CIVIC EDUCATION

SS 2 PRINTED NOTE

FOR

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SECOND AND THIRD
TERM
SS 2 SECOND TERM CIVIC EDUCATION PRINTED NOTE

WEEK TOPIC OBJECTIVES

Students should be able to:

1. Human Rights; Meaning and definition 1. Define and explain the

meaning of human rights.

2. Explain the characteristics

of human rights.

2. Human Rights; Characteristics of human rights 1. Explain the

features/characteristics of
human rights.

3. Human Rights; Categories/classification of human 1. Outline and explain the

rights various categories and
classifications of human
rights.

4. Political Apathy; Meaning and Definition,

characteristics/features.
1. Define political apathy in
its various forms

2. Give reasons for political

apathy

5. Ways/means of fighting/discouraging political apathy.

1. Explain reasons why

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 leaders fail to protect the
interest of their followers

2. Discuss how leaders can

protect the interest of their
followers.

6. Public Service; Meaning /definition and 1. Define and explain Public

characteristics. service.

2. Outline and Explain the

features and characteristics of
the public service.

7. Public Service: Features 1.Explain the features of the

public service

8. Public Service: Reasons for shortcomings in the public 1. Identify the

service. (Problems and challenges). challenges/shortcomings in
the public service.

2. Explain the reasons for the

shortcoming in the public
service.

9. REVISION and EXAMINATION.

SS 2 THIRD TERM.

WEEK TOPICS OBJECTIVES

Students should be able to:

1. Public Service; Ways of improving the public service 1. Define public service.
in Nigeria; e.g. retraining, etc.
2. Mention and explain ways

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 of improving the public
service in Nigeria.

2. Public Service: Ways of improvement; code of 1. Suggest more ways

conduct, etc. improving the Nigerian public
service.

3. Civil Society: Meaning/definition, 1. Define civil society and its

functions/importance and needs, qualities and history as a group.
problems.
2. List and explain the
functions of civil societies.

3. Explain the importance of

civil societies.

4. Explain the qualities of

civil societies.

5. Explain the
problems/challenges of civil
societies.

4. Political Participation; definition and

importance/needs of political participation.
1. Define popular
participation in politics

2. Explain reasons why people

do not participate in politics

3. Describe how popular

organizations are formed

5. Democracy; definition and importance. 1. Define democracy and its

tenets.

2. Explain types of
democracy.

3. Explain the importance of

democracy.

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6. Rule of Law; Meaning and definition. 1. Define the rule of law and
its origin.

2. Explain the principles of

the rule of law.

7. Rule of Law; Processes and Problems of Democracy. 1. Explain the processes and
problems of democracy.

8. Human Trafficking; Meaning, causes and 1. Define drug trafficking.

consequences of human trafficking.
2. Explain the dimensions and
causes of human trafficking
Nigeria and globally.

9. REVISION and EXAMINATION.

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CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES FOR SS TWO SECOND AND THIRD TERM

WEEK ONE; HUMAN RIGHTS

MEANING OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Human rights are those freedoms and privileges which citizens of a country are constitutionally
entitled to. These freedoms and privileges are guaranteed by the constitution of the land and
protected by the law courts and other law enforcement agents. Human rights are inalienable and
immutable. This means that they cannot be taken away from citizens and to do so will amount to
an abortion of justice. Human rights are seen to be of divine origin meaning they are given to us
by God from birth.

When rights are described as fundamental, it means they are recognized and entrenched in the
constitution of a country as is the case in Nigeria where human rights are contained in chapter 4
of the 1999 constitution.

The concept of Human Rights came into being after the League of Nations (1914-1918) set up
after the First World War failed to prevent the Second World War from occurring in 1939. After
World War 2 ended in 1945, The United Nations was set up to replace the League of Nations as
a World Body responsible for achieving World Peace and Freedom. The UN as an organization
was what gave birth to the concept of fundamental human rights.

A committee headed by the then American First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, drafted the document
that defined and universally granted basic rights to all human beings and called them the „Equal
and Inalienable rights of every human being‟. The declaration was known as the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights‟

The UDHR was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN RIGHTS

1. Human rights are universal, meaning that every single person in the world is entitled to rights
from their state, nation or country

2. Human rights are inalienable, meaning that they cannot be removed and to remove or violate
them amounts to a denial or contradiction of justice. Rights can only be removed under certain
conditions, such as when people break the law etc.

3. Human rights are immutable, meaning that rights cannot be changed to suit the whims and
caprices of arbitrary ruler ship.

4. Human rights are enforceable against any person including the government.

5. Human rights provisions are binding on the government and persons. The government serves
as the custodians of human rights.

6. Human rights are natural and within every human being. They are not granted by any person,
nor can they be bought or sold, inherited or earned. Rights can be claimed regardless of whether
or not they are recognized by the constitution of the country.

7. Human rights are relative; this means that people‟s rights complement one other and therefore
the human rights of an individual are limited relative to other‟s rights. In other words your right
stops where mine begins. You cannot enjoy your right to freedom of movement at the expense of
my right to privacy

8. Human rights are equal and non-discriminatory. No matter our sex, race or religion we all
enjoy the same rights. According to article 1 of the UDHR, „All human beings are born free and
equal in dignity and rights‟ this principle forbids and prohibits discrimination.

WEEK TWO; CONSEQUENCES OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION

1. When rights are violated with impunity, leaders will become tyrants and tyrannical in ruling

2. The poor masses will be oppressed and exploited by the rich and powerful.

3. Injustice, social inequality and discrimination will be the order of the day

4. People will degenerate to the level of animals and they will make life unsafe for others.

5. There will be total disregard for rule of law

6. The economy will crumble because citizens will be too disturbed to work to contribute to the
growth of the economy.

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7. It may lead to chaos or total breakdown of law and order in the society.

