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The National Council of Nigeria and The Cameroons - Freedom Charter
The National Council of Nigeria and The Cameroons - Freedom Charter
---CHARTER
'FREEDOM
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D,
515 -le~
•N3
BEING THE'
-faDlANA UNl\fERSlfi
- UBRMHES- _
BLOOMlNGTON -
- The Federal Secretariat, N,C.N.C.,
- Lagos, West Africa.
d_CJ-
--~--~·-"- .,, ,_
i{i~~A1'If~LT~~~i~~~t~ERIA
CONsnTUTION OF .NIGERIA AND CAMEROONS. ·
PREAMBLE
Nations and Peoples of Nigeria and the, /
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pi'om6te ·the welfare of their 'cmiii.try; .. · .
99.!1;~,~4 il?:t! factors o( capitalism 8:nd . imperialism
.":;·• .• ,tl\i~'=:th.e.~ nonttal growth of N1g:ena and the
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w):,::. ,<~>::;:~~~e6~}"'°f ~t~o!1s;' '' . . .· . : '
tl•,.: ~:-~~den~ that only ·by the crystallisation of democracy
ij,;\ :Ti "im. aspects : of their national. life and- tlrought-!ffici~, 0
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·.•.;_ ~&;- Thf':right to toii', in ca~e of individuaf rieert:
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•against . old age, illness, incapacity fo work, un~
employmen!. ·
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The right to sex equali~y ; that
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the 3:ccepta~e of
hffl>m~... as--tl:ie equal of man m the enJOJ'Il\eilt of aJl rights
t); , ~~teed by Constihltion,
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_ ,:-~~71l. · 1'he.ngh.t: fo social eqnal1~y; that 1~, the acceptance
• : ''"""()f' the. equality of the citizen, irrespective of tri_be'. race -
~lout· or creed, in all fields of life. ·
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•. . l . . .
· '!'he. nght to Jeligmm. ,toJ,,.rat1on ;_that 1s, the- n~; to
. . - ~ p -m· act:ot<13.Ilce with the tentlts- -of one•s reJig1ous
<~ :• - . •• - .. --·· o: . c~:· .
, ~;~., The tight to conscience; thatis,.t,h~right tQ.~ve
•• J-~ a.4yjhing, 'and fo pfopcund. any ·thf!OJ'Y. ox:. to ! romulg~te
. . , . thesis. .
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t' >~•.' Thi right to speak or to write; that is,· th~ right _to
. ~~1l~y,opini8t:i.. · • •: . :, ·•· ... · .., .
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; 15. The right-to assemble ; that. is, the, right to- meet: in •
~ublic ~rid private and engage in any discussion.
· 16. The right ·to procession ; .that, is, the right tQ detll()Jl- ·
strate publidy ; · · · ··
17. The right to associate for social profe~onal·or o~u.-
pational purposes. · · •
18. The right to collecti b3J:'gaining ; that is, the righHo
··· · demand for tietter wodring conditions, to strike. fa picket,
to boveott, . to arbitrate, to conciliate, and otherwis.e:,to
settle ·1abour disputeP. · . · · _·
19. 'fhe right to domestic security ; th~t ja, the .right of~
dwdling ·nouse or business of jhe c~tj~~ t9 .be•~M~
from s~arch ?T ·violation.
20. The right to bear arms for personal safe,ty, _ .·-·.
21. The right to speedy and public trial l,y an imp~rtjal
jury. > ·
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: ._vJari~
. . · wealth at the .time of the .~doption of this Constitution,
. or·· his . desc~•ib'om in, the Commonwealth shall be
:of President or Vice-Pre1id~n! ~I"_: a
'.r~r~f~- -:~ .;,,~~/;<,+~-~;~-.,_i,t··?\~~-t.-.,~f~~~, ·:- ., _ · " · ..,
1'.~i};; ;~i;i;the fresil&'it dall have ppwer, with the c<msent ofthe
\:, ·' :;5'0a~jn~tr,.,Jo. a~oint diJ;>l?matic and --~~msulax: officials,
f",c.,~·~: aii:,d 'a!l -Other ?fficers of the ~l vil serV!Ce .~he
f::1:\>r _--:~ft6mfuonwealth, prc,cla1m a state of se1ge, grant amnesty,
of
{ii-~;, :l'pardon . and commute punishment, except in·• case 0f
~;:· 'r impeachment. ·· · .
