NATIONALISM (CONT’D)
CHARACTERISTICS OF DEMOCRACY
RULE OF LAW AND PRINCIPLES OF RULE OF LAW
LIBERTY
MINORITY AND MAJORITY INTEREST
MAJOR PILLARS OF DEMOCRACY
ARMS OF GOVERNMENT
OTHER STRONG INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT
FREEDOM AS A PILLAR OF DEMOCRACY
MEANING OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
DEFINITION OF CITIZEN AND ALIEN

Nationalism (Cont’d)

SS 1 Civic Education Second Term

Week 1

Topic: Nationalism (Cont’d)

Content:

Nationalistic Roles of Individuals
Nationalistic Roles of Groups

NATIONALISTIC ROLES OF INDIVIDUALS

PAST NATIONALIST LEADERS

HERBERT MACAULAY (1864 – 1946)

i) He was regarded as the father of Nigerian Nationalism.

ii) He formed the first political party Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) in1923.

iii) His party contested and won the three seats allocated to Lagos in 1923, 1928 and1933 into the legislative council.

iv) He became the first president of NCNC National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon in 1944.

v) He established the Lagos Daily News.

vi) Himself with other members of the party embarked on a tour to mobilize support to sponsor people to protect the non-nationalistic nature of the Richard Constitution of 1946.

vii) He won an appeal in the Lagos High Court before the Privy Council that ordered that compensation of the sum of £45,000.00 be paid to Esugbayi, the Eleko of Eko.

viii) He died during the tour to the Northern part of the country in 1946.

BENJAMIN NNAMDI AZIKIWE (NOV 16, 1904 – MAY 11, 1996)

i) He founded the African Pilot newspaper in 1937.

ii) He co-founded the National Council of Nigerian and Cameroon (NCNC). He became the Secretary General of NCNC in 1946 and was elected to Legislative Council the following year.

iii) He became the Premier of Nigeria’s Eastern region.

iv) He became the Governor-General of Nigeria on November 16, 1960.

v) He became the first president of Nigeria with the proclamation of a Republic in1963.

vi) He served as the presidential candidate of the Nigerian People’s Party between1978 – 1983.

vii) He died on May 11, 1996.

viii) He could be regarded as the founder of modern Nigerian nationalism because of his numerous contributions to Nigeria’s independence.

JEREMIAH OBAFEMI AWOLOWO (March 6, 1909 – May 9, 1987)

i) He founded the Nigerian Tribune newspaper.

ii) He was a co-founder of Egbe Omo Oduduwa, a Yoruba socio-cultural organization.

iii) He organized and formed the Action Group in 1951, an off-shoot of Egbe Omo Oduduwa. He became the National leader of the group.

iv) He became the opposition leader in the Federal House of Representatives.

v) He was the Premier of Western Nigeria from 1954 – 1959.

vi) Action Group sponsored the motion for Nigeria Independence in 1953.

vii) He played significant role in the constitutional conferences before independence.He gained self-government status for Western region in 1957.

viii) He was the presidential candidate for the Unity Party of Nigeria between 1979 – 1983.

ix) He died in 1987.

NATIONALIST ROLES OF GROUPS

Groups are made up of individuals that come together, their activities can make or mar the smooth operation of any government. They are therefore expected to play nationalist roles in the governance of the nation.

1) Formation of political parties.

2) Formation of unions and associations that can protect the interest of members of the public.

3) Support for the government through constructive criticism.

4) Establishment of human right protection groups.

5) Provision of valuable ideas and information for the government.

6) Provision of legal aids for poor citizens who cannot afford the services of lawyers.

7) Mass enlightenment campaign on sensitive national issues.

Test and Exercises

Which past national leader was regarded as the father of Nigerian Nationalism?
(a) Nnamdi Azikwe
(b) Obafemi Awolowo
(c) Tafawa Balewa
(d) Herbert Macaulay
The African Pilot newspaper was founded by Nnamdi Azikwe in
(a) 1937
(b) 1938
(c) 1939
(d) 1940
Egbe Omo Oduduwa founded by Obafemi Awolowo was
(a) Yoruba dance group
(b) Yoruba political party
(c) Yoruba socio-cultural organization
(d) Yoruba commercial humanitarian organisation
These were nationalistic roles played by groups in the development of Nigeria except
(a) formation of political parties
(b) formation of unions and associations that can protect the interest of members of the public
(c) support for the government through constructive criticism
(d) support for colonial administration.
_________ was the first president of Nigeria after independence was declared
(a) Olusegun Obasanjo
(b) Tafawa Balewa
(c) Obafemi Awolowo
(c) Nnamdi Azikiwe

ANSWERS

Characteristics of Democracy

Civic Education, SS 1 Second Term

Week 2

Topic: Characteristics of Democracy

Content:

Meaning and Types of Democracy
Representative Democracy
Features of Representative Democracy
Merits and Demerits of Representative Democracy

Meaning of Democracy

According to Abraham Lincoln, democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.

It is the system of government in which people exercise their political power through periodic election of leaders by themselves or their representative.

The word democracy was traceable to ancient Greek . The word DEMO and KRATIA which form democracy means people and government.

Types of democracy

There are two types of Democracy, which are

Direct Democracy: This is the system of government where everybody is involved in governing the country. It is a system whereby all citizens meet together periodically for the purpose of governing the country.
Indirect Democracy: This is a system of government where citizens choose their representatives to rule on their behalf. This is also called representative democracy. This system of government is practiced in Nigeria, Ghana, U.S.A etc.

Representative Democracy

Representative democracy also known as indirect democracy, representative republic, or psephocracy, is a type of democracy founded on the principle of elected officials representing a group of people, as opposed to direct democracy. Nearly all modern Western-style democracies are types of representative democracies; for example, the United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, Ireland is a parliamentary republic, and the United States and Nigeria are federal republics.

Features of Representative Democracy

1) Political Liberty: All normal adults have equal rights to vote and to stand as candidates for elections.

2) Freedom of Association and Group: People should be able to choose their own candidates or support political parties without being intimidated.

3) Political Parties: Where democracy is operational, there should be more than one political party and different individuals competing for power.

4) Secret Ballot: In popular democracy, elections are usually done by secret ballot.

5) Decision Making: The conception of majority rule and the rights of the minority must be recognized in the area of decision making.

6) Freedom of the Press: The radio, newspapers, television, social media should be free to write and express issues without hindrance.

7) Separation of Power: The powers (as given by the constitution) of the organs of government must be separated both in functions and personnel.

8) Supremacy of the Constitution: The constitution should be supreme and be above every other consideration in any political system.

Merits of Representative Democracy

1. Citizen Representation

With this form of government, the people have the say in who is elected into any form of government office. These elected officials then make decisions based on what the people want, and in the best interest of majority of people. They represent the citizens in ways that they could not do for themselves.

2. A Place To Turn To

By having elected officials in all areas of the country, if someone has an issue that they think should be addressed or something that they feel should change, they can easily access their local official. These officials can then help them with their problems and guide them through the steps they need to take to get it to the next level of government.

