2013 NECO GOVERNMENT

Hint

The executive organ of government in a democratic dispensation performs the following functions;

i.  Policy formulation and implementation; the executive formulate and implement government policies.

ii.  Implementation of laws; it is the organ of government that enforces the laws through other government institutions and agencies.

iii.  Executive appoints and removes top government officials e.g. ministers, ambassadors, heads of military, paramilitary, and parastatals.

iv.  Signing bills into laws; the president signs bills into law.

v.  Budget preparation and presentation; the executive prepares and delivers the annual income and expenditure of the state after legislative approval, presents it to the state.

vi.  Make delegated legislation; the executive indirectly makes laws through delegated authorities e.g bye-laws, ministerial instruments/statutes, provisional orders e.t.c

vii.  He can declare war, a state of emergency with the approval of the senate if necessary.

viii.  Initiation of bills; the executives can initiate bills, defend them, and recommends measures for laws to be made.

ix.   Maintenance of law and order through the police, NDLEA, NAFDAC, EFCC, SSS, e.t.c.

x.  He determines foreign policy objectives and effects them.

xi.  He provides social amenities and infrastructure and facilities for the people such as roads, wealth centers, and hospitals, schools, recreational centers, stadiums, national theater e.t.c. He determines foreign policy objectives and effects them.

xii.  Performs ceremonial functions; the executives performs ceremonial functions such as taking salute during national days, children’s day, armed forces remembrance days e.t.c

xiii.  The executive represents his country outside his country and receives important dignitaries from other states and international organizations.

Hint

a.  A unitary constitution; concentrates government powers on a single authority or decision making body i.e. the central government. Countries that operate unitary constitutions include Britain, Ghana.

b.   The advantages include the following ;

i.  Unitary constitution encourages the spirit of national unity and national consciousness

ii.  It facilitates quick decision making as well as quick laws making process because there is only the central government.

iii.  Some unitary constitutions are easy to amend therefore their flexibility allows quick changes to suit emergencies and changing circumstances.

iv.  It creates room for uniform and even development within the country since there is only one government and uniformity of policies.

v.  It reduces the cost of running the government as it prevents duplication of ministries and personnel.

vi.  Unnecessary friction between the central government and state government over the area of jurisdiction is eliminated because the source of authority is clear. It promotes a strong and stable government.

vii.  Unitary constitution makes for easy and more cohesion in administration.

viii.  It is suitable for states with a relatively small area and a homogenous society.

Hint

(a)  Citizenship is the status of one enjoying political, civil, economic, and legal rights of states. It is the status of being a bonafide member of a state.

(b)   A Brazilian in Nigeria that desires Nigeria’s citizenship must fulfill the following conditions;

i.  The Brazilian/person must be a person of full age and capacity. The person must be up to 18 years of age or above.

ii.  The person must be of good character and live in peace and harmony with his neighbors

iii.  He has to show clearly his desire to become a Nigerian citizen.

iv.  He must be acceptable to the local community in which he is to live permanently and has been assimilated into the way of life of the Nigerians

v.   He must be capable of making useful contributions to the advancement, progress and well being of Nigeria.

vi.  He must have resided in Nigeria for 15 years without a break longer than six months.

vii.  He must swear an oath of allegiance to the country.

Hint

The following factors can hinder the sovereignty of a state are ;

i.  Constitution; the constitution defines the power of government institutions. The government cannot contravene the provisions of the constitution.

ii.  Periodic election is hindrances to the sovereignty of the state as it can vote any bad government out.

iii.  Interdependence and external aids; countries depend on one another most especially the developing states. They depend on developed countries for financial aids, science, and technology transfer e.t.c. the donor countries through this can influence both the internal and external policies of the country.

iv.  Membership of international organizations; as states belong to different international organizations, they must comply with the decisions and charter of such organizations e.g. AU, UNO, NATO, EU, the commonwealth of nations, OPEC, ECOWAS e.t.c.

v.  Public opinion; both internal and external public opinion can hinder the sovereignty in a state.

vi.  Custom, traditional and religious beliefs of the people can hinder sovereignty.

vii.  International laws and conventions will always be respected by states.

viii.  International treaties, agreements, and pacts signed by states must be respected by all parties.

ix.  Dominance of powerful states like USA, RUSSIA, e.t.c. will continue to limit the sovereignty of states

x.  More economically advanced states sometimes influence the exercise of sovereignty of poor countries.

xi.  External trade will always influence the sovereignty of states.

xii.  Geographical location e.g. landlocked countries, nearness to other states; these factors affect the sovereignty of states.

Hint

Effect of federal election crises of 1964 include;

i.  United progressive grand alliance; candidates, members, and supporters boycotted the election in the eastern region, part of the western region and Lagos.

ii.  The election result led to three days of constitutional crises. The president refused to call on any person to form the government.

iii.  This election result led to three days of constitutional crisis. The president refused to call on any person to form the government.

iv.  These election crises deepened the mistrust among the ethnic groups.

v.  People lost confidence in the government .

vi.  There were risks especially in the western region election crises of 1965.

vii.  It was one of the remote causes of the military takeover of the government in 1966. The instability and breakdown of law and order continued till the military intervened in 1966.