8. Sadism, dictatorship, military fascism, and totalitarianism will flourish and suffocate the
populace.

CATEGORIES OF HUMAN RIGHTS

There are basically thirty rights to which everyone is entitled. However seven of them are
classified as the core rights which form the pillars upon which other rights stand.

CORE FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS

1. The right to life

2. The right to freedom of speech

3. The right to freedom of assembly

4. The right to freedom from fear

5. The right to freedom from want

6. The right to freedom from discrimination

7. The right to freedom of movement.

Rights can be categorized into civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental
rights.

Civil and Political Rights are those freedoms and privileges which empower citizens of nations
to participate in the civil and political activities in their state. These rights include the following

1. The right to vote and be voted for

2. The right contest for political posts

3. The right to self determination

4. The right to freedom of expression

5. The right to private and family life

6. The right to fair trial

Social Rights protect a citizen‟s welfare and well being in society. For example, we have

1. The right to life

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2. The right to dignity of the human person

3. The right to education

4. The right to shelter from dangerous elements

5. The right to freedom of movement and association

Economic rights are those rights that empower the economic activities of citizens, such as work
place relationships and businesses. Examples include the following

1. The right to work

2. The right to just conditions of work and just remuneration for work done.

3. The right to social security

4. The right to form and join a trade union

5. The right to recreation

Cultural rights empower citizens to freely express their way of life so long as it does not violate
the

rights of others in society. Example include…

1. The right to practice any religion of one‟s choice

2. The right to take part in cultural life

Environmental rights; are rights that enforce a person‟s right to shelter in a safe environment

1. The right to seek a safe place to live in.

2. You have human rights anywhere you find yourself in the world.

WEEK FOUR; FIGHTING POLITICAL APATHY

MEANING OF POLITICAL APATHY

Political apathy describes a state of total lack of interest, enthusiasm or of a motivation to be

involved in the political activities, programmes, or objects of a state by the citizens of that state.

People manifest political apathy when they fail to attend political meetings, refuse to join
political

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parties, or register or vote during elections.

FORMS OR CHARACTERISTICS OF POLITICAL APATHY

1. Apathetic citizens always refuse to register during registration exercise which is necessary for

periodic free and fair elections to be conducted in a country.

2. Apathetic citizens will not vote, during elections. They may even infect other voters with their
non-

challant attitude to political activities around them.

3. Even in the face of election rigging and mal-practice, apathetic citizens are unmoved and will
not

protests against such misconduct. In fact they will try to shut down other people who may want
to

protest. They are always held bound by fear and self absorption.

4. Apathetic citizens do not attend political rallies or even tune to television channels where
such are

being aired. They dismiss all politicians as liars and political activists as trouble makers and
consign

both classes of people to the dust bins. They are usually more pre-occupied with their personal

challenges than with national issues.

5. Apathetic citizens do not demand the fulfillment of their fundamental human rights. They
prefer to

believe that God will send down fire on their oppressors. They rarely miss fiery church services
where

they go to pray down fire on their enemies and seek double, double blessings from God in return.

6. Apathetic citizens do not offer themselves to be voted for. They see politics as a dirty game
and will

not want to soil their garments with the filth of politics. They do not campaign for those who
wish to

contest for political office either.

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WAYS OF FIGHTING POLITICAL APATHY

1. Public enlightenment campaigns should be carried out by the government of the day to
educate

people to know their rights and know the ways in which to defend them when they are abused.
For

example the Public Complaints Commission, the police, the law courts, Human rights groups are
meant

to protect the rights of citizens when such are violated.

2. Politics should be made attractive for all citizens to want to participate in its processes. When
politics

is rid of violence, thuggery, arson, cultism and all manner of unwholesome practices, people will
be

motivated to participate in its processes.

3. Electoral mal-practices such as rigging and stealing of ballot boxes should be stopped and
when they

occur they should be punished with severe jail terms for their perpetrators. When elections are
made

free and fair, then law abiding citizens will be persuaded to get involved in politics.

4. God fatherism should be stamped out of politics. God fatherism makes slaves of poor
politicians who

have to comply with the unsavoury demands of their sponsors or god fathers in order to fulfill
the terms

of agreement they entered into to, before winning power. God fathers usually bank roll poor
politicians

to contest elections, usually with binding agreements which may then be sealed with the services
of a

juju priest. So as soon as the poor politician wins power, he has to return all the money that his
sponsor

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spent on him, usually with a terribly high interest. This was the case between Chris Uba and
Chris Ngige

in Anambra state in 2004. Many law abiding citizens will not cherish becoming the slave of any
bloody

god father in the name of politics. Politics should be structured to enable poor people contest and
win

political offices without having to sell their souls to the devil.

5. Leaders should enforce policies that institute accountable and responsible leadership. They
should

not rule to fulfill their personal interests but instead rule to better the lives of the general masses.

Leaders should be accountable to their followers. They should give plausible accounts of how
money in

their trust is spent.

6. There should be rule of law, with everyone being equal before the law. A situation where a
class of

citizens are above the law, will not augur well for free and fair contest for power and by
implication,

popular participation.

7. Tribal and Ethnic Discrimination; some ethnic groups in Nigeria see power as their birth right.
Such an

attitude which demands that plum positions be zoned to a particular region should be
discouraged as it

can perpetuate political apathy by the disadvantaged minority, who will see no room for
expression.

8. Women in Nigeria are discriminated against and not empowered to contest for political office.
In fact

many are laughed at by their male counter-parts and not taken seriously at all. This was the case
of

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Sarah Jubril a PDP Presidential aspirant, who received only one vote, which was the one she cast
for her

self during the PDP Presidential Primaries in 2009. More women should be encouraged to be
politically

active and taken more seriously by their male counter parts.

