financing using four square gospel churches in Uyo Akwa Ibom state as a case study.

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview)
Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work. 

CHAPTER TWO/REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.0 INTRODUCTION

Financing is becoming a common theme in African Churches today. Less than twenty five years ago, we were taught not to worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will take care of itself, and to learn from the birds of the air, who have no storage yet they survive (Matthew 6:34). We thus learned to put our trust in God who provides for us, but we failed to recognize that we have an important part to play in caring for His creation. Our preachers tended to only espouse the literal meaning of this scripture, and by implication, suggested that those who talk about financing were unnecessarily worrying about tomorrow. These preachers were honestly speaking about God’s providence without elaborating the nuanced meaning of ‘worry’. There is no doubt that this understanding of the scripture was very popular among our people because we live on a continent where half or more of the population lives in poverty, and we have learned to see every day, every meal and every sunrise and sunset as a celebration. However, financingis not about worrying. Rather it is about living happily and responsibly today, and thereby providing for tomorrow by conserving what we have. The second scriptural consideration that influenced our lack of receptiveness towards financing was based on the interpretation of the following text: God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground— everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. Genesis 1:28-30 (NIV) Our earlier understanding, on the basis of this text, did not allude to the relevance of financing. We saw those who talked about financing as restricting us from exercising our God-given rights of subduing and dominating the earth. We were completely oblivious to the responsibility that goes with such rights, in the context of a complex system of interdependence and interconnection called the ecosystem. We rejected any suggestion that human activities can have a negative impact on the earth and itsfinancing. Concerns about environmental degradation and ecological disasters, which were even known to our ancient societies, were flatly underplayed.
Consequently, we developed an attitude towards environmental financing that was predicated on the limitless, ‘divine right’ we have over the earth. Our situation was compounded by the general prevailing global attitude towards financing as well at that time. Generated by the Industrial Revolution and further advances in science and technology, the attitude of modern society towards financing was characterized by a combination of indifference and ignorance, predicated on the idea that humans can conquer the environment to get what they want without taking cognizance of the consequences of such actions. We simply ignored the trail of our ecological footprint and embarked on ‘development’, spurred largely by the desire for economic profit. Although the environmental movement began centuries ago , it was much later, in the 1970s that it started to gain traction and climaxed with the World Commission on Environment and Development report “Our Common Future” in 1987, and the growing recognition that it can no longer be business as usual, and that the environment is not our foe. Hence, the slogan, “environmentally friendly”, “green”, “organic”, “renewable”, “recycled” and more became catchphrases. Yet, from Stockholm in 1972 – UN Conference on the Human Environment, Rio de Janeiro in 1992 – UN Conference on Environment and Development, Johannesburg 2002 – the World Summit on Sustainable Development and, more recently the Climate Conferences in Copenhagen in 2009 and Cancun in 2010, the world’s journey towards financinghas been one of great challenge and promise . Using this as a yardstick, we proudly can say that with regard to financing the African Churches are in step.

2.1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

In our contemporary world, hardly a day passes by without the news media informing us of corruption in the country. Corruption in Nigeria is so common that many Nigerians assume that some of the most trusted institutions such as the Church is corrupt. In our current dispensation, the Church cannot afford to be reactive but remain proactive in managing its finances above reproach. In other words, there should not be a hint that the Church’s finances are not managed properly. This is because the Church by nature is supposed to be playing a major role in the quest for transparency and accountability in our society today. Besides, the congregations want an assurance from the leadership that monies that they give sacrificially to the Church as their offerings are used prudently. However, while some stakeholders in the management of offering in a section of the Church are proactive in managing their churches funds above reproach others are just doing the opposite by pilfering their churches’ offerings. Churches happen to be victims in this instance. Apart from this, in Nigeria the print media often carry stories of pilfering of offerings by either the clergy or the laity. A point in case is a private newspaper that carried on its front page, a story of aformer accountant of the Winners Chapel, Nigeria, who stole a large sum of the church’s offerings. The church offerings, according to the report, were “suspected to have been pilfered directly from the offertory box after normal church service”. Thus, while some account clerks are prudently managing their churches’ offerings above reproach others do the opposite. Hence, it is important to examine the procedures put in place by these selected churches in the management of their offerings. This will enable one ascertain perhaps the challenges, if any, that these churches are facing hence their inability to manage their offerings above reproach.