!{(\ :J.. ·Th~ ,fre&ident
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-: shall b_e Commander-fn-Chief of the
·111-.·~~•e. atmed forceR of the Commonwealth. · ..
~;.: r ,;.,:J. ·,,.The Pre!iident Rhall always8ive to the Assembly in-
t,•;; <~··utormatfon of the state ·.of the ('.,ommonwealth aa_d.• make
,.; 'rooommendations which he deems expedient ia the . in-
, ~lfi;S!_Qf the Corpmonwealth. · ..· ·•.l . , . ,
:;,;~~-i:fibiPr~dent\ the Vice-Pt'esident-andiall theMini~~rs
,. " . of State aM cl vil · ·oUicers ·of the C~l'hmonwealt-h · ·shall
,~.;{,.;;,,~renmved fro~ o£fice on im~ment for, and .on cQn-
·?,~"''viction of, treason,'bribery, or other relative crimes, mal-
.:>.: >ft>,asances, and misdemeanours. · · ·-
:ff~iz~_:·. ,-;, .. ·.,"' ., - •r - • • '>
Trane: ,
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.faith; sex, ed11cational rank, domicile, social . origin,
. -: ):>roperty status and past activity, have the right .of fH.U-
r q:iliie and to participate in elections ; any .person. wb<l is
• "insane, or has been condemned by a court of the Common- .
wealth to death or to be deprived of electoral ~hts: or
i .];las· not resided within the territo1;ial limits of the place~
.. of ele<:tion for at least six monthR before the election,
c .ah~ nQt enjoy _the right of frnnchise.
·3, Every Cominonweaith national shall have Que vote at .
any election, Federal, State, Mun'icipal or Rural. · "
4. Votingat all elections shall Le~by ~ t ballot.
·• ~- Any :person voted to represent an.y cqnstituencyin-JWY -
. .legislature, Federal, State, Municipal or Rural, sh,all re!!.Ort, ·
·; to that constituency at intervals not later than two weeks -
after a legislative sessicm and io give a.a account of his/
· .her stewardahip ; such perso_n may be r~oved from office
if three-fourths of the voters of. that constituency petition
·- the legislature con~ned to that effect. -
_X. MISCELLANEOUS.
'.. l~ Fu1i faith ~nd cr.e~t shall be giveri in·eich State. to:the :
. .;public acts, recor&>, and j.µdicial pro:;ee4i:ng3 ot the Sfates
: of the Com,monwea.lth. '.l'he Assembly may by law pres-·
.cribc> the manner in which su.ch ,acts, -records, and ._pro- .·.
.-ceed.iogs sh~U be proved and the effect thereof. · '- '
· · '2. Nationals of. t~ Comm911~~altb," · are
entitled hi all
immunities and privileges of- citizenship within the c;:6n- .
fin.es of the 0om.~o.nwealth aml may be given appropriate ;
protection l>eyond the territorial limits qj. the Com)i)on-
wealth in accordance witli. International Law and cm~tom.
8. The Assembi:v ~hall 'have power fo amend the geo,,,ra. •
phical b@undaries o.f the Commonwealth; - .. . . .
4., . This ~µ._tuti9,n may 1e am~nde,lif thrl!e,q11att~& o __·
the Meml>er~pf, the House ot Na.tio~lities.and,th~ Ho-qse of
Re:J?_r~ent~tives so decide sitm1ltai;ieously in .
separate
·- ~ons,, and such amenome~t· shall become part of:the
, -0oll8fitution.' · · · · · ' · ·