9. Charity they say begins from home. Parents should teach their children to listen to listen to
news,

political debates and documentaries in order to develop an active interest in the politics of their
nation.

Children these days are highly distracted by the mass media, internet and all such who only show

raunchy music videos like „wiggle, wiggle‟ by Jason Derulo and Snoop Dog or anaconda by
Nikki Minaj.

Schools should form clubs that encourage political debates, current affairs and other such
activities that

encourage student participation in politics at their level. The introduction of Civic Education as a
core

subject in all Nigerian schools is a good move that will help fight apathy in students.

10. Independent judiciary; the judiciary should be independent of the control of the executive
and

legislative arm of government. This will enable them to dispense justice without fear or
favour.

Dangers of political Apathy

1. Threat to democracy; political apathy can hinder the implementation of true democracy,
because if

People don‟t vote then democracy will be truncated, as leaders will be imposed not elected.

2. Wrong people in power; when people don‟t vote to elect credible leaders, the wrong people
can

wriggle their way into power to frustrate the general public.

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3. Reduction in the number of potential leaders; when people are apathetic, there will be no
one to

contest for political posts, this will deflate the political process.

4. Corruption; where there is political apathy, leaders will be able to engage in corruption
without fear

of being caught and prosecuted. This will give birth to impunity and lead to a government that
is not

accountable to the people. It can even lead to human rights abuse, since citizens are too
apathetic.

5. Slow rate of development; when people are apathetic, leaders will not be challenged to work
hard

for the development of the nation. This is because the people who should have put the heat on
them

to work hard are too apathetic to agitate for good governance and the dividends of democracy.

6. Loss of respect; apathy leads to a government that is not popularly elected being installed in
office.

Such a state of affairs can make the international community to see such a nation as one with a

„kangaroo‟ government and people not worthy of note.

WEEK FIVE; PUBLIC SERVICE

The public service is an institution through which the government performs most of its activities.
The

public service is made up of qualified personnel, called civil servants . It is made up of

corporations

established by specific statutes for the provision of certain commercial, social and welfare
services.

The powers, duties and matters relating to the finance and personnel of the public service are
contained

in the legislative acts, decrees or edicts which established them. Public corporations are
organized like

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private business enterprises. They operate to improve the quality of lives in the public sector and
not

necessarily for profit making. Changes in government does not affect the civil service and the

effectiveness of any government in power depends largely on the effectiveness of the public
service.

OPERATION OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE IN NIGERIA

1. It is made up civil servants and other public servants. Civil servants are government officials
we meet

to access public services in the various ministries. For example we have The Ministry of Health.

2. It creates employment for people by recruiting staff through the Civil Service Commission or
directly

by itself. This helps to reduce the level of unemployment in the society.

3. The public service as a whole is owned by the nation state.

4. The public service is as a whole a legal entity. This means they can sue and be sued, hold
property and

enter into contracts.

5. The public service may be fully funded by the government or subsidized in order to offer
welfare

services to the people at a subsidized rate or at no cost at all. They are not set up to make profit.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE

1. Permanence; the civil service is a permanent institution of government that is not affected by
any

change in government. Thus even the death, political defeat, inauguration of another head of
state

or government does not affect the day to day running of the civil service or servants.

2. Neutrality; members of the civil service are not allowed to be partisan. This means that they
cannot

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 openly support a particular political party. They are loyal only to the government in power and
work,to

implement its programmes and activities.

3. Anonymity; all civil servants are expected to be anonymous in the political policies of the
govt.

They are not allowed to divulge official secrets to the public or speak to the press unless
permitted

to do so. They do not take the blame or praise for any good or defective policy. They are not

held responsible in relation to the discharge of their duties. The minister may be made to
resign for

any defective policies while the civil servants who carried out the policy remain unnamed to
the

general public.

4. Impartiality; civil servants are expected to not to show any favour or sympathy to any
political party

while in service. Instead they should be prepared to serve any political party that comes into
power.

REASONS FOR THE SHORT COMINGS IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE

1. Colonial Influence; the Nigerian civil service was instituted by the British colonial
government, who

colonized the country and ran her affairs from 1861 to Sept 1960. The colonial experience

bestored on the Nigerian civil service a conservative way of doing things which can also be
described

as red-tapism or bureaucracy. Bureacracy or red-tapism is a system of administration that is

over-

devoted to precedents and official routines. The civil service cannot act promptly on cases
before

it because their actions are strictly guided by existing rules and regulations which are meant to
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 enforce uniformity and minimize errors in administration.

2. Corruption; This is the bane of the Nigerian civil service. Employment, promotions and the
payments

of benefits are not based on merit but on what is to be gained by the person in charge. Favours
have

to be procured before anything is done. Monies meant for public project end up in civil
pockets

3. Inconsistency in government policies; the civil service is part of the policy making body of
the

government and is set up to make suggestions to the government on matters that concern it.

However the government is not obliged to follow its suggestions. Thus the government
sometimes

makes policies that are inconsistent with what should be. For instance government can create
new

commissions or agencies or even dissolve existing ones or worse still merge commissions
and agen-

cies with different or inconsistent policies. The establishment of the EFCC (2003) and the
ICPC in

2000 is an example of this. The functions of both organizations overlap.

4. Indiscipline and poor attitude to work; Civil servants are most often accused of lack of
dedication or

devotion to duty, caused by poor conditions of service and insecurity of jobs, leading to low
morale.

Lateness, absconding from duty and misuse of government property is the order of the day
in the

Nigerian civil service.