2.2 THE CONCEPT OF FINANCIAL RECORDKEEPING/EVOLUTION OF RECORD KEEPING

The origin of recording according to Okafor et al (1996:1) can be traced back to ancient civilization in Babylon, Egypt, Rome and Greece. Early Babylonians had begun by 4500BC, to levy and collect taxes and records the receipts and disbursements. The development of “papyrus” and “calamus” as paper and pen respectively by early Egyptians is a great impetus to record keeping. Before the advent of writing, man could talk and could express himself in drawing but he could not write. Therefore, record keeping could be dated back to about 300BC with the discovery of “hieroglyphics and cuneiform” writing by early Egyptians and Babylonians respectively. The introduction of the decimal system by the Arabs as early as 850AD greatly enhanced the development of recording keeping. The emergency of money as a medium of exchange has provided impetus for development of accounting and record keeping (Okafor, 1996:1). It becomes necessary to record business events on monetary aspect rather than on physical quantities. Moreover, the industrial revolution of 18th century which brought about ample growth in the world trades and industry provided an important stimulus to accounting and record keeping. The businesses have been on continuous growth and expansion, resulting in increased need for information through proper recording. Before this era, businesses were on small scale and individual proprietors were so personally involved in the business that the need for information was less required. The industrial revolution was in effect the basis of the modern business enterprises ranging from partnership to joint stock companies. In view of Okpe (1998:1), described business organization as the vehicle for mobilization of funds and human resources”. He further stressed that it involves the principle of stewardship or accountability which marks a step further in the development of accounting and record-keeping. There is great need for effective and efficient communication network between the enterprises and the interested parties especially for showing how the resources are utilized. In the opinion of Okpe, (1998:1), he stressed that of the man or an entity just going into business, experience has clearly indicated that an adequate record keeping system helps to increase the chances of survival and reduces probability of early failure. Similarly, for established industrialist, it has been clearly demonstrated that a good record keeping system increases his chances of staying in business and or earning desirable profits. Record-keeping can help owner managers of small enterprises keeping their business on a sound basis.

2.3 THE NATURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF FINANCIAL SYSTEM OF NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHES

The churches are established mainly to render services and not to make profits (Freeman, 1988:14) the objectives of churches are to provide as many goods or as much service each year as their financial and other resources permit. They typically operate on a year-to-year basis, raising as much financial resources as possible and expending them in serving their constituency. According to Freeman (1988:16), he observed that financial management of a church typically focuses on “acquiring and using financial resources upon sources and uses of working capital, budget status and cash flow rather than on net income or earning per share”. There is no profit motive and there are no individual shareholders to whom dividends are paid. In essence, businesses are organized for profit, the church for Christian services. Again businesses may be re-organized, sold or liquidated, churches are difficult to re-organize or liquate and their properties are rarely considered as cash assets. The use of funds is restricted when given by donor for specific purpose. In other words, some assets are restricted for a particular purpose like in a club, the members may be assessed for certain capital improvements such as the construction of a swimming pool, the proceeds from the assessment will be set in a restricted fund to be used only for that particular purpose. In view of James et al (1976:24) in their handbook titled “The Modern Accountant Handbook” the measurement of the benefits resulting from sacrifices of the New Testament churches are much more difficult since the attainment of goals can be measured only in term of “performance” to compare to that of commercial enterprises which can be measured as net income. The commercial organizations do have the responsibilities to report on the stewardship of their resources, the emphasis of their accountability is on the utilization of the resources to earn a profit. But in non-profit organization, the emphasis is placed on accountability and stewardship. It is important to understand that the standard of reporting for New Testament churches have developed differently from commercial accounting standards because there is a difference in emphasis in the objectives for recording the date and because of legally binding restrictions in New Testament churches which have no real counterpart in business enterprises. One of the characteristics of non-profit organization is that those contributing financial resources to the organization do not necessary receive or proportionate share of its goods or services (Freeman, 1988:40). The non-profit organizational financial reporting should provide the economic resources, obligations and net resources of an organization and the effects of transactions, events and circumstances that change resources and interests in those resources (Harry, 1993:16). The performance of an organization during a periodic measurement of the changes in the amount and nature of the net resources of a non-business organizations, and information about its service efforts and accomplishment provided that the information most useful in accessing its performance. How a church obtains and other factors that may affect an it’s liquidity should include an explanations and interpretation to help users understand financial information provided. In relation to James et al (1976), the objective of record keeping and the presentation of data are to make available meaningful financial information. This requires appropriate and adequate disclosure of the information required by the users of financial data. The purpose of preparing and presenting such data are comparable to the purposes of presenting financial statements for commercial profit seeking corporations. The emphasis in a church accounting is on “stewardship” rather than on matching cost with revenues. This emphasis arises from the fact that New Testament churches receive funds for which they must maintain accountability. This takes the form of general accountability and specific accountability. The churches are established to carry out special functions and to meet the designed objectives. The church has the general accountability to use the funds and resources it receives for the established objectives. In some cases, funds are contributed for use in a specific accountability to be certain that the specific requirements on the donor are carried out. The general characteristics of recording and reporting data for the various types of New Testament churches are similar; the historical development of accounting principles and procedures has resulted in a variety of record-keeping procedures and forms of presentation of the financial data. Recognizing the need for uniformity in reporting some of the churches developed manual doe use by their groups.

2.4 THE CHURCH ACCOUNTING MANUAL

In the opinion of Harry (1993:20) the general accounting manuals includes a general description of the overall accounting system, the charts of accounts, numbering scheme, account description and if desired the general accounting principles and policies being followed. Parts of the general accounting manual are usually included in the user manual to provide account coding information to outside department such as purchasing, receiving and others to code transaction documents or otherwise providing accounting information a more complete manual containing a section of accounting principles and general procedures. The accounting manual may contain copies of reports, and accounting statement produced by the system. The user manual is most useful in interpreting where non accountants initiate or prepare original accounting forms or documents that provide accounting information to the general accounting operations. The users’ manual has a listing of income and expense account numbers and codes and descriptions and use of accounting forms. It can be used as a training tool for non-accounting supervisors, secretaries and others who are involved in adding or checking data on accounting input documents.