3. High Participation

Knowing that they have a voice in the government urges people to be more educated and up to date on issues that are happening in the country as well as the world. Each year we see an increase in the amount of people showing up to vote for their officials.

Demerits of Representative Democracy

1. Misplaced Trust

Once the election process is over, the people’s voice in government is virtually done. They have to put their faith and trust in the person that they elect to communicate and do things that they’ve promised to do. This is rarely the case. Many times these elected officials have ulterior agendas that are not in the best interest of the citizens.

2. The Majority Rules

The election process of representative government focuses solely on the majority. The minority groups, no matter how significant their issues may be, are rarely represented simply because they do not have the majority of the votes to get an official into office. This causes a feeling of separation with these groups as well as feeling like their issues are not as important.

3. No Accountability

Once elected, officials can do whatever they please, and this often includes breaking campaign promises that they made to be elected in the first place. When things go wrong, or not in favor of the people, there are no repercussion for these officials. The only possible consequence that could come is that they would not be reelected.

Test and Exercises

Democracy can be defined as
(a) government by the few over the many
(b) government of the people, by the people and without the people
(c) government of the people, by the people and for the people
(d) government by rich individuals
The system of government where everybody is involved in governing the country is known as
(a) direct democracy
(b) indirect democracy
(c) complex democracy
(d) simple democracy
All these countries practice federal republics type of democracy except
(a) Nigeria
(b) United States
(c) United Kingdom
One of these is not a feature of representative democracy
(a) freedom of the press
(b) political liberty
(c) separation of power
(d) military rule
One of the failures of representative democracy is that
(a) people have a say in the government
(b) there is easy access to local officials
(c) minority people are rarely represented
(d) increase in the number of people showing up to vote

ANSWERS

Rule of Law and Principles of Rule of Law

Civic Education, SS 1 Second Term

Week 3

Topic: Rule of Law and Principles of Rule of Law

Content

Rule of Law and Principles of Rule of Law
Limitations of Rule of Law
Needs/Importance of Rule of Law in a State

RULE OF LAW

The rule of law simply means that every citizen must act in accordance with the law. It is the supremacy of the law over every citizen in the political system. It is the legal principle that law should govern a nation. It basically means that the law should apply to everyone in other words; no one is above the law.

The concept of the rule of law was made popular by professor A.V Dicey in his book “enspirit de law” in the year 1885.

Principles of the rule of law

Principle of impartiality: This principle states that the law should not be partial to anybody .This means that no one should be punished of any offense except he/she has been found guilty by the court.
Principle of equality before the law: This principle states that all men must be equal before the law of the land.
Principle of fair hearing : This principle states that anyone arrested for an offence should be listen to through normal court process before judgment is passed.
Principle of supremacy of the law :this principle states that the law of the land is always the final authority.
Right to appeal :this states that when a person is bot satisfied with the judgement of a lower court , he has the right to appeal.

Limitations of Rule of Law

1) Immunity: Immunity is the special right granted to certain individuals in position of authority which shield them from prosecution while in office regardless of the offence committed. Such people are diplomats, presidents and governors. This is a limitation against the rule of law.

2) Administrative Tribunal: They are set up in some countries to try erring public officers. While ordinary citizens are tried in the ordinary courts.

3) Delegated Legislation: Delegated legislation refers to laws and orders promulgated by bodies other than parliaments. This is against the rule of law.

4) Special Courts: In Nigeria, tribunals are set up to try certain corruption cases of public officials. Those tried in this special court seldom felt they do not get fair hearing (Such as the Oputa panel).

5) Over Crowding of the Court: Cases are delayed sometimes as a result of insufficient judges to handle cases and this result into keeping accused person for too long.

6) Ignorance and Poverty: Many die in silence as a result of ignorance as they fail to pursue their case in the court of law.

7) Emergency Period: Citizens of a country may be denied some of their human rights during state of emergency. Rights such as freedom of movement when curfew is declared during emergency.

Needs/Importance of the Rule of Law

1. The supremacy of rule of law ensures no person can claim to be above law.

2. It ensures adherence of principles of natural justice like: giving reasonable opportunity, impartiality of decision, etc.

3. It leads to fairness, both substantive and procedural.

4. It leads to respect of how the system works, including those who are leaders.

5. It ensures that leaders follow the proper procedure for creating new laws, and they respect it when the courts tell them those laws are not enforceable.

6. It is this system which prevents dictatorships.

7. Rule of law regulate society, protects people and helps to enforce rights.

8. It helps to solve conflicts.

9. Rule of law prevent or deter people from behaving in a manner that negatively affects the quality of life of other people, therefore the consequences of breaking the law often fit the crime.

Test and Exercises

The principle that states that every citizen must act in accordance with the law is known as
(a) rule of thumb
(b) rule of constitution
(c) rule of law
(d) rule of court
Rule of law was made popular by professor A.V Dicey in
(a) 1881
(b) 1882
(c) 1885
(d) 1884
Pick the option that is not a principle of rule of law
(a) principle of impartiality
(b) principle of equality before the law
(c) principle of unity of the law
(d) principle of supremacy of the law
One of these is not a limitation of the rule of law
(a) delegated legislation
(b) immunity
(c) ignorance and poverty
(d) being above the law
The rule of law helps to prevent the following except
(a) equal society
(b) dictatorships
(c) conflicts
(d) impartiality

ANSWERS

Liberty

Civic Education, SS 1 Second Term

Week 4

Topic: Liberty

Content

Definition of Liberty
Types of Liberty
Factors that safeguard the liberty of citizen

Definition of Liberty

The word “Liberty” stands derived from the Latin word ‘Liber” which means ‘free’. In this sense liberty means freedom from restraints and the freedom to act as one likes. However, in a civil society such a meaning of Liberty is taken to be negative and harmful.

It is only in a jungle that freedom from restraints is available to animals. In a civil society no person can be really permitted to act without restraints. Hence, Liberty is taken to mean the absence of not all restraints but only those restraints which are held to be irrational.

Liberty is usually defined in two ways: Negative Liberty & Positive Liberty:

(A) Negative Liberty:

In its negative sense, Liberty is taken to mean an absence of restraints. It means the freedom to act is any way. In this form liberty becomes a license. Such a meaning of liberty can never be accepted in a civil society. In contemporary times, Negative conception of liberty stands rejected.

(B) Positive Liberty:

In its positive sense, Liberty is taken to mean freedom under rational and logical i.e. restraints which are rational and have stood the test of time. It means liberty under the rational and necessary restraints imposed by law. These restraints are considered essential for ensuring the enjoyment of liberty by all the people. In a civil society only positive liberty can be available to the people.

Types of Liberty

(1) Natural Liberty:

Traditionally the concept of natural liberty has been very popular. Natural liberty is taken to mean the enjoyment of unrestrained natural freedom. It is justified on the ground that since man is born free, he is to enjoy freedom as he wills. All restraints negate his freedom.

The social contractual lists (Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau) championed the cause of natural liberty. Rousseau became famous for his words: “Man is born free, but is in chains everywhere.” It is popularly believed that man has inherited the right to liberty from nature. Natural reason is the basis of liberty.

