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WAEC: GOVERNMENT

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Quiz 14 of 16

2020 Government WAEC Theory Past Questions

WAEC: GOVERNMENT 2020 Government WAEC Theory Past Questions

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Question 1

(a) What is the political socialization?

Answer

It is the process by which the citizens acquire political values, attitudes, belief and form opinions about political systems and practices. The political knowledge acquired through political socialization helps the individual adapt to the political system and shapes his political behaviour.

 

(b) Identify four features of a Nation

Answer

A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a common language, territory, history, ethnicity, or a common culture.

A nation has the following features:

  • Common Language: A nation has a common language as its attribute. The people speak the same language e.g. Igbo nation, Yoruba nation, Ijaw nation, etc.
  • Same Ethnic Group: Nations are people that belong to the same ethnic group.
  • Common Culture and Tradition: People in a nation share common culture and tradition.
  • Common descent, Origin, and Ancestry: The people in a nation may share a common ancestral heritage e.g. the Yoruba nation is believed to be descendants of Oduduwa.
  • Common Historical Experience: They must have a common historical background or historical experience.
  • Attachment to a Common Geographical Area: There is a specific geographical area where each nation is located. The Tiv, Nupe people are found in a specific area in the middle-belt of Nigeria.
  • Common Identity: There are specific things used to identify each nation e.g. Their dressing, type of food, Music, Art, and Artifacts, etc.
  • Common Sense of Patriotism: People are strongly attached to their nation. They are loyal to their nation.
  • Members of a nation usually live in peace and harmony:
  • Strong attachment to the ideas and principles of the people within the nation. The people are emotionally attached to the ideas and principles of the people in the geographical area.

Question 2

Highlight five features of Federalism

Answer

Federalism is a type of government where the power of government is constitutionally shared between the central government and other component units of government e.g. state government, regional government, provincial government, etc.

A Federal state has the following features:

  1. Sharing of Power: The constitution shares power between the central government and other component units of government into exclusive, concurrent, and residual lists.
  2. Two Levels of Government: There are two levels of government; the central government and the other component units of government e.g. state and local governments.
  3. Supremacy of the Constitution: The constitution guides the conduct of the rulers and the ruled.
  4. Existence of written constitution: The constitution is compiled in a single document e.g. Nigeria 1999 Constitution.
  5. Rigid Constitution: The amendment procedure is difficult and cumbersome.
  6. Bicameral Legislature: There is the existence of bicameral legislature at the centre and unicameral legislature at the state government level and local government level.
  7. Independent Judiciary: The judiciary is not under the control of other arms of government or the rich, it settle cases without fear or favour.
  8. Existence of Revenue Allocation System: There exists a revenue allocation formula for sharing resources among the component units of government.
  9. Dual Allegiance or Loyalty: the people are loyal to the central government and the component units of government.
  10. Denied Right of Secession: No part or group in a federation is allowed to break away.
  11. Nigeria’s federalism has thirty-six (36) states plus the federal capital territory.

Question 3

(a) What is a public corporation?

Answer

A Public corporation may be defined as a government-owned enterprise or business set up by an Act of parliament to provide essential services for the people at a moderate price. In order words, it is a semi-autonomous business entity established by an Act of parliament at a reduced cost.

 

(b) Identify Four ways in which Public corporations are controlled

Answer

The operations of Public Corporations need to be controlled to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. The following methods are how public corporations can be controlled.

(i) Parliament/Legislative Control: There are different ways the legislature control public corporation.

  • The legislature set up Public Corporations through the Act of Parliament. These Acts spell out their powers, scope, and limitation. Any arbitrary exercise of power by the public corporation can be challenged in court.
  • The legislature can amend, modify or revoke the Act of parliament if necessary.
  • The legislature can influence the policies of public corporations through legislative debates and questioning during oversight functions.
  • The House Committee can consider reports and audited accounts of public corporations.

(ii) Control by the executive through the minister: The minister can appoint and dismiss members of the Board of Directors.

Secondly, the minister can give broad policy guidelines to the board of a public corporation.

Thirdly, the minister can withhold subventions of public corporations for poor performance or even approve some of its projects.

Fourthly, the minister presents audited reports and accounts of public corporations to the legislature.

(iii) Financial Control through the office of Auditor-General of the Federation: The accounts of Public corporations are annually audited by the office of the Auditor –General of the Federation.

