ABSTRACT

The essence of public sector audit practice is to aid better performance. This involves taking a critical look into the activities of the government to ascertain if it has met the level of performance for which it is intended. Value-for-money audit is a form of public sector audit which investigates into the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of expenditures on projects and programmes embarked on by the government. The concept is to ascertain the extent to which taxpayers and citizens get value-for-money expended by the government on their behalf. The study used both primary and secondary sources of data collection. Statistical tools such as table, frequency distribution, percentages and Chi-square (X2) were used in the analysis of data and testing the hypothesis .Summary of the findings through the hypothesis tested shows that: - There is no significant difference between the opinion of auditors, auditees and taxpayers on the effectiveness of public expenditures on projects/programmes in Abia state. - There is no significant difference between the opinion of auditors, auditees and taxpayers on the efficiency of public expenditure on projects/programmes in Abia State. - There is no significant difference between the opinion of auditors, auditees and taxpayers on the economy of public expenditure on projects/programmes in Abia State. - The opinion expressed by respondents on government sustainability of its projects/programmes is not dependent of their geo-political zone in Abia State. The study made the following recommendations based on statement of the problems. - The government should device a means to ensure that the projects and programmes executed by it is carried out with the appropriate resource, and in the avoidance of waste. - The government such also ensure that the projects and programmes executed by it meets the purpose and the right beneficiaries which these projects and programmes are meant for. - Also adequate control should be put in place to ensure that the process in which the projects and programmes is carried out meets with the required standard. - Value-for-money auditors should ensure proper monitoring of government funded projects/programmes to ensure that such projects/programme are sustained.