However, the concept of natural liberty is now considered to be an imaginary one. There can be no real freedom in a state of nature or a ‘jungle society’. Unrestrained freedom can create anarchy. It is only in an orderly society characterised by essential restraints based on laws and rules that real liberty can be possible. Natural liberty can lead to a living based on the evil principle of ‘might is right’ or the ‘rule of muscle power.’

(2) Civil Liberty:

The liberty which each individual enjoys as a member of the society is called civil liberty. It is equally available to all the individuals. All enjoy equal freedom and rights in society. Civil liberty is not unrestrained liberty. It is enjoyed only under some restrictions (Laws and Rules) imposed by the state and society. Civil Liberty is the very opposite of Natural liberty. Whereas Natural Liberty denounces the presence of restraints of any kind, Civil Liberty accepts the presence of some rational restraints imposed by the State and Society.

(3) Political Liberty:

Good and adequate opportunities for using political rights by the people are defined as political liberty. When the people have the freedom of participation in the political process, it is held that they enjoy political liberty.

Political of liberty involves the freedom to exercise the right to vote, right to contest elections, right to hold public office, right to criticise and oppose the policies of the government, right to form political parties, interest groups and pressure groups, and the right to change the government through constitutional means.

Laski observes “Political liberty means the power to be active in the affairs of the state.” Such a liberty is possible only in a democracy. The real exercise of political rights by the people is a sure sign of the presence of political liberty and democracy.

(4) Individual Liberty/ Personal Liberty:

Individual liberty means the freedom to pursue one’s desires and interests as a person, but which do not clash with the interests or desires of others. The freedom of speech and expression, freedom of residence, freedom of movement, freedom of conscience, freedom of tastes and pursuits, freedom to choose any profession or trade or occupation, the freedom to enjoy the fruits of one’s labour, the right to personal property, the freedom to profess or not to profess any religion, and freedom to accept or not to accept any ideology, all fall under the category of individual freedom. However, all these freedoms are to be exercised in a way as does not hinder the equal freedom of others as well as does not violate public order, health and morality.

(5) Economic Liberty:

Laski defines economic liberty as freedom from the wants of tomorrow and availability of adequate opportunities for earning the livelihood. It stands for freedom from poverty, unemployment and the ability to enjoy at least three basic minimum needs — food, clothing and shelter. Laski writes, “Economic Liberty means security and opportunity to find reasonable significance in the earning of one’s daily bread”.

Economic Liberty can be enjoyed only when there is freedom from hunger, starvation, destitution and unemployment. Positively, it means the availability of the right to work and adequate opportunities for earning ones livelihood. Without fair economic liberty, political liberty becomes meaningless. When the people are not free from the fear of hunger, starvation and destitution they can never think of enjoying their rights and freedoms.

The grant of economic liberty to the people demands the grant of right to work, right to reasonable wages, adequate opportunities for livelihood, right to rest and leisure, and right to economic security in the old age.

(6) National Liberty:

National liberty is another name for independence of the nation.

It means complete freedom of the people of each state:

(i) To have a constitution of their own,

(ii) To freely organise their own government,

(iii) To freely adopt their policies and programmes,

(iv) To pursue independence in relations with all countries of the world, and

(v) Freedom from external control.

(7) Religious Liberty:

It means the freedom to profess or not to profess any religion. It means the freedom of faith and worship and non-intervention of State in religious affairs of the people. It also means equal status of all religions to freely carry out their activities in society. Secularism demands such a religious freedom.

(8) Moral Liberty:

It means the freedom to act according to one’s conscience. It stands for the liberty to work for securing moral self-perfection. Freedom to pursue moral values is moral freedom.

Factors that safeguard the Liberty of Citizens

1. Love for Liberty:

Only when people are strongly in love with their liberty, that liberty can be really safeguarded. Liberty needs continuous attempts on the part of the people to defend their liberty.

2. Eternal Vigilance:

The commitment of the people to defend their liberty and their full alertness against any encroachment of their liberty is the second most important safeguard of liberty. “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

3. Grant of Equal Rights to All:

For safeguarding Liberty, it is essential that there should be no class of privileged persons in society. Liberty can exist only when equal rights are granted and guaranteed to all the people without any discrimination.

Grant of special privileges and rights to any class is always against the spirit of liberty. However, grant of some special privileges to the deprived sections of society (Protective Discrimination) is deemed just and essential.

4. Democratic System:

Establishment of a democratic system is an essential safeguard of liberty. Both liberty and democracy are supplementary to each other. We cannot conceive of a democracy without the presence of civil, economic, political and individual liberty. Likewise, in the absence of the right to freedom there can be no real democracy.

5. The Rights of one should not be dependent upon the will of others:

Laski suggests that the state must ensure that rights and freedoms of some people should not be dependent upon the will and happiness of others. The rulers and ruled should both be under the rule of law.

6. Fair Governmental Action:

For safeguarding Liberty, it is essential that the government should exercise unbiased and impartial control over every section of society. It must acts as a responsible transparent and accountable government.

7. Protection of Fundamental Rights:

One of the key methods of safeguarding liberty is to incorporate a charter of fundamental rights and freedoms in the constitution of the State. Along with it, judicial protection should be given to rights.

8. Independence of Judiciary:

Judiciary should be assigned the responsibility to protect all rights and freedoms of the people. For discharging such an important function, the judiciary must be made independent and fully empowered.

9. Separation of Powers:

Separation of powers should be secured between the legislature and executive. Judiciary should be totally separate from these. Any concentration or combination of these powers can be dangerous for Liberty.

10. Decentralisation of Powers:

For safeguarding liberty against possible dictatorship/ authoritarianism, it is essential that decentralisation of powers should be affected. The power of the government, particularly its executive branch should be distributed among a number of organisations and these should be located at all the three levels of government-local, provincial/ regional and national.

11. Rule of Law:

All the people should be under the same laws and bound by same types of obligations. No one should be above law.

13. Economic Equality:

Equitable and fairer distribution of income, wealth and resources, and adequate opportunities for lively-hood are essential safeguards of Liberty. Without economic equality, there can be no real enjoyment of liberty.

14. Well Organised Interest Groups and Non-government Organisations:

One very essential safeguard for Liberty is the presence of well-organised interest groups and non-governmental organisations or voluntary social service organisations i.e. Civil Society. Such organisations can act unitedly for fight all violations of liberty.