(iv) Judicial Control: The Court can declare actions of public corporations unconstitutional if there is any breach of the provisions of the Act that set it up.

Secondly, the Court can issue sanctions on them as well as grant injunctions to prevent public corporations from infringing on people’s rights.

(v) Public Control: Pressure groups, consumer associations help to control public corporations. They can petition, publicly criticize public corporations to force them to carry out their duties efficiently.

(vi) Media Control: The mass media controls public corporations through public discussions on their efficiency. They can expose their inefficiency.

(vii) Quality Assurance Control: The quality control bodies e.g. Standard Organization of Nigeria regulates the activities of public corporations.

(vii) Control by the Office of the Ombudsman or Public Complaint Commission: Ombudsman can entertain complaints on public corporations.

Question 4

Outline five ways in which public opinion is measured

Answer

The general view held by the majority of people in a community on a given public issue at a given time can be measured in the following ways:

  • Election: General elections is one of the ways of measuring public opinion as the candidate that enjoys the support of the majority wins.
  • Opinion Polls/Exit Polls: Researchers use this instrument through interviews, questionnaires to determine people’s position on a particular public matter.
  • Referendum and Plebiscite: People vote on issues to approve or reject a government proposal.
  • Opinion of Opinion Leaders/Influential People in the Society: Thoughts expressed publicly by influential people in the society can be used to measure public opinion.
  • Mass media Reportage: Reports transmitted in the television, newspapers, radio, etc. are used to measure public opinion.
  • Personal Contacts: Through listening to private or personal discussions on a given public issue, public opinions are measured.
  • Public Discussion: Public opinion can also be measured through popular views on debates, symposiums, forums, phone-in programmes, and public discussion in the media, etc.
  • Demonstrations, Strikes, and Boycott: Demonstrations, riots, strikes and boycotts to show people’s displeasure on a given public issue also measures public opinion.
  • Activities of Civil Societies and Pressure Groups: These groups can criticize or applaud public issues through public discussions debates even through the mass media. This is also a measure of public opinion.
  • Recall: The process whereby a member of parliament can be asked out of the parliament before the expiration of his/her tenure.
  • Civil disobedience: Where the members of the public refuse to obey the government is also another form of measuring public opinion.

Question 5

Explain five means of safeguarding the rights of citizens

Answer

Inalienable or basic rights citizens of a country enjoy can be safeguarded through the following ways:

  1. Citizen’s rights can be safeguarded if fundamental human rights are included in the constitution.
  2. A state where rule of law is respected can protect rights.
  3. Citizens need to be aware of their rights and how to seek redress if their rights are violated.
  4. Fundamental human rights are best respected in countries that respect democratic principles.
  5. Efficient law enforcement agencies also help to protect fundamental human rights.
  6. If the capacity of human rights defenders and the National Human Rights Commission and Other Institutions that defend human rights are strengthened, the rights of the citizens can be best protected.
  7. Free and independent press or mass media can expose violating of fundamental human rights.
  8. Adequate checks and balances in the powers of government institutions and agencies protect rights.
  9. If legal aid or assistant is given to the poor and needy that cannot afford legal services to defend their cases in court can protect rights.
  10. Independent and impartial judiciary can administer free and fair judgments.
  11. Respect for international laws and conventions protects the rights of citizens.
  12. The existence of prerogative writs and their effective enforcement protects rights e.g. Quo Warranto, habeas corpus, writ of Mandamus.
  13. The existence of Civil Society Organizations and Pressure Groups can speak out and challenge violations of fundamental human rights of citizens.
  14. The office of the ombudsman or public complaint commission can protect rights. They can entertain complaints on violations of the rights of citizens.
  15. If Independent Electoral Commission conducts free and fair elections, citizens may not be denied their rights.
  16. The vigilance of opposition parties on issues of human rights violations can also protect the rights of citizens.