5. Lack of initiative and imagination; civil servants rarely toe the line of radicalism. They are
very con-

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 servative and lack innovation, initiative or invention. Any and all actions must comply with
appro-

val from the hierarchy of directors and other executives. They are often unwilling to
introduce new

measures, however progressive such may be.

6. Remoteness from the rest of the public; Civil servants are often remote from the rest of
the public.

They are sometimes very unfriendly, rude and impatient with members of the public.

WEEK SIX; WAYS OF IMPROVING THE CIVIL SERVICE IN NIGERIA

1. Organising courses and training programmes; civil servants undergo a lot of

orientation courses

and training to enable them fit into the area where they have been employed. Old ones also
under -

go courses to enable them function better as advisers of the government.

2. Political science subjects; like Civic Education and Government should be introduced in
secondary

Schools to prepare people who might later work in the civil service to know the roles and
functions

of government officials. Government for instance has a topic on the characteristics of a civil
servant.

One of such a characteristic, is that civil servants are neutral in matters of politics and are
not parti-

san. Already the government of Nigeria has made Civic Education a compulsory subject in
Nigerian

Schools.

3. Use of Code of Conduct Bureau and Public Complaint Commission; members of the
public

should be taught to make their complaints or observations about civil servants to the Code
of Con-

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 duct Bureau or the Public Service Commission. These two bodies are in charge of
regulating the

conduct or misconduct of civil servants in Nigeria.

Both bodies are legally empowered to call erring civil servants to order. Public officers
who contra-

venes the codes of ethics as specified by the Code of Conduct Bureau can be sanctioned by
the

Code of Conduct Bureau or the Public Complaint Commission. These two bodies frown at
corrupt

practices such as bribery and corruption in the civil service. The Public Complaint
Commission is

headed by a chairman who is empowered to make inquiries into any complaint made by
members

of the public against a civil servant.

4. The conditions of service of civil servants should be improved. With a better take
home pay,

housing and health care allowances, civil servants may do better in carrying out their jobs.

5. The autonomy of the boards in personnel matters; particularly for staff recruitment,
salaries

and conditions of service should be strengthened. This is necessary to attract experienced

and qualified staff into public corporations, in order to achieve efficiency.

6. Appoint only suitable members to the board; the board of a public corporation as a
policy

making organ should be composed of people with suitable educational qualifications,

ability,

experience and integrity. Politics and ethnicity should not be a basis for appointing new
staff.

7. The civil service needs to introduce and adapt ICT in its activities. This will reduce
the slow

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 pace of work currently witnessed in the civil service. Many civil servants are today
ignorant

of ICT, thus making them out of touch with the technological realities of our time.

ASSIGNMENT

1. Explain in detail how an aggrieved Nigerian can lodge a complaint of corruption against
a civil

servant before the PCC

2. Give a detailed report of the functions of the CCB

3. Narrate the history of the EFCC and explain its functions

WEEK SEVEN; CIVIL SOCIETY

Civil society refers to the voluntary association of people independent of the control of the
state

and family for the purpose of rights enforcement in any given society. Civil societies as a
social or-

ganisation first emerged in Europe in the 17th century. Civil societies are made up of people
who

form voluntary associations to draw attention to the ills in society and to force the hand of
govern-

ment to correct such. As a body they can also render free services for the good of humanity
to

redress the needs of the poor and helpless. Examples of civil societies include…,

1. Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

2. Interest groups

3. People and community based organizations.

FUNTIONS OF CIVIL SOCIETIES

1. Civil societies protect the rights of citizens and ensure that they are not violated by
government

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 2. They ensure that social amenities which can ensure a better order is provided by
government.

These amenities include electric power supply, good road network, healthcare services,
education

and etc all of which ensures a better standard of living for citizens. In other words they
are

advocates for good governance.

3. Civil societies act as a catalyst for change in society. For instance the activities of
women civil

societies in Nigeria has drawn the attention of the public to the evils of child marriage
and female

circumcision which results in VVF in the Northern parts of Nigeria. Civil societies can
also make

suggestions to the government on how best to ensure the welfare of citizens.

4. Civil societies educate the public on what to expect from the government of the day.
The show

people what their rights are in society and how to demand such rights from government.
They let

the citizens know the limits of the powers of government officials and their right to
participate in

the political activities of the state.

5. Civil societies try to influence government policies and decisions to ensure that they
reflect the

interests of the people. Through their seminars and other such enlightenment
programmes, they

draw the attention of the government to the areas where the people need government
attention

the most. They can also influence the change of government policies that are not
favourable to

Page 21
 the people.

6.Civil societies can also intervene in the management of communal conflicts which
develop over

resource allocations and all such matters.

7. They can also help to influence citizens to make healthy choices and avoid acquiring
harmful

behaviours such as drug abuse. They may sponsor movies, symposia and etc to this

effect.

8. Civil societies help to ensure that the principles of the rule of law is enforced. Where any
of such

is violated they draw public attention to it. For example one of the principles of the rule of
law

is equality before the law. This means that all men are equal before the law. Where
somebody is

exempted from punishment for a crime committed because of his wealth or social standing
in

society this principle is violated.

9. Civil societies serve as a training ground where potential leaders can develop leadership
skills.

Leaders like Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King cut their leadership tooth while agitating
for the

abolition of racism as civil rights leaders.

10. Civil societies can also help to monitor elections to make sure they are conducted free
and fair.

In fact the fear of civil rights activitist can even force a government to avoid fraudulent
practices

because civil societies serve as whistle blowers to expose negative actions of government.

QUALITIES OF CIVIL SOCIETIES

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 1. They are very good in getting the general public to be aware of and move towards
rectifying

societal ills and issues.

2. They are in most cases transparent in all their dealings. This helps to make them more
acceptable

to the society.

3. They do not represent the government but are usually made up of people who have a desire
to

effect change in the society for the better.