Test and Exercises

Liberty can be defined in two ways. These are
(a) positive liberty and negative liberty
(b) right liberty and wrong liberty
(c) plus liberty and minus liberty
(d) simple liberty and complex liberty
The type of liberty which is equally available to each individual member of the society is called
(a) natural liberty
(b) political liberty
(c) civil liberty
(d) economic liberty
When there is fear of hunger, starvation and destitution, people cannot enjoy their
(a) money and properties
(b) rights and freedoms
(c) jobs
(d) education
These are the factors that safeguard the liberty of citizens except
(a) rule of law
(b) love for liberty
(c) grants of equal rights for all
(d) civil unrest and strife
The liberty that allows one to pursue desires and interests as a person also provides that
(a) such interests do not clash with the interests or desires of others
(b) such interests must clash with the interests or desires of others
(c) such interests must include criminal activities
(d) such interests must be what others also want

ANSWERS

Minority and Majority Interest

Civic Education, SS 1 Second Term

Week 5

Topic: Minority and Majority Interest

Content:

Definition of Minority and Majority Interest with Examples
Reasons for protecting Minority Interest
Ways of Protection/Safeguard Minority Interest

Definition of Minority and Majority Interest

Majority rule is a way of organizing government where citizens freely make political decisions through voting for representatives. The representatives with the most votes then represent the will of the people through majority rule. Minority rights are rights that are guaranteed to everyone, even if they are not a part of the majority. These rights cannot be be eliminated by a majority vote. Minorities must trust that the majority will keep in mind the wishes of the minority when making decisions that affect everyone. Minorities — whether as a result of ethnic background, religious belief, geographic location, income level, or simply as the losers in elections or political debate — enjoy guaranteed basic human rights that no government, and no majority, elected or not, should remove.

Minorities need to trust that the government will protect their rights and self-identity. Once this is accomplished, such groups can participate in, and contribute to their country’s democratic institutions.

Among the basic human rights that any democratic government must protect are freedom of speech and expression; freedom of religion and belief; due process and equal protection under the law; and freedom to organize, speak out, dissent, and participate fully in the public life of their society.

Examples of Majority and Minority Interests

There are several instances in which the concept of majority rule with respect to minority rights has played a significant factor in American government and policy. One example is the case of Plessy v. Ferguson 1896. In this case Homer Plessy, a man who appeared white, but was one-eighth black, was arrested in Louisiana for sitting on the white railroad car and refusing to move to the black railroad car (Zimmerman, 1997). According to Louisiana law, all persons with a black blood line, regardless of how small, were to be considered black and must be segregated from the white people. After being released from prison, Plessy took his case to the US Supreme Court. The court decided that there could be segregation as long as long as it was of equal standards. This case demonstrates the will of the majority to allow for segregation as well as protecting the minority by requiring “equal standards”.

The next example of majority rule with respect to minority rights challenges the Plessy v. Ferguson decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education Topeka, KS 1954. This historic case dismantled the segregation that was allowed in the Plessy case (Brown v. Board of Education). The Brown case involved 13 minority parents and their children who were denied access to a school closer to their home because of segregation laws. The case showed that the separate schools were in fact not equal. The case also showed that the segregation laws were a violation under the Equal Protection Clause. This case demonstrates how the minorities do have a voice, and the majority taking on their responsibility to also protect and serve the minority. This case was also the catalyst for social change in the United States towards the treatment of non-whites, this social change was the beginning of the minority becoming the majority.

Majority rule with respect to minority rights is vital to a democratic government. This process allows for citizens to maintain individual rights while following the direction of the majority. It also allows for the citizens to make changes to the laws as society, the majorities, and the minorities change.

Reasons for protecting Minority Interests

In any representative democracy, it is difficult if not impossible for the entire people or their representative to agree on issues. The principle of majority rule is always applied. This principle involves making decisions on issues that affect people in the society by the majority.

The concept of majority rule means that after an election, whichever political party wins the election, there should be no discrimination against the people that voted against the winning party.

Those in minority groups still have the right to express their views on issues. The minority rights should be protected.

Ways of Protection/Safeguard Minority Interest

1. Minority representation

By making sure that minorities are equally represented and thus have a say in the governance of the country. This way, the minorities will not feel left out in the decision making process.

2. Self-help groups

These associations play an important role in helping members of their community who are less fortunate to get aid in their studies and training for their jobs. They also give moral support to members of their own community.
These self-help groups help minorities to cope and compete with majorities on equal footing. People from minority groups will then be able to improve their social and economic positions in the society.

3. Constitutional protection

constitutional protections of rights of all citizens. Parliamentary systems, which give minority groups representation, rather than giving complete power to the group that wins 51% of the vote is also a way to increase the power of minority groups.

4. Political subdivision

Another important mechanism for protecting minority rights is the use of political subdivisions. Here the idea is to divide the larger society into a number of highly homogeneous political subdivisions without significant minority groups. These divisions are then granted as much autonomy and home rule as possible. In theory, this does much to eliminate the minority group problem. Unfortunately, it only works in situations where there is a clear geographic separation between groups who are involved in serious conflict. In most cases, contending groups are so intermingled that the subdivision approach is not workable. In these cases other measures are needed to protect minority rights.

Test and Exercises

Majority rule allow citizens to participate in political decisions through
(a) voting for representatives
(b) becoming political godfathers
(c) following politicians
(d) changing the constitution
These are basic human rights that any democratic government must protect except
(a) freedom of speech and expression
(b) freedom of religion and belief
(c) due process and equal protection under the law
(d) elevating rich people over the poor
Why must minority rights protected?
(a) to ensure they produce the president
(b) to give them power over the majority
(c) to discriminate against the majority
(d) to ensure they participate in the political process
These are ways of protecting the minority except
(a) political subdivision
(b) constitutional protection
(c) self-help groups
(d) dictatorship
One of these is a minority group in Nigeria
(a) yoruba
(b) igbo
(c) hausa
(d) kanuri

ANSWERS

Major Pillars of Democracy

Civic Education, SS 1 Second Term

Week 6

Topic: Major Pillars of Democracy

Contents:

Definition of constitution: sources and types
Constitution as a major pillar of democracy
Merits and Demerits of various types of constitution

Definition of Constitution

Constitution can be refers to as a book or document which contains the rules and principle by which a state is governed. It is the fundamental laws and principle that prescribe s the nature, functions and the limits of a Government.

The constitution of a country dictates how power is shared among the arms of Government and the right and duties of citizens in the country.

Sources of Constitution

History of the people: This involves the past event or activities of the people in the country, the history of the people therefore need to be considered in the preparation of a constitution.
Decrees: These are the laws made by the federal military Government; the laws have form part of the constitution in Nigeria.
Convention: These are the established ways of doing things. Convention does not have a legal implication if it is not carried out.
Custom of the people: These are the belief, values and norms of the people. The people’s custom need to be considered in the constitution.
Acts of parliament these are laws made by the national Assembly which affect the constitution.

Types of Constitution

Types of Constitution:

1. Written Constitution:

A written constitution means a constitution written in the form of a book or a series of documents combined in the form of a book. It is a consciously framed and enacted constitution. It is formulated and adopted by a constituent assembly or a council or a legislature.

Garner writes, “A written constitution is a consciously planned constitution, formulated and adopted by deliberate actions of a constituent assembly or a convention.” It provides for a definite design of government institutions, their organisations, powers, functions and inter-relationships.