Question 6

Identify five Challenges faced by United Nations Organization

Answer

United Nations Organization is a global organization whose main aim is to maintain world peace and security. UNO is faced with a number of challenges among them are:

  • Threat to world peace and human security. Poverty, disease, environmental degradation, etc. are issues that affect human security. UN has been unable to eradicate hunger, poverty, and diseases in the world.
  • Violence and organized terrorism threatening world peace and security is another issue.
  • Conflicts among neighbouring states in different parts of the world especially in Asia and Africa are among the challenges.
  • There are pockets of crisis spots in the world where civil war and genocide ravage the lives of people in the state e.g. Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Cameroon, etc.
  • Many people are forcefully displaced from their homes as a result of famine, natural disaster, war, etc. UN is struggling to contend with the increasing number of displaced persons.
  • Military in politics and violent regime change are still issues the UN struggles with.
  • Challenges of bio-security and bioterrorism are in the increase.
  • Increase in transnational organized crime including human trafficking, force migration, forced labour, organ harvesting, drug trafficking, prostitution, etc. UN is still struggling to stop these problems.
  • How to reduce weapons of mass human destruction such as nuclear proliferation, biological and chemical weapons are other problems confronting the UN.
  • Global warming and climate change which is affecting our physical environment, threatening human security are other problems.
  • UN does not have a standing army but relies on Military troops from member countries especially from the super powers to force defiant states to comply with UN resolution. This is a big problem.
  • UN over-relies on the USA for financial assistance and other logistic needs. This has emboldened the USA to sometimes become overbearing.
  • The insufficient fund is another challenge. This is mostly because the poor member states are unable to discharge their financial obligation to the UN.
  • Some member-states are unwilling to surrender their sovereignty to the UN. They find it difficult to comply with the resolutions and decisions of the UN.
  • The gap between the rich North (developed countries) and the poor South (developing Countries) is getting wider. The UN has not bridged this. The rich have been paying lip service to help these poor countries to develop.
  • There is ideological differences among the super powers. This makes them view things differently and at times disagree on important decisions of the UN.
  • Humanitarian challenges especially in states where governments violate human rights; diseases, war, refugees, etc. UN is struggling to attend to all these problems.
  • Problems associated with the exercise of the veto power. The five countries that wield the veto power of the UN may not agree on issues. This is a big problem, especially where the veto power is withheld for selfish reasons.
  • There is the problem of inequality among member states of the UN. Veto power granted to a few members of the UN is the institutionalization of inequality.

Question 7

Identify five differences between the crown colony and protectorate

Answer

A Crown Colony is a territory acquired by the British colonial government through settlement, cession, Conquest or purchase e.g. Lagos Crown Colony while Protectorate is the areas where the British Colony government offered their protection to through treaties.

The colonial government recognized the status of the traditional rules e.g. Northern and Southern protectorates in Nigeria.

The differences between the two include the following:

  1. In a Crown Colony, British officials directly administered the area while in a protectorate, they administered the area indirectly through the use of traditional rulers.
  2. An Act of parliament of the sovereign state created a crown colony while a protectorate was established by treaty agreement or proclamation.
  3. A Crown Colony was a legal possession of the British Monarchy while the Protectorate remained under the authority of the traditional rulers.
  4. Crown Colonies had no sovereignty but the protectorate retained their sovereignty and had their defense and external relations handled by the protector (colonial government).
  5. All activities of the Crown colony were controlled by the colonial government while the protectorate received only protection and acted independently.
  6. The Crown Colony was subjected to British common law while the protectorate was subjected to the traditions and customs of the people and traditional institutions.
  7. The Crown Colonies had a lot of infrastructural developments while the protectorate hardly experienced such development.
  8. To administer the crown colony was expensive but the administrative cost of protectorates was low.
  9. Africans in the Crown Colonies were treated as subjects while those in the protectorates were protected persons.
  10. People in the Crown Colonies were dominated and exploited unlike the people in the protectorate that were semi-autonomous.
  11. A Crown colony was a territory invaded by a larger power e.g. Britain which set up its government in the colony headed by a British official, “Governor” while a protectorate was a territory that was protected by a stronger power.
  12. A Crown Colony was administratively well structured with a colonial governor, legislative council, and executive council while the protectorate was ruled through the native authority system.

Question 8

(a) List three political parties and their leaders who contested the 1979 Presidential election in Nigeria

Answer

National Party of Nigeria (NPN) – AlhajiShehuShagari

Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) – Chief Obafemi Awolowo

Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) – Nnamdi Azikiwe

People’s Redemption Party (PRP) – AlhajiAminu Kano

The Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP) – AlhajiWaziri Ibrahim.

