Chapter one
1.1 Introduction
Many people think of accounting as a highly technical field which can be understood only by professional accountants. Actually, nearly everyone practices accounting in one form or another on an almost daily basis We live in an era of accountability. Although, accounting has made sits most dramatic progress in the field of business, the accounting function is vital to every unit of our society. An individual must account for his or her income, and must supply personal accounting information in order to buy a car or home to qualify for a college scholarships to secure a credit card, or to obtain a bank loan. Large corporations are accountable to their stockholders, to government agencies, and to the public. The federal government, the states, the cities, the school district: all must use accounting as a basis for controlling their resources and measuring their accomplishments. Accounting is equally essential to the successful operation of a business, a university, a polytechnic and a social program.
1.1.1 DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTING:
Okechukwu (1999), defined accounting as, “the art of recording, classifying and summarizing, analyzing, interpreting and reporting on the financial transactions and position of an organization to interested persons or bodies.” He gave this definition because whenever two or more persons comes together to form a union or an organization, the next thing is that money must be involved. Also, the accurate recording of the financial dealings of the companies, as well as the correct reporting of the financial results of the union’s activities for a period to the members of that union, and to outsiders become of paramount importance.