It embodies the constitutional law of the state. It enjoys the place of supremacy. The government is fully bound by its provisions and works strictly in accordance with its provisions. A written constitution can be amended only in accordance with a settled process of amendment written in the constitution itself. It is a duly passed and enacted Constitution. The Constitutions of Nigeria, India, the USA, Germany, Japan, Canada, France, Switzerland and several other states, are written constitutions.

2. Unwritten Constitution:

An unwritten constitution is one which is neither drafted nor enacted by a Constituent Assembly and nor even written in the form of a book. It is found in several historical charters, laws and conventions. It is a product of slow and gradual evolution. The government is organised and it functions in accordance with several well settled, but not wholly written rules and conventions. The people know their Constitution. They accept and obey it, but do not possess it in a written form. An unwritten constitution cannot be produced in the form of a book.

However, an unwritten constitution is not totally unwritten. Some of its parts are available in written forms but these do not stand codified in the form of a legal document or a code or a book. According to Garner, “an unwritten constitution is one in which most and not all, rules are unwritten and these are not found in any one charter or document.”

The Constitution of the United Kingdom is an unwritten constitution.

Difference between Written and Unwritten Constitutions:

(1) A written constitution is written in the form of a book or document, whereas an unwritten constitution is not written in such a form.

(2) A written constitution is a made and enacted by a constituent assembly of the people. An unwritten constitution is the result of a gradual process of constitutional evolution. It is never written by any assembly.

(3) A written constitution is usually less flexible than an unwritten constitution. An unwritten constitution depends mostly on unwritten rules or conventions which do not require any formal amendment.

(4) A written constitution is definite. Its provisions can be quoted in support or against any power exercised by the government. An unwritten constitution cannot be produced in evidence. It has to be proved by quoting its sources and practices.

However, the difference between written and unwritten constitutions is not organic. A written constitution has written parts in majority. Along with these, it also has some unwritten parts in the form of conventions. In an unwritten constitution, most of the parts are unwritten and are not written in the form of a book. However some of its parts are also found written in some charters and other documents.

3. Flexible Constitution:

A Flexible Constitution is one which can be easily amended. Several political scientists advocate the view that a flexible constitution is one in which the constitutional law can be amended in the same way as an ordinary law. Constitutional amendments are passed in the same manner by which an ordinary law is passed.

British Constitution presents a classic example of a most flexible constitution. The British Parliament is a sovereign parliament which can make or amend any law or constitutional law by a simple majority. Laws aiming to affect changes in a constitutional law or in any ordinary law are passed through the same legislative procedure i.e., by a simple majority of votes in the legislature. Similarly, a Constitution is flexible when the procedure of amending it is simple and the changes can be made easily.

(A) Merits of a Flexible Constitution:

(i) First, a major merit of the flexible constitution is its ability to change easily in accordance with the changes in the social and political environment of the society and state.

(ii) Secondly, it is very helpful in meeting emergencies because it can be easily amended.

(iii) Thirdly, because of its dynamic nature, there are less opportunities for revolt. The constitution has the ability to keep pace with the changing times. The people do not feel the need for revolutionary changes.

(iv) Finally, since the flexible constitution keeps on developing with times, it always continues to be popular and remains up-to-date.

(B) Demerits of a Flexible Constitution:

(i) First, a flexible constitution is often, a source of instability. Flexibility enables the government in power to give it a desired dress and content.

(ii) Secondly, it is not suitable for a federation. In a federation, a flexible constitution can lead to undesirable changes in the constitution by the federal government or by the governments of federating units.

4. Rigid Constitution:

The Rigid Constitution is one which cannot be easily amended. Its method of amendment is difficult. For amending it, the legislature has to pass an amendment bill by a specific, usually big, majority of 2/3rd or 3/4th. For passing or amending an ordinary law, the legislature usually passes the law by a simple majority of its members.

A rigid constitution is considered to be the most fundamental law of the land. It is regarded as the basic will of the sovereign people. That is why it can be amended only by a special procedure requiring the passing of the amendment proposal by a big majority of votes which is often followed by ratification by the people in a referendum.

The Constitution of United States of America is a very rigid constitution.

(A) Merits of a Rigid Constitution:

(i) First, a rigid constitution is a source of stability in administration.

(ii) Secondly, it maintains continuity in administration.

(iii) Thirdly, it cannot become a tool in the hands of the party exercising the power of the state at a particular time.

(iv) Fourthly it prevents autocratic exercise of the powers by the government.

(v) Finally a rigid constitution is ideal for a federation.

(B) Demerits of a Rigid Constitution:

(i) First, the chief demerit of a rigid constitution is that it fails to keep pace with fast changing social environment.

(ii) Secondly, because of its inability to change easily, at times, it hinders the process of social development.

(iii) Thirdly, it can be a source of hindrance during emergencies.

(iv) Fourthly, its inability to easily change can lead to revolts against the government.

(v) Fifthly, a rigid constitution can be a source of conservativeness. It can grow becomes old very soon because it cannot Keep pace with times.

Thus, there are both merits and demerits of Flexible and Rigid Constitutions. The decision whether a state should have a flexible or a rigid constitution, should be taken on the basis of the needs and wishes of society. No hard and fast rule can be laid down as to whether a state should have a flexible or a rigid constitution.

In fact, a constitution must have both a certain degree of rigidity as well as an ability to change for keeping pace with the changing times. An excessive rigidity or excessive flexibility should be avoided. The Constitution of India is partly rigid and partly flexible. In several respects, it is a rigid constitution but in practice it has mostly worked as a flexible constitution.

5. Evolved Constitution:

An evolved constitution is one which is not made at any time by any assembly of persons or an institution. It is the result of slow and gradual process of evolution. Its rules and principles draw binding force from the fact of their being recognised as ancient, historical, time-tested and respected customs and conventions.

Some of these conventions get recognised by law and hence become enforceable while others are followed because these are supported by public opinion, their practical utility and moral commitment in their favour. Evolved Constitutions is the product of historical evolution and of political needs and practical wisdom of the people. The Constitution of Great Britain presents a key example of an evolved constitution.

6. Enacted Constitution:

An Enacted Constitution is a man-made constitution. It is made, enacted and adopted by an assembly or council called a Constituent Assembly or Constitutional Council. It is duly passed after a thorough discussion over its objectives, principles and provisions. It is written in the form of a book or as a series of documents and in a systematic and formal manner. The Constitutions of India the USA, Japan, China and most of other states are enacted constitutions.

Constitution as a Major Pillar of Democracy

In simple words, we can say a Constitution is the constitutional law of the state. Constitutional law enjoys the position of being the supreme and fundamental law of the state. It lays down the organisation and functions of the government of state. The Government can use only those powers which the Constitution grants to it.

1. “Constitution is the collection of principles according to which the powers of the government, the rights of the governed and the relations between the two are adjusted. -Woolsey

2. “Constitution is a body of judicial rules which determine the supreme organs of state, prescribes their modes of creation, their mutual relations, their spheres of action and the fundamental place of each of them in relation to state.” -Jellinek

3. ” Constitution of a state is that body of rules or laws, written or unwritten which determine the organisation of government, the distribution of powers to the various organs of government and the general principles on which these powers are to be exercised.” -Gilchrist

On the basis of these definitions it can be said that the Constitution is the sum total of the constitutional laws of the state.