 

(b) Highlight three failures of political parties in Nigeria since independence

Answer

Since independence in Nigeria, political parties have failed in the following areas:

  • The political leaders have failed to be nationalistic in outlook. The political parties have been formed along ethnic lines and therefore have more allegiance to their ethnic group than the nation.
  • These parties have been faced with unhealthy rivalry, disharmony which has threatened national unity.
  • The parties projected personalities rather than national issues and issues that will make the country better.
  • These parties lacked internal democracy especially in organizing primaries or electing party flag bearers. This leaves a number of members dissatisfied. This can lead to the fractionalization of the party and carpet crossing.
  • Corruption among high-ranking leaders of the party is another problem.
  • Personality cult or Godfatherism is also another problem. Some party leaders have institutionalized themselves as party God0fathers. Any aspirant that fails to get his approval may not succeed.
  • Political parties in Nigeria have undermined democracy through election rigging and other fraudulent sharp practices during elections.
  • Ineffective political representation due to the zoning of party offices and political posts is another problem.
  • Carpet-crossing or defection is another problem. When some candidates do not get opportunities, they feel they deserve in a party, they defect to another political party.
  • Confused party ideology is another problem. Parties change their ideologies and principles at will. This is confusing.

Question 9

Highlight five weaknesses of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Answer

  1. The constitution gave 100 much powers to the Federal government. Many items are under the exclusive list of the central government.
  2. There is ambiguity in its definition of citizenship and indigenship.
  3. There is still dissatisfaction among the states and central government over the revenue allocation formula.
  4. The constitution failed to put into account Nigeria’s history or historical experience.
  5. The constitution protected some special interests. The constitution favoured some interests.
  6. The rotation of power enshrined in the constitution is ambiguous.
  7. The power of veto granted to the president can be abused as he can veto bills. This can make the president autocratic.
  8. The constitution is rigid. This makes the amendment procedure cumbersome.
  9. The constitution provided for a presidential system of government which is too costly and expensive to run.
  10. The constitution failed to spell out the roles of the Deputy Governor.
  11. The constitution contained some ambiguous provisions which require extra-judicial interpretations e.g. the power to create local government areas, control of revenue derived from onshore and offshore.
  12. The electoral system is still manually operated in spite of providing card-reading machines. The central database is still manually collated instead of using automated machines giving room for manipulation.
  13. Land reforms provided for in the constitution contradicts some existing extant laws.
  14. The procedure for state creation as contained in the constitution is difficult. Supreme Court had to give clarification on the case of central government versus Lagos State over the creation of local government areas in Lagos State.
  15. This is a problem with local government administration, funding, creation, and autonomy. The state government as provided by this constitution excessively control local government.
  16. The constitution has also played lip service to tackle the problem of gender disparity.

Question 10

 

(a) List three features of the Igbo Traditional Political System

Answer

The following are the features of the Igbo traditional political system:

  • There was the decentralization of political institutions in the communities e.g. Oha-na-eze, Council of Elders, Age grades, Umuada, Umunna, etc.
  • The Igbo political system was segmented or fragmented e.g. village assembly, Umunna, Umuada, Nze-na-ozo, etc.
  • The system respected democratic principles as decisions were arrived at through consensus. Secondly, every man participated in the governance process. The different units e.g. Okpara, Council of Elders, Age grades, Ozo title holders, Chief Priest, Umuada, Umunna participated effectively in the administration of Igbo traditional society.
  • The village was the biggest administrative unit. This village administration included all the heads that represented their respective families at the village assembly.
  • Okpaba, the family heads played important role in the administration of the village.
  • Title holders, Nzenaozo title holders played a significant role in the administration of the village.
  • There was the existence of a village assembly, Ohana-eze.
  • There was the existence of the council of Elders, NdiAmaala.
  • Succession to leadership or coming into prominence was based on personal achievement not hereditary.
  • Village meetings were held in the market square.
  • Oracle priests played a significant role in the village. He performed religious functions. He also exercised judicial powers.
  • Umunna, Umuada, Age grades, all performed socio-political functions.
  • Banishment from the village into the evil forest was the maximum judicial punishment for offenses.

 

(b) Identify four democratic tenets of the Igbo Traditional Political System

Answer

  • Each of the political units, the village was republican in nature. Each was politically autonomous.
  • Power was shared among the different political institutions.
  • The political structure was decentralized.
  • Citizens participated in the process of public decision making. They had the right to do so.
  • Decisions were arrived at by consensus. People took part by contributing to public decision-making.
  • Each of the political units checked the other to ensure orderly governance of the society.
  • The political position was not hereditary rather it is achieved or earned.
  • People were governed by their consent. People participated in the administration.

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