Federalism (Civic Education)

 Federalism

Contents:    Meaning of Federalism

                 Reason for the adoption of Federalism in Nigeria

                 Problems of Federalism in Nigeria.

                 The State Government

                 The Local Government.

                 Citizen’s Responsibilities.

Federalism is a system of government in which power is shared between the central and regional governments. It is a political system of government where there is division of power among the three tiers of government (federal, State and the local government.

Federalism is also a political concept in which a group of member is bound together by covenant with a governing representative head.

Reason for the Adoption of Federalism in Nigeria.

1. To protect and preserve the the local independence of every ethnic group in the country.
2. For the purpose of developing all part of the country.
3. Federalism was adopted to form to form a common and stronger government so as to secure the sovereignty of the country.
4. Federalism is adopted in Nigeria because of her multi- ethnicity; therefore only federal system can bring about peaceful co-existence among the different ethnic group.
5. It was also adopted to protect the interest of the minority

Problems of Federalism in Nigeria.

1. Problem of election: Election is the process of electing leaders. Refusal of some political parties to accept election result usually lead to fighting, inordeliness and destruction of life and properties.
2. Creation of states: continuous agitation for the creation of new state by ethnic groups is another major problem of federalism.
3. Revenue allocation: This is the sharing of the revenue generated in the country; there has always been a problem on the formula or method of how the money is being shared.
4. Issue of succession: The unforgettable one was the declaration of thee Republic of Biafra by Lt Col.Odemegwu Ojukwu in 1967 which led to a civil war.
5. Boundary dispute: This is a common problem especially when there is creation of a new unit from an existing one

The State Government

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

Functions of the state government.

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

The Local Government

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

Functions of the local government

1. The local government provides health centre’s to the people at the grassroots.
2. They are responsible for naming the streets and the roads
3. They help to maintain orderliness
4. They help with the duty of registering death, birth and marriage certificate.
5. Control and regulation of outdoor advertising and hoarding.

Citizens’ Responsibility.

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

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

Test and Exercises

1. The system of government where the power is shared among the tiers of government is called———— (a)nationalism (b)federalism (c)Feudalism (d)Monarchy.ans (b)
2. The tiers of government responsible for the registering of birth, death and marriage certificate is (a)federal government (b)state government (c)local government (d)all of the above.ans (c)
3. All of these are the problems of federalism except (a)creation of states (b)Boundary disputes (c)revenue allocation (d)unity establishment.ans (d)
4. One of the major reason for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria is (a)for friendship (b)for the purpose of relating with other nation (c)for the purpose of unity (d) for the purpose of sharing revenue.ans (c)
5. the tiers of government responsible for the provison of educational facilities to her residents is (a)state government (b)local government (c)non of the government (d)private organizations.