It lies down:

(1) Organisation and powers of the government;

(2) Principles and rules governing the political process;

(3) Relations between the people and their government; and

(4) Rights and duties of the people.

The government of state gets organised and works in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. People get their rights protected from the constitution. No one, not even the government, can violate the Constitution.

Assessment

The book document which contains the rules and principles by which a state is governed is called
(a) law book
(b) rule book
(c) constitution
(d) rules and regulations
All these are sources of constitution except
(a) history of a people
(b) convention
(c) novels
(d) decrees
Written constitution can be amended
(a) if judges decide to change it
(b) only though a settled process of amendment written in the constitution itself
(c) when there is a dispute
(d) when there is a new president
One of these is an example of a country that uses unwritten constitution
(a) Nigeria
(b) India
(c) United Kingdom
(d) USA
One of the disadvantage of a flexible constitution is that
(a) it can be changed easily
(b) people do not feel the need for revolutionary changes
(c) it can be easily amended during emergencies
(d) it is not suitable for a federation

ANSWERS

Arms of Government

Civic Education, SS 1 Second Term

Week 7

Topic: Arms of Government

Contents:

Legislative – Types and Functions
Judiciary – Types and Functions
Executive – Types and Functions

There are three arms of government namely, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.

A. THE LEGISLATURE

This is the arm of government that is assigned the function of law making. The legislature is given different names in different countries e.g. National or State Assembly in Nigeria, Parliament in Britain, Congress in United States.

The National Assembly in Nigeria comprises of Senate with 109 members and House of Representatives with 360 members. The Senate being the upper house is headed by a senate president while the House of Representative (the lower house) is headed by a speaker.

The symbols of authority for the legislative arm of government are the MACE and the GAVEL.

TYPES OF LEGISLATURE

There are two types of legislature.

1) UNICAMERAL LEGISLATURE: This refers to a situation in a country where there is only one legislative house or body that makes law. Countries like Kenya, Ghana have once adopted unicameral legislature. Hence, it is more suitable for a country with small population. Composition is based on population.

ADVANTAGES OF UNICAMERAL LEGISLATURE

i) It is democratically constituted, this is because it reflects the distribution of people in the country.

ii) It is cheaper to run.

iii) It gives room for faster process of law making.

iv) The squabbles in the bicameral legislature as to which house is upper or lower is avoided.

DISADVANTAGES OF UNICAMERAL LEGISLATURE

i) It does not allow bills to be properly debated before they are passed.

ii) The executive arm can easily pocket unicameral legislature.

iii) It does not make for adequate representation in a country of large population.

iv) It makes room for the emergence of dictatorial leaders.

2) BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE: This is the type of legislature with two legislative houses or bodies. One is called the lower house and the second is the upper house or upper chamber. This type of legislative is adopted in countries like Nigeria, Britain, USA, Australia, Canada etc.

ADVANTAGES OF BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE

i) Bicameral legislature allow bills to be properly debated before they are passed.

ii) It makes for adequate representation of the people in a country.

iii) The error committed in the first chamber can be corrected in the second chamber.

iv) The second chamber checks and prevents hasty and ill-considered passage of bills.

v) The interest of the minority groups are protected with bicameral legislature.

vi) It is difficult for the executive arm of government to dominate the two chambers.

vii) The second chamber reduces the work load of the upper house.

DISADVANTAGES OF BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE

i) Bicameralism is expensive to run.

ii) It causes serious delay in the process of law making.

iii) It encourages duplication of functions since they perform the same functions.

iv) It leads to unnecessary rivalry as to which of the house is superior to the other.

v) It is not the best in the time of emergency for passage of bills.

FUNCTIONS OF THE LEGISLATURE

i) Making of laws that direct and guide the affairs of the nation and guarantee peace and progress of a country.

ii) Amendment of the constitution. To amend the constitution of the country whenever it is deemed necessary.

iii) To avoid misrule, the legislature is empowered to check and control the executive arm.

iv) Control of public expenditure: The legislative arm of government controls and approves the proposed financial expenditure of the executive arm.

v) Approval of appointment: It approves the appointment of ministers and commissioners.

vi) Impeachment of president: The legislature is empowered to remove the president, governors and their deputies through the process of impeachment.

vii) Probe functions: It has the power of questioning and to probe public officers.

viii) Platform for expression of public opinion: Members of the public express their opinion in the legislature through their elected representatives.

ix) It approves state of emergency and war if the president and Commander in Chief need to declare a state of emergency or war, he must get approval from the legislature.

x) It approves the appointment of Chief Justice of the Federation and states.

THE EXECUTIVE

This is the arm of government responsible for the implementation, execution or enforcement of laws, policies and directives made by the legislative arm of government.

TYPES OF EXECUTIVE

i) Single / presidential executives: The control of the executive rests with one individual. He named the ministers and they are dependent on him, they are not his colleagues.

ii) Dual / parliamentary executives: This is the system in which one person is the head of state, while another person is the head of government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.

FUNCTIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE ARM OF GOVERNMENT

i) It executes or implements the laws made by the legislature.

ii) Giving Assent to Bills: The head of the executive arm signs or give assent to bills before they can become laws.

iii) The head of the executive performs crucial military functions as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

iv) It is responsible for formulating policies and programmes to be tabled before the legislature, signs and give assent to bills before they can become law.

v) It is responsible for maintaining law and order.

vi) It decides the country’s foreign policies.

vii) Initiation of bills to the legislature: The executives sometimes initiates and submit bills to the legislature to pass into law.

viii) It is the executive that prepares the total proposed financial expenditure and revenue of the government in every new financial year.

ix) The executive through the powers granted to it by the constitution performs crucial judicial function of pardoning convicted criminals. This is also known as prerogative of mercy.

x) Appointment of judicial officials: The executive appoints the Chief Justice of the Federation and other high ranking officials of the judiciary like judges subject to ratification by the legislature.

C. THE JUDICIARY

The judiciary is the third arm of government responsible for interpretation and application of the laws when they are broken or violated. It is the same as the court system of a country. The judiciary acts as the watchdog of the law by making sure that laws made are obeyed and those who refuse to obey the laws are severely punished. The judiciary is made up of different courts like the Supreme Court, Appeal Courts, High Courts, Magistrate Courts, Customary Courts, Administrative Courts and tribunals.

FUNCTIONS OF THE JUDICIARY

i) Interpretation of laws. The judiciary interprets the law and determines the meaning of provisions in the constitution.

ii) Dispute adjudication: It settles disputes between the executive and the legislature and between government and citizens, organizations etc.

iii) It punishes the law breakers.

iv) It guards the constitution against violation by anybody, no matter how highly placed.

v) Protection of citizens’ rights and liberties. It is in line with this function that the court is referred to as the last hope of common man / oppressed.

vi) It deals with electoral litigation. It performs this function by setting up tribunals to hear electoral matters.

vii) It advises the president especially on judicial matters.