4. The do not support authoritarian dictatorship, but seek to promote a government that
listens to

the voice of reason and is accessible to the people.

5. They provide aid for the needy. Some provide free legal services for those who cannot
afford

lawyers. Others have been known to provide medical services including surgical operations
for the

needy.

6. They defend the rights of the minorities and the oppressed in society. For instance they
have been

instrumental in passing the Child Right Act, which forbids child abuse of any form in
Nigeria.

7. Their activities can promote peace and stability, because when they help the oppressed to
seek

redress, such people will be pacified and not take to violence to avenge themselves.

8. They are non-profit organizations who work for free to draw attention to societal ills with

a view to seeing to the correction of sure ills.

PROBLEMS OF CIVIL SOCIETIES

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 1. Civil societies are not accountable to the public but to those who fund them. Thus they can
repre-

sent the interests of their sponsors.

2. Civil societies are not elected by the people they seek to represent. This makes them
undemocra-

tic because they have not been given the mandate to represent anyone.

3. They can promote social crisis, especially when their sponsor is in the opposition. They
can distabi-

lise the government in power by their activities out of selfish interests only and not for the
good of

others

4. They can engage in unhealthy competition quite often to access funds and resources to
promote

their own agenda.

5. Civil societies sometimes use the organizations as a tool for political activism. This
attitude can

promote an unhealthy attitude in the society. They can turn the populace against their
opponents

with the motive of gaining cheap popularity so as to later launch themselves into full fledged
poli-

cal activism later and win power. This amount to taking advantage of the general public and
using

them to fulfill personal and selfish ambition.

REFERENCES

1. New Approach Government by Oyediran et al. longman 2007

2. Elaborate Civic Education for Senior Secondary Schools and Colleges by J. B. Saleh et al

3. Basic Civic Education for Senior Secondary Schools by Merry Ukegbu et al

4. Notes on Civic Education for Senior Secondary Schools BK. 3 by Mrs. E. O. Babalola

Page 24
THE MEANING OF POPULAR PARTICIPATION

Popular participation can be defined as the active participation of citizens in the socio-political
and economic matters of the state. Popular participation differs from country to country and
people exhibit popular participation at different levels of life.

TYPES OF POPULAR PARTICIPATION

1. Political Popular Participation; here people exhibit activism in the political activities of the
state which could among other things include, voting, contesting for office, supporting a
candidate, sponsoring a candidate, campaigning, discussing political issues and analyzing
political matters. Popular participation by a large number of citizens gives legitimacy to the
government and checks the government from abusing power as people will be actively involved
in the decision making process of government.

2. Citizens in a nation are expected to demonstrate economic participation by paying their taxes.
To evade paying taxes is to demonstrate lack of economic participation. Citizens are also
expected to source ways of attaining one form of gainful employment or the other as the
government cannot employ everyone. Thus citizens can engage in establishing cottage industries
which can create more employment and make more goods and services available to the public.
Thus citizens can demonstrate economic participation in three ways first, by being employers of
labour, secondly by being employees themselves and lastly by paying taxes. When citizens
demonstrate economic participation, the economy of the country grows and develops.

3. Social Popular Participation; this can be defined as the participation of citizens in the social
and societal activities of their community and belonging to social organizations, groups and
associations that are of benefit to them and the society as a whole. Citizens can demonstrate this
by attending council meetings, joining associations, reporting all suspicious characters to the
police, obeying societal norms and values as well as keeping the peace and harmony.

4. Religious Popular Participation; this describes the active participation of citizens in the
spiritual activities of their religion. Muslims demonstrate religious participation by memorizing
the Koran, while Christians do same by memorizing the Bible and going for evangelism where
they try to make new converts to Christianity. They can also join departments in their churches.

People can also demonstrate religious participation by being regular and consistent in attending
religious meetings and attaining leadership of their religious organizations. However it must be
noted that leadership of religious organizations is more open to male than to female adherents.

5. Sports / Recreational Popular Participation; this is demonstrated by the display of great

enthusiasm which makes citizens cheer their country‟s team massively during international

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matches. People can also demonstrate this type of participate by joining football clubs, football
fans club, wear club memorabilia.

WEEK TWO: NEED FOR POPULAR PARTICIPATION

1. Sense of belonging; getting involved in the activities of your community can give you a sense
of belonging and satisfaction, especially when your contributions are adhered to and leads to
positive change. You will feel useful to your society and therefore see yourself as part and parcel
of the society.

2. It helps to enlighten the people and get them organized socially, economically and politically,
this is because everyone will be actively involved in deciding the turn of events in the socio-
political, economic and religious matters of their community. They do this through consultations,
constructive criticisms, and contributions, debates and political discussions.

3. Popular Participation makes the government of a country to be stable and gives it legitimacy.
This is because everyone is a stake holder either as a good leader or a good follower. People are
easily mobilized for societal action and activities. When a government enjoys popular
participation by its citizens then it will be said to have legitimacy, because it means that it is
popularly acceptable to the citizens.

4. It provides for broad representation and is accommodating of varied opinions, as everyone

whether they are in the majority or minority will have elected representatives who will act on
their behalf and ensure that their views are heard.

5. Popular participation provides opportunities for the ordinary man to sharpen his political skills
and develop leadership skills. Thus there will always be a steady stream of eligible and
enlightened candidates that can be voted into power.

TRADITIONAL AND MODERN MODE OF POPULAR PARTICIPATION

In traditional societies many citizens were popularly active in the socio-political and religious
affairs of their communities. These affairs included settlement of disputes, sharing out tasks for
community service, planning for and carrying out festivals, electing new leaders and etc. In most
cases popular participation was mostly demonstrated by men as women were expected to stay
behind at home while their husbands went for village meetings. These meetings were usually
held in the village square and every adult male had a right to participate in these meetings.