Hint

Among the functions performed by the ECOSOC are ;

i.  It gathers and provides information for the UN for planning and development.

ii.  It advises the member states based on the information gathered.

iii.  It makes recommendations for member states in the areas of economic and social development.

iv.  It provides policy coherence and coordination through the overlapping functions of the UN’s subsidiary bodies.

v.  Through its numerous agencies, it assists member states in economic development project e.g. through the activities of UNDP e.t.c.

vi.  It provides and promotes human capacity building through organizing different manpower training programs.

vii.  It provides care, succor, and hope for the refugees and displaced persons through UNHCR (UN relief materials)

viii.  It promotes child care and education through the activities of UNICEF, UNESCO.

ix.  It provides essential services, eradicates diseases, improves the standard of living through the activities of UNDP, WHO, e.t.c.

x.  It promotes agriculture and tries to reduce hunger and poverty in the world through the activities of FAO and other agencies.

xi.  It promotes democracy and good governance through the monitoring of elections.

xii.  It aims at promoting economic development, achieves improve the general wellbeing of people by providing grants loans through the activities of the world bank, international monetary fund e.t.c

Hint

(a) The factors that led to the formation of northern people’s congress (NPC);

i.  Macpherson constitution of 1951 which enlarged the legislative councils, it changed it to the house of representative and also introduced regional assemblies. The House of Representatives members were to be 149 and 138 were to be elected. There was a need for political parties to be formed to contest for these seats.

ii.  NCNC was already in existence for the eastern region and AG for the western region, therefore, there was need for a political party to take care of the northern interest

iii.  The existence of a cultural organization, jamiyaar, jamassar arewa meaning “the northern Nigerian congress” formed in 1948 made the formation of NPC in 1951 easy. With the effect of the Macpherson constitution the cultural organization metamorphosed into a political party to contest for the seats for the north in the house of representatives and the regional assemblies.

(b) Achievements of NPC in Nigeria’s political history ;

i.  It produced the first Nigerian prime minister in the person of alhaji abubakar tafawa balewa in 1959.

ii.  It was one of the major political parties that led Nigeria to independence in 1960.

iii.  It promoted political education and consciousness among northerners.

iv.  It controlled the federal government in coalition with the national convention of Nigerian citizens(NCNC) from 1960 to 1964.

v.  The party represented the northern people in all the constitutional conferences from 1951 to 1958.

vi.  It fosters cooperation and understanding amongst the northerners.

vii. It formed and controlled the first regional government In northern Nigeria from 1952 to 1966.

viii.  The party tabled an amendment to the action group motion for self-government in 1956 to read ‘’as soon as practicable’’ which was widely regarded as a watershed in the political evolution in Nigeria.

ix.  The NPC secured a majority ‘’yes’’ vote in the northern Cameroon plebiscite of 1961 to bring the provinces in the northern region to thirteen.

x.  It entered into a political alliance with akintola NNDP (NNA) to contest the 1964 federal elections, which it won.

Hint

The efforts of the nationalists that eventually led to the achievement of self-government are;

i. The nationalists attended all the constitutional conferences that led to the attainment of self-government e.g. 1953, 1954, and 1957 constitutional conferences.

ii.  It establishes newspapers through which they exposed the evils of the colonial government, sensitized and mobilized the people.

iii.  They formed political parties through which they gained political positions mounted pressure on colonial government e.g. NCNC, AG, NPC e.t.c

iv.  The nationalists wrote protest letters and appeals to the colonial government.

v.  They and the trade union organized a nationwide strike in 1946 to express their displeasure in their condition of service and agitated for better condition of service.

vi.  The nationalists sent a delegation to the colonial governor in Nigeria and the secretary of states for the colonies in London agitating for greater participation in the government of their territories and self-government.

vii. They contested the regional and general elections contested from 1952—1959.

viii. They organized labor unions and meetings e.g. railway workers union, trade union they supported the struggle for self-government.

ix.  They organized rallies symposia and lectures to promote political consciousness.

x.  They used propaganda to promote their objectives.

xi.  In the parliament, they tabled and voted in favor of self-government.

xii.  Through the nationalist agitation, self-government was granted to the western and eastern region in 1957, northern region in 1959 and independence for Nigeria in October 1, 1960

Hint

 The significance of the 1922 Clifford constitution is the following;

i.   Clifford constitution introduced the elective principle in which the people of Lagos and Calabar were given suffrage.

ii.  The constitution led to the springing of newspapers and magazines e.g. Lagos daily news, west Africa pilot, connect e.t.c.

iii.  It led to the setting up of a new legislative council for the colony and protectorate of Nigeria.

iv.  It created a conducive atmosphere for the emergence of political parties for association’s e.g. NNDP in 1923.

v.  The constitution increased political awareness and political participation on the part of Nigerians.

vi.  It inspired nationalist activities towards agitation for greater participation in colonial administration and later self-government.

vii.  It allowed more Nigerians representation in the legislative council it increased the number from six to ten.

viii.  It opened the door for more constitutional reforms and reviews through the political controversies it generated.

ix.  It was the first written constitution in Nigeria.

Hint

The functions of the oyomesi in Yoruba pre-colonial political era;

i. They took part in the selection of a new alaafin from the ruling families.

ii.  They initiated laws, they and the alaafin made laws.

iii.  They checked the excesses of the alaafin e.g. removal of alaafin from officers.

iv.  They and the alaafin settle disputes.

v. They perform religious functions.

vi.  They assisted in the organization of youths for communal development.

vii.  They helped to maintain law and order.

viii.  They also help in the installment of new alaafin.

ix.  They advise the alaafin on good governance of the empire.