Assessment

The three arms of government include
(a) police, army executive
(b) legislature, presidency, courts
(c) army, judiciary, executive
(d) legislature, executive, judiciary
A situation where there is only one legislative house or body that makes laws in a country is called
(a) unicameral legislature
(b) Bicameral legislature
(c) omnicameral legislature
(d) tricameral legislature
One of these is not a function of the legislature
(a) making of laws that direct and guide the affairs of the nation
(b) to check and control the executive arm
(c) preventing the judiciary from doing their work
(d) control of public expenditure
The executive arm of government does all of these except
(a) implement laws
(b) enforcement laws
(c) make laws
(d) sign bills into laws
The arm of government that makes sure that laws made are obeyed and punish offenders is
(a) executive
(b) legislature
(c) judiciary
(d) none of the above

ANSWERS

Other Strong Institutions of Government

Civic Education, SS 1 Second Term

Week 8

Topic: Other Strong Institutions of a Democratic Government

Content:

Other Strong Institutions of a Democratic Government
Their Roles on Democratic Processes
The roles of the police in a democratic system

Detailed below are some other institutions in a democratic society

ARMED FORCES

The armed forces include the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. They are to assist the law enforcement agents to quell difficult internal crisis like terrorist attack, riots or violent demonstration. They are responsible for defending and protecting the territorial integrity of the state against any external attack or threat. They must also honour and respect the constitution and the military code of justice and accept order from the civilian Commander-in-Chief.

TRADE UNION

Trade union in Nigeria has played vital roles in the vanguard of the struggle for democracy and democratic principles.

1) They played major role in the struggle for independence during the colonial era.

2) It played major role against dictatorship during the military dictatorship and despotic rules in Nigeria. The number of strike action and man-hour loss are unquantifiable.

3) They have been paying major role in ensuring good governance even during the few years of democratic rule in Nigeria.

CIVIL SOCIETIES

This refers to privately organized groups formed for the purpose of promoting collectively shared interests, values and objectives.

MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF CIVIL SOCIETIES

1) Membership is free and voluntary without coercion.

2) They come under different organisations, community groups etc. but they are non-governmental organisations. Examples in Nigeria include: Campaign for Democracy, Civil Liberties Organization, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).

3) They are funded by members through donations, gifts.

4) Some are formed to promote issues that are permanent in nature

5) The focus of campaign could be local, national and international in dimension.

MODE OF OPERATION OF CIVIL SOCIETIES

The mode of operation of civil societies vary from society to society, depending on the quality of members, size and type of regime of government in power, financial status and type of issue at stake.

Generally, their mode of operation takes the form of lobbying, manipulation of public opinion, demonstration, supporting political parties during election.

1) Lobbying: This involves meeting key government officials, legislators and traditional rulers for the purpose of getting support.

2) Sharing public opinion: Civil societies promote their objectives through the use of the mass media and social media like the radio, television, newspapers and internet to secure the favourable public opinion for their cause.

3) Public demonstration: This takes the form of carrying placards, mass movements and disruption of free flow of traffic.

4) Supporting parties during electioneering campaign: They provide election campaign materials such as posters, billboards, vehicles and sometimes they accompany political parties on campaign tours.

ROLE OF POLICE IN DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM

It is the department of government that is concerned with the maintenance of public order and safety and the enforcement of law.

1) Prevention and protection against crime.

2) The apprehension of offenders.

3) Preservation of law and order.

4) Protection of lives and properties.

5) Regulations within which they are directly charged.

6) Military duties within and outside Nigeria as it may be required by law.

Assessment

1. The armed forces include the following except
(a) Army
(b) Navy
(c) Police
(d) Air Force

2. One of these is not a function of the armed forces
(a) to quell internal crisis
(b) to defend and protect the territorial integrity of the state
(c) accept orders from the commander-in-chief
(d) to help political parties rig elections

3. Privately organized groups formed for the purpose of promoting collectively shared interests, values and objectives are known as
(a) secret cults
(b) non governmental organisations
(c) civil societies
(d) armed forces

4. Civil societies carry out their operations through the following methods except
(a) lobbying
(b) public demonstration
(c) sharing public opinions
(d) smear campaigns

5. One of these is not a role of the police in a democratic system
(a) maintenance of public order
(b) enforcement of law
(c) protection of lives and properties
(d) arresting opposition parties

ANSWERS

1. c

2. d

3. c

4. d

5. d

Freedom as a Pillar of Democracy

Civic Education SS1 Second Term

Week 9

Topic: Freedom as a Pillar of Democracy

CONTENT:

Definition and Reasons for Freedom as a Pillar of Democracy
Features of Federalism
Merits and Demerits of Federalism

Definition and Reasons for Freedom as a Pillar of Democracy

Freedom is the right and capacity of people to determine their own actions, in a community which is able to provide for the full development of human potentiality. This means that everyone has the same freedoms that are respected by all. There are different types of freedoms:

POLITICAL FREEDOMS

Political freedom (also known as a political autonomy or political agency) as one of the pillars democracy is described as freedom from oppression or coercion, the absence of disabling conditions for an individual and the fulfillment of enabling conditions, or the absence of life conditions of compulsion, e.g. economic compulsion, in a society. It can also refer to the positive exercise of rights, capacities and possibilities for action, and the exercise of social or group rights.

PERSONAL FREEDOMS

Personal freedom in the context of human rights guarantees that the state has a responsibility to:

Protect citizens from torture and degradation
Protect citizens from slavery or forced or compulsory labour
Guarantee citizens a fair trial and effective remedy in case of breach of citizens’ rights
Ensure citizens’ right to liberty, freedom of thought and freedom of expression
Protect citizens from discrimination and prohibit abuse of citizens’ rights
Guarantee citizens’ right to conscience and religion
Guarantee citizens’ right to expression (includes freedom of the press)

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

A free press is the one that is not controlled through government censorship both in politics and ideology. The press is the mass media. The mass media comprise newspaper, magazine, radio and television and lately, the internet. These mass media are important to the realisation of democratic values. They must be free to criticise the government policies and expose corrupt practices of private and public office holders.

FEATURES OF FEDERALISM

A federal system of government can be defined as one in which there is division of powers between the central government and its component units which are called states, cantons, regions or provinces.

This system is usually adopted in countries that are very large and divided by cultural, economic, political and other district attributes.

MERITS OF FEDERALISM

1) Federalism promotes national unity i.e. unity among different units.

2) It allays the fear of ethnic domination in a large country with multi-ethnic groups.

3) It makes possible checks and balances in the exercise of power between the units and the central government.

4) It promotes local initiatives and local autonomy.

5) It creates opportunity for rapid development in all parts of the country.

6) It gives opportunity to smaller states to come together and form a very strong, federation to prevent foreign attacks.

DEMERITS OF FEDERALISM

1) Problems of Revenue Allocation: Problem of sharing revenue and other resources generated in the country among the federal and state governments.

2) Minority Issue and Creation of States: The fears of domination of the minority by the majority group commonly arouse agitation for new states.

3) Boundary Disputes: This happens because many ethnic groups come together to form a federation.

