CHAPTER   ONE

1.0                                           INTRODUCTION

1.1              HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) as a corporation established by the federal Military government in April 1972.  Under Decree No. 24, National Electric Power authority (NEPA ) was empowered to maintain an efficient, co-ordinated an economic system of electricity supply to all the nooks and crannies of the Nation.  It started with a humble but steady beginning with only four major power stations namely – Ijora, Delt, Afam and Thermal power stations and Kainji Hydro Power stations serving more than two million customers nationwide.

NEPA has become the fastest and biggest growing electricity industry in Africa and in deed developing world with a consumer population of about five million.  National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) is a government owned business organization set up by Decree with the main aim of maximizing public welfare.  To ensure even distribution of facilities and social services, the government establishes NEPA.  NEPA helps combat the unhealthy rural and urban drift of the population.

The stores control is a very important function branch of an organization which required a serious attention.  Unfortunately, most organization in Nigeria have not given it the attention deserves.  The problem of neglect to this vital functional part of an organization is not only peculiar to Nigeria but world wide and had been in existing from time immemorial.  It would be observed that the primary objective of stores functions is to provide a services to the operating function and this must be fully appreciated.

According to Dessler (2001), he identified six steps in doing a job analysis.  One of it is review relevant background information such as organization charts, process charts and job description. Henderson (1994), view organization charts as how the job in question relates to other jobs and where it fits in the overall organization.  The chart should identify the title of each position and by means of its interconnecting lines.

1.2                        STATEMENT OF THE STUDY

The problem of stores control has been existing for too long. This problem is still with us to data and is a universal rather than a peculiar problem.  Thus, it is not limited to a single organization but all business.  It is not only limited to the private sector.  With its background motive to provide maximization’s but also the public sector organization such as NEPA with less it’s background principles of non profit but social service maximization.

The problem of stock control may be attributed to the failure, on the part of the top management officials, to give a deserved attention to the function of stores as well as their inability to employ the services of as well qualified stores officers to take charge of stores supervision and management.  Added to this problem is the issue of the death of storage facilities and the habit of stores procedure violation by the top, the middle, and the junior cadre personnel in the organization.

The National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) does not exist in isolation.  The same problem as faced by other organizations both public and private as what NEPA is facing. 

More so, being a government organization, which is not grounded on the principles of profit maximization, the neglect as well as the improper care, control and management of stock, can be more terrible than required.

Since 1989, NEPA has also been encountered public criticism due to lack of effectiveness and efficiency in services.  It is obvious from the randomly outing of public against their poor services. The Corporation on body since then no longer attain the efficiency level expected of it.

Organization efficiency and effectiveness is service largely depends on the transparency and performance of the workers which in turn is a function of motivation and morale.  Therefore the understanding of how these ingredients of production can be combined to bring about job satisfication in the workers should be of paramount importative to every organization in general according to Fab. (2003).