People demonstrated popular participation in traditional societies by joining age grades,

acquiring chieftaincy titles, joining women groups, etc

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TRADITIONAL MODE

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1. It was simple and cheap to arrange and was not time consuming

2. People were basically honest and did not engage in bribery and corruption.

THE MODERN MODE OF POPULAR PARTICIPATION

This is what obtains in our current society and people exhibit popular participation through the
following ways…,

1. Through exercising their franchise during elections

2. Through joining organizations and clubs

3. Through obeying rules and regulations and etc

WEEK THREE: DEMOCRACY- MEANING OF DEMOCRACY

Democracy can be defined as a system of government in which the electorate having equal
political status, exercise their power to periodically elect representatives to make policies and
laws on their behalf. Those elected under specified terms ad tenures are said to have received the
people‟s mandate and were expected to execute the will of the electorates through listening to
and adhering to popular public opinion.

The concept of democracy originated from ancient Greece where it was known as direct
democracy. In Greece every male adult citizen participated in deliberations, law adjudication and
etc.

IMPORTANCE OF DEMOCRACY

1. Democracy provides an easy means of acquiring new leaders who are popularly elected by the
people and rule with the mandate of the people, after they win elections. The fact that democracy
involves and elections and voting, electioneering campaigns and competitions between the
parties makes ready, eligible and able candidate available to be voted into office by the
electorate.

2. Democracy makes leaders accountable to the citizens. This is because the voter wields the
power to determine whether or not the representative will return to the power. And the candidate
returning to power is determined by how well he has performed while in office and how well he
has spent public funds while in office. Democracy therefore gives citizens the power to
determine government policies

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3. It protects the rights of both the majority and the minority because fundamental human rights
are entrenched in the constitutions of democratic countries. Thus oppression and marginalization
is discouraged.

4. It makes for a smooth and non-violent way of changing the government. People vote during
periodic elections and bring in the most popularly elected candidate. This makes for stability in
government, which in turn promotes peace and progress.

5. It educates the masses on what to expect from their leaders and how to make informed choices
and contribute meaningfully to good leadership selection and at the same time trains them for
leadership. It does this through encouraging popular participation.

6. Democracy prevents abuse of power by entrenching the principle of separation of power:

checks and balances which makes the government focused, responsible, responsive and
answerable to the electorate.

7. Democracy enlightens people to learn the act of making decisions and policy through
deliberations and concessions rather than by force and imposition. This further prevents abuse of
power and enhances the legitimacy of government and its objectives.

PROBLEMS OF DEMOCRACY

1. It gives more importance to quantity rather than quality; it is this weakness that politicians
exploit when they use cash and food items to induce voters to vote for them. This is because the
value of the illiterate village loafer is equal the vote of a professor of law. Thus if you can induce
many illiterate people to vote for you, then you may win even if the educated elites despise you.

2. Democracy makes government very expensive; this is because huge sums of money is needed
to conduct free and fair elections.

3. Democracy dances to the tunes of the majority at the expense of the minority. This is depicted
in the dictum that the minority have their say, while the majorities have their way.

4. Democracy can divide a nation into schisms along the lines of ethnic groups, tribes, religion
and political party. That is why you hear people refer to some state as “an APC or a PDP state”

5. Democracy by nature can be exploited by a few people who are politically inclined to become
“Professional Politicians” This is because only a few people are interested in politics, thus those
who are interested in politics will become the landlord of politics in their state.

6. Democracy slows down decision making because many stake holders have to be consulted and
many procedures followed to avert anarchy and factions. Thus a simple decision can take months
even years to be made.

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7. Sometimes elected representatives represent their own interests and not those of the
electorate. They then cover up their lack of performance with propaganda, lies, inducement and
partisan politics to confuse and if possible deceive the electorate.

WEEK FOUR: PROCESSES OF DEMOCRACY

Democracy is characterized by the following processes…,

1. MAJORITY RULE;

This means a democratic government is instituted by a consent of a large number of people at the
expense of the not so large minorities whose views will be neglected. For example if the winning
candidate polls 58% votes, the votes of the 58% voters will be represented while those of 38%
voters will be relegated to the background. That is why some have called it “dictatorship by the
majority”

2. FORMULATION OF POLTICAL PARTIES;

The formulation of political parties is one key process in a democracy. Political parties are social
organizations whose main function is to win power and form a government. The duties of
political parties include

1. Selection of flag bearers through the conduct of primaries

2. Organising and enlightening the electorate on the party‟s manifesto and ideology

3. Uniting people of diverse cultures, backgrounds, sex, religion and ethnic group to be united
with the same ideology.

Political parties are usually organized according to systems and there are different types of party
systems, which are as follows;

1. The one party system; this type of party system is one in which only one political party is
officially recognized and allowed to contest elections. Other political parties are from contesting
elections or fielding candidates into elective positions. Instead the one party is also the ruling
party and the state does not allow any opposition party to exist. Countries that have practiced the
one-party systems include China, Cuba, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya and the former USSR.

Advantages of the one-party system

1. It fosters unity of purpose because all citizens are members of the same party and therefore do
not have divergent or opposing views.

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2. Decisions are quickly taken since there is no opposition party or authority to delay law making
because of differences in ideology.

3. It provides for strong leadership because only a strong charismatic leader with a strong
ideology can emerge in one- party system as history has proved over time.

4. This system allows the ruling party to conclude many of its programme, because the only
party it can stay long office to be able to do this.

Disadvantages of the one- party system

1. States that practice the one-party systems have a well established history of human rights
abuse. This is because they do not tolerate opposing views and sometimes even use force to
muzzle opposition.