4) It is Expensive to Run: This is a consequence of duplication of ministries and offices.

5) Federal character: Federal character means the Federal government must appoint citizens from all the federating units to form cabinet. This may result in less qualified people being put in key positions.

Assessment

All of these is true of Freedom except
(a) it is the right and capacity of people to determine their own actions
(b) it allows for the full development of human potentiality
(c) it creates the opportunity for hooligans to take control
(d) everyone has the same freedoms that are respected by all
The freedom to exercise of rights, capacities and possibilities for action, and the exercise of social or group right is known as
(a) political freedom
(b) economic freedom
(c) personal freedom
(d) press freedom
Personal freedom in the context of human rights guarantees the following except
(a) freedom from torture and degradation
(b) freedom from slavery, forced or compulsory labour
(c) rights to a fair trial
(d) rights to abuse the freedom of others
One of these is not an attribute of a free press
(a) criticize government policies
(b) only communication from government is aired
(c) expose corrupt practices of private and public office holders
(d) uphold democratic values
One of these is not a reason countries choose federalism as a system of government
(a) promotes national unity
(b) it allays the fear of ethnic domination by the majority
(c) it is expensive to run
(d) gives opportunity to smaller states to come together and form a very strong country

ANSWERS

Meaning of the State Government and the Local Government

Civic Education SS1 Second Term

Week 10

Topic: Meaning of the State Government and the Local Government

CONTENT:

Meaning of the State Government and the Local Government
Functions of State and Local Government as Pillars of Democracy
Problems of the three tiers of Government

The State Government

This is the second tier of the federalism system of Government, it is headed by the state governor, and currently Nigeria has 36 states all together. The legislative arm of the state government is called the state house of assembly.

Functions of the state government

They are charged with the duty of providing Education for its residents
They are to ensure that the roads at their jurisdiction are well maintained and build new roads at where necessary.
They implement federal mandate
They are charged with the duty of collecting and generating revenue.
They operate judicial system.

The Local Government

The local government is the third tier of the federalism Government, it is headed by a “chairman”. It is the government of the grass root where the majority lives.

Functions of the local government

1. The local government provides health centres to the people at the grassroots.

2. They are responsible for naming the streets and the roads

3. They help to maintain orderliness

4. They help with the duty of registering death, birth and marriage certificate.

5. Control and regulation of outdoor advertising and hoarding.

PROBLEMS OF THE THREE TIERS OF GOVERNMENTS

1) Revenue allocation formular among the tiers of government.

2) Boundary disputes among the component units.

3) Inter-village or town rivalry. There had been rivalry resulting to clashes between villages or town over boundary and creation of local government.

4) Federal character: Appointment into federal establishments, states and local governments are not usually based on merit but federal character.

ASSESSMENT

In Nigeria, the state government is headed by the
(a) mayor
(b) president
(c) legislator
(d) governor
One of these is not a function of the state government
(a) provision of education for residents
(b) maintain and build new roads
(c) collecting and generating revenue
(d) command the armed forces
The government of the grass root where the majority of citizens live is
(a) federal government
(b) state government
(c) local government
(c) house of assembly
Registration of death, birth and marriage certificate is the responsibility of
(a) house of assembly
(b) federal government
(c) local government
(d) state government
Under the Federal Character principle, appointments into federal establishments, states and local governments are usually by merit
(a) true
(b) false

ANSWERS

Definition of Citizen and Alien

Civic Education SS1 Second Term, Week 11

Topic: Definition of Citizen and Alien

CONTENT:

Definition of Citizen and Alien
Duties of Citizen and Alien
Functions and Responsibility of a citizen in fostering democracy

CITIZEN: A citizen is a person who is a legal member of and owe allegiance to a particular country he resides in which he enjoys full civil and political rights and will be ready to put his life at stake in defence of his territory when occasion calls for that.

The special status which is accorded to citizens by the state is called citizenship. It can rightly be said that not everybody that resides in a territory is a citizen.

DUTIES OF CITIZENS

The following are some of the duties of a citizen in a state, in return for most of the rights enjoyed.

1) Payment of Taxes: A citizen should pay his tax to provide the state with revenue for social services e.g. pipe-borne water, hospitals etc.

2) Obedience to Law: A citizen should obey all the laws of the state for the common goods of the citizens

3) Voting at Elections: A citizen has to vote during election to elect the right leaders for the country.

4) Detection and Prevention of Crimes: A good citizen should always assist the law enforcement agencies in detecting and preventing crimes in the society.

5) Not Interfering in the Rights of others: A good citizen is to respect other people’s right and not interfere with the rights of another citizen.

6) Show Respect for National Symbols: National symbols like the national flag, national anthem are to be respected by citizens.

7) Loyalty: A good citizen must show loyalty to his country and must not be a betrayer.

8) Enlistment in the Armed Forces: When called upon to be enlisted in the armed forces for the defence of the country, a good citizen should make himself available.

ALIEN: People who are not legally recognised as members are called aliens. Aliens are foreigners who does not enjoy the rights which a citizen enjoy. A legal alien is a non-citizen who is legally permitted to remain in a country. This is a very broad category which includes tourists, guest workers, legal permanent residents and student visa resident aliens.

Function and Responsibilities of Citizens in Fostering Democracy

Citizens’ responsibilities are the duties a citizen is expected to carry out to ensure growth and development in the state. some of this responsibilities are:

Payment of taxes and rates: Citizens are expected to pay their taxes and rates for the purpose of enabling the government to discharge her functions.
Voting during election: The citizens must perform the duties of voting during election period .A citizen at the age of 18 should vote to choose candidate of his or her choice.
Reporting criminals: A good citizen should report criminals so as to make the state free from danger.
Obedience to law and order: Good citizens must be obedience to law and ensure orderliness in the state.
Loyalty to the state: A good citizen must be loyal to his state i.e. must show constant and firm support to your country.

ASSESSMENT

A citizen is a person who is all of the following except
(a) legal member of a country
(b) fights against a country
(c) owe allegiance to a particular country
(d) enjoys full civil and political rights in a country
The special status accorded to citizens by the state is called
(a) passport
(b) indentity card
(c) drivers licence
(d) citizenship
One of these is not a duty of the citizen to the state
(a) payment of taxes
(b) voting at elections
(c) disrespect for national symbols
(d) obedience to law
People who are not legally recognised as members of a country are called
(a) aliens
(b) parasite
(c) immigrant
(d) natives
A good citizen can be called upon to enlist in the armed forces in times of conflict
(a) true
(b) false
(c) none of the above
(d) all of the above

ANSWERS

Major Pillars of Democracy

Types of Constitution:

Freedom as a Pillar of Democracy

Civic Education SS1 Second Term

Week 9

Topic: Freedom as a Pillar of Democracy

Meaning of the State Government and the Local Government

Civic Education SS1 Second Term

Week 10

Topic: Meaning of the State Government and the Local Government

Definition of Citizen and Alien

Civic Education SS1 Second Term, Week 11

Topic: Definition of Citizen and AlienCONTENT:

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