2.5 FINANCIAL DECISION MAKINGS PROCEDURES IN RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

The financial decision making in religion organizations like Christian religions is being taken by the church officials in charge of finance with the overall conclusion by the pastor or priest for the particular church. Before any expenses or project is to be executed, the priest in conjunction with finance council will deliberate on it and decide the amounts that are to be expended. This forms a basis for controlling excessive spending and relating actual income to it expenditure. Most of the churches operate a bank account of which the priest or the pastor forms the signatory to the account along with the person that handles the cash. Thus financial decision making in religious organizations involves taking risks. According to Anyafo (1997:25) in his book “God’s People Finance”, decision making is not an easy task, it is even more difficult when it has to do with money. We are talking about financial derivation by risk taking. Financial decision making is made most of the time under conditions of uncertainty. Because of uncertainty of outcome, there is risk. A systematic approach to solving decision problems under conditions of uncertainty is referred to as decision analysis (Anyafo, 2001:8). It seeks to prescribe a decision for the individual that is consistent with his or her preferences and attitude towards risks. Real life decision problems; financial or otherwise involves the selections of a course of actions from among two or more alternatives. This can be classified into two or more categories: i. Decision-making under uncertainty: This entails the selections of a course of actions when we do not know the certainty the results that each alternative action will yield. However, it is assumed that the outcome of whatever course of action we selected is affected only by chance and not by an opponent or competitor. ii. Decision-making under conflict: This is similar to decision making under uncertainty in that we do not know with certainty the result each available alternative course of action will yield. However, the reason for this uncertainty is different in the case of decision making under conflict. In such cases, we are in effect confronted by one or more opponents or competitors. The outcome of our chosen course of action depends on decisions made by our opponents. Decision problems of this type fall under the discipline known as game theory. Because Satan is an opponent, the Christian is confronted most of the time with decision making under conflict. Nevertheless, the bible assures that you are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). The Christian is well equipped to take risk because greater is Jesus Christ that is in Him than Satan that is in the world. Making money involves risk-taking of some degree. Every child or God has the privilege of transferring these risks to Jesus Christ who stretches out His hands to take over the risks with the words come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). However, the financial decision making in Catholic Church is being taken by the Parish Finance Councils of the parish with the parish priest as the chairman. The Parish council decides the financial strength of the parish by consulting the Finance Committee and discusses all financial prospects of each organization or society that make up the parish and act accordingly. Thus, the Parish Council calls for tenders, selects and approves one and authorizes treasurer and parish priest to pay on completions of the project. The parish finance council discusses relevant issues concerning the church with the parish priest and decides how the matter will be solved financially. In other words, the parish priest does not have sole authority to the church’s funds but takes directives or works along with the parish council on issues concerning finance. Because of the vital importance of the financial decisions to the church. It is essential to set up a sound and effective organization for the finance functions.The ultimate responsibility of carrying out the financial functions lies with the Bishop.

2.6 FINANCIAL CONTROL: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL

The establishment of church is mainly channeled towards bringing souls to God and not for profit making (Olademej, 1985:35). Though the fund for managing its affairs has to be controlled, there is the necessity for an effective approach to the exercise of appropriates and effective controls over the finance of the church. Control is a management activity of comparing actual output or performance with pre-determined or planned situation and analyzing any differences for purpose of managerial corrective actions and co-ordination. Such controls are of two types viz.: internal controls and external controls. Internal control must be such that it will establish the credibility and project the image of the church as semi-autonomous organization able to plain their financial programmes and collect and disburse their monies in a controlled and systematic manner designed to achieve their objectives without waste or loss and at a minimum cost. Millichamp (1986:42), internal control system is defined 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, ensure adherence to management policies, safeguard the assets and secure as far as possible the completeness and accuracy of the record. The individual components of an internal control system are known as “control”. More so, a good system of supervision and control over church fund is necessary in order to be able to prevent fraud and detect errors as soon as possible. They advocated for the appointment of church auditors both internal and external. The duties of the accountants will not stop with the preparation and submission of income and expenditure accounts but also must find the best way to present and communicate to members the financial statement of the church at various levels of expenditures and to the appropriate bodies. It is however, pointed out that managers should see that money is being expended in a systematic way and should make sure that church items are not consumed too fast. Thus, for financial control purpose, the manager or whoever is in control of church’s fund should try to control cost by eliminating unnecessary spending and making sure that money donated by people are judiciously utilized for the purpose it was received. In essence, the existence or effective internal and external control of this nature should be of considerable importance to the progressive development of sound financial management. The most important to the internal financial control fund in catholic churches are the preparation of annual and supplementary estimate of income and expenditure and the operation of a system designed to ensure that actual expenditure does not exceed the approved estimates. Also, that of revenue reaching the budgeting figure so that the finance of the church will be well managed. Each individual parish in the diocese sends their yearly budgets to the diocese. In the parish level, there is internal control where the financial secretary collects, records and deposits money into the bank account of the parish. The parish priest and treasurer or one other person are the authorized signatories to the account. Also another form of internal control is the appointment of financial committee who have special responsibilities for the maintenance of effective system of financial control. In terms of external control, the diocese controls over the finances of the parishes. Each parish priest is expected to present an annual budget of his parish to diocese, and also expected to render an annual or semi-annual account of all income and expenditures of the parish. The parishes should be encouraged to stand on their own feet and prove that they have demonstrated a sound understanding of their financial responsibilities and of public accountability.

2.7 Reasons Christians Gave in the New Testament

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