2. It does not give voters an option as to whom they will vote for. This means that even if they do
not support the policies of the ruling party, they still have to vote for it.

3. As a result of the fact that the one-party system makes it possible for a party to stay in
government for a long time, it becomes impossible for state policies to change or be changed.

4. It can encourage the emergence of a dictator, who may decide to overlook the interest of the
citizens and serve only the interests of party members.

The two-party system; this type of system constitutionally recognizes two strong political
parties. Elections are contested by these two parties and political office is held by them. The
ruling party is the party that wins the most vote while the other forms an opposition to it.
Example of two party states, are Britain and the USA.

Advantages of the two-party system

1. The electorates are given the option of choosing between two political parties. This provides
for a more democratic process in the selection of representatives than the one-party system.

2. The presence of an opposition party helps to check the excesses of the party in power, so that
it cannot abuse power. The opposition usually criticize the policies of the ruling party and by so
doing check their excesses.

3. It provides opportunity for the electorate to have a change of policies and programmes when
the party in power loses elections and the opposition is voted in.

Disadvantages of two-party systems

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1. It can divide the nation into two opposing parts and reduce all other differences people in
society may have, be they cultural, religious, class, sex or background into whether they belong
to party A or B. This state of affairs can undermine unity instead of promoting it.

2. Two parties alone cannot reflect the diverse interests of all communities in a state. Thus the
voters choice is still limited to only two political parties.

The multi-party system; this is a system which involves the existence of more than two
functional political parties. Each of the party has the right to contest election into the various
political offices in the country. Multi-party systems usually give room for the forming of
coalition governments, as two or more political parties may form a political friendship referred to
as a coalition government in order to get the required majority to form a government. Examples
of states that operate the multi-party system include Italy, France, India, Nigeria and etc

Advantages of the multi-party system

1. It provides for a greater participation and education of citizens as they will have even more
alternative candidates to choose from. This makes the multi-party system more democratic than
the two-party system.

2. It enables minority groups to form political parties that can contest and win political offices.
This will give the minority group a sense of belonging in the nation. The multi-party system
reflects the diversities of interests in a state.

3. The ruling party will not be able to abuse power because of the presence of a strong and
formidable opposition who are only too eager to see it out of office and to take over power
themselves.

Disadvantages of the multi-party system

1. There are too many political parties in existence, which might confuse the voters. For
example, many current political parties in Nigeria are unknown to the electorate.

2. This system allows for the formation of political parties that are sectional or ethnic in outlook,
which will not help the attainment of national unity.

3. It makes for instability of government because the abundance of parties will mean that a
government may not last long in power to carry out its objectives, before it is changed in the next
round of elections. Thus plans change as soon as there is a change in government.

4. Parliament can be turned into a battle ground where the numerous political parties represented
there slug out their differences. This state of affairs can degenerate into intense rivalry among
contestants and party members.

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5. Coalition governments do not provide for purposeful leadership since the parties that form a
coalition government usually have different aims, goals objectives and ideologies.

3. POLITICAL PARTY MANIFESTO

The next step in following the processes of democracy is that political parties already in
existence make their manifestos public during their campaigns.

A manifesto describes the plans and programs of political parties which they plan to carry out
during their tenure. It can also be referred to as the aims and objectives of a political party. A
party‟s manifesto can be to provide health care services free of charge and etc.

Manifestos are important because it tells the electorate the intention of a political party. It also
shows the political ideology of the party. For example the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN)in the 2 nd
Republic had what it termed a “four cardinal points” objectives which were as follows

i. Free education at all levels

ii. Integrated rural development

iii. Free medical care

iv. Full employment for all

Political parties usually express during campaigns in which they cover nook and crannies of the
country canvassing for votes.

4. ELECTORAL COMMISSIONS

This is another step in carrying out a democracy. This involves setting up national and state
electoral commissions to conduct elections into the various elective offices in the country. The
electoral body in charge of the conduct of elections at the presidential and governorship level is
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while the electoral body that conducts
elections at the local government level is the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).
The federal government appoints the INEC officials while the state governments appoint SIEC
officials.

INEC divides the country into constituencies for voting, conducts elections, collates and
announces results of elections. They also issue certificates of returns to winning candidates
which will enable them to be sworn into office.

5. PARTY PRIMARIES

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Political parties usually organize an internal election in which they elect popular candidates that
will represent their party and be its flag bearer in the general elections. During a primary
primaries, party delegates vote, and not the general public.

6. LITIGATIONS

This usually follows elections in Nigeria. Every losing candidate in Nigeria lives to complain of
being short changed and will therefore waste no time in going to court to seek redress. Thus the
courts are always very busy in a democracy as they have the power to uphold an election or
disqualify candidates even after he or she has been sworn-in.

WEEK FIVE: CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY

MEANING OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY AND CONCEPT OF

DEMOCRACY

Democracy is a system of government where the will of the majority of the people in a political
setting predominates. It literally means rule of the masses. Democracy originated from Greece
where it was practiced as direct democracy. Democracy could be practiced direct in Greece,
because they were organized in city states also called pockets of republics. Every free born
adult male could participate in deliberations, adjudication of cases and the implementation of
laws.

However as nations grew into large empires and republics and independent nation-states,
governance became more complex, requiring special skills rather than the simple direct
democracy adopted by the pockets of republics.

Gradually ruler ship of these modern states demanded a kind of democracy that required the
election of skilled and credible representatives who will make laws or behalf of the electorates.
This synchronized with the eventual separation of government functions as three distinct arms or
organs of government, where different persons function in different capacities. These arms are
the legislature, who makes the laws, the executive who implement the laws and the judiciary
who interpret the law.

Elected candidates are said to have received the people‟s mandate and are expected to implement
the will of the electorate. These universal patronage and practice became known as the
representative or indirect democracy

The modern day form of democracy was founded in France in 1789 and was propagated by the
United States of America. Abraham Lincoln the 16th president of the USA defined democracy as
„the government of the people, by the people and for the people‟

Merits of Democracy

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1. Among others, democracy reduces the incidents of sit-tight ruler‟s syndrome noticeable in
military dictatorships.

2. It makes unity in diversity possible to achieve in the governance of people with diverse
cultural and religious differences.

3. It entrenches the separation of powers and checks and balances which help to arrest arbitrary
ruler ship. And etc. (See Page 3). For demerits see page 4

FEATURES OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY

Popular sovereignty; the electorate is referred to as the popular sovereign. The principle of
popular sovereignty requires that the power of the government to make important decisions be
vested on all members of the community who exercise their power through their elected
representatives. It is only when this happens that a government can be described as a democracy.

Majority rule; this means that a democracy is instituted by the consent of a large number of
people at the expense of the not so large minorities whose views are neglected.

Minority rights; even though minorities in a democracy can only have their say and not their
way, yet their rights are firmly protected by the democratic system. This is done through the
entrenchment of fundamental human rights in the constitution as well as the establishment of a
federal police system.

WEEK SIX: RULE OF LAW

MEANING AND DEFINITION OF RULE OF LAW

The doctrine of the “rule of law” as presented by A.V. Dicey states that every member of society
should be subjected to common laws such as those codified in a nation‟s constitution and not
arbitrary exercise of power by those who rule. The exercise of regular laws is what will
guarantee the safety of the fundamental rights of citizens and not through arbitrary exercise of
power. A. V. Dicey popularized this doctrine in his work titled „Introduction to the study of the
law of the constitution‟ published in 1885 in Oxford.

There are three basic principles upon which the rule of law is founded and they are as follows…,

1. The law of the state is both predominant and supreme

2. Every member of the state is equal before the law

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3. Every citizen of the state has certain national and inalienable rights which form the basic
fundamental human rights

Importance of the rule of law

1. It guarantees equality before the law irrespective the social class of anybody

2. It safeguards one from molestation and assault, indiscriminate arrest or coercive oppression of
any kind. In order words the rule of law checks the beast in man.

3. It guarantees the practice of fundamental human rights and personal liberties as enshrined in
the constitution.

4. It allows for decentralization of power to avoid dictatorship or tyrannical rule. Thus arbitrary
rule is checked.

5. It allows for individuals to have the rights to seek redress or compensation for any case of
infringement of fundamental human right.

6. It makes for an orderly society which will in turn promote social stability, national growth and
development.

7. Basically rule of law preserves human life and means to its sustenance

PROCESS OF RULE OF LAW

This means doing things in line with legal requirements and with transparency. The processes of
the rule of law are as follows…,

1. That all social, political, economic, and legal be guided by law or laid down principles to
avoid social disorder or crisis.

2. That laws made must pass through accepted legislative procedures before they are enacted.
And that the legislative organ making the laws be made up of people who have been popularly
elected and therefore have the necessary mandate to represent the people in making laws that
reflect their interests.

3. That the laws be interpreted by properly constituted courts of the land and not any “special
courts” or tribunals constitutes under questionable circumstances.

4. It advocates that all the functions of government be they legislative, executive or judicial
functions be carried out separately by different officials. In order words, it advocates the doctrine
of separation of powers and checks and balances.

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5. Rule of law demands that all civil and personal grievances be resolved through the ordinary
court to avoid any one taking the laws into their hands. This means that every citizen of age has
the right to sue and be sued in a court of competent jurisdiction and that the court has the
authority to enforce its decisions and judgments which the law sees as binding on both the
government and peoples.

6. It advocates that the courts of first instance and appellate courts such as Courts of Appeal and
the Supreme Courts are established for suspected partiality by lower courts to ensure strict
compliance to the rule of law.

7. That reward or punishment be meted out as stipulated by law to avoid some people gaining
undue advantage over others without justifications.

8. That political office holders emerge through popular, free, fair and credible elections, which
are held periodically to enable citizens change their government when due.

9. It requires that the laws of the land be respected by all, the press being free of censorship and
the judiciary being free and independent of the control and manipulation by the executive and the
legislature.

PROBLEMS OF THE RULE OF LAW

1. Laws can sometimes be rigid and unable to address certain peculiar demands and needs which
may deviate from the universal norm.

2. Laws are usually made by the members of the upper social class and may sometimes not
reflect the interests of the suffering masses. So that such a law instead of bringing freedom
brings oppression. For example a land lord has the right to sell his property regardless of the
plight of his tenants who will be at the mercy of the new owner.

3. Law enforcement agents claiming that they are empowered by the law sometimes subject
crime suspects to harrowing torture with impunity.

4. The legal system is hall marked by delays in the delivery of justice as court cases suffer
endless adjournment. This frustrates the solving of urgent problems, which explains the saying
that justice delayed is justice denied.

5. In spite of the doctrine of the rule of law, social inequalities still exists even in the most
advanced countries of the world. The fact that certain offices are available only to people who
possess certain qualifications exacerbates social inequalities between the rich and the poor, the
educated and the uneducated, the male and the female etc, in spite of the existence of the
doctrine of rule of law.

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6. Diplomats, and political office holders at certain high levels, enjoy diplomatic and political
immunity, which makes them as at the time they are in office to be above the rule of law, even if
they are suspected of perpetuating criminal offences.

REFERENCES;

1. Basic Civic Education for Senior Secondary Schools by Dr. Merry N. Ukegbu et al

2. Elaborate Civic Education for Senior Secondary Schools and Colleges by J. B. Saleh et al

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