JAMB Government 1978 past questions and answers

Democracy means a system of government in which

1. A.the majority rules
2. B.the minority rules
3. C.there is no party system
4. D.the people rule
5. E.none of the above

A constitution is federal if

1. A.it provides for a presidential system
2. B.it is unwritten
3. C.it is not unitary
4. D.the central and component units or authorities are co-ordinate and equal
5. E.there is a division of powers between a central and a number of other component authorities

The Executive is

1. A.a committee of the legislature
2. B.the body that makes laws
3. C.the body that executes the policies of government
4. D.the highest organ of government
5. E.none of the above

The judiciary is

1. A.an arm of the Executive
2. B.the body which makes the law
3. C.a body of lawyers
4. D.the body which interprets the law
5. E.the body which enforces the law

Rights are

1. A.claims which the law allows
2. B.claims against the state
3. C.claims against other individuals
4. D.claims which are natural to men
5. E.what are written in the constitution

Pressure groups are

1. A.organisations which want to overthrow the government
2. B.organisations which seek to influence the policies of the government
3. C.associations of people who share the same ideology
4. D.political parties
5. E.religious orders

A cabinet system of government is practised in

1. A.the USSR
2. B.the USA
3. C.the People's Republic of China
4. D.the United Kingdom
5. E.North Korea

The citizen's obligations are

1. A.what the government orders
2. B.duties the individual imposes on himself
3. C.what the law requires of the individual
4. D.what the military decrees
5. E.what political parties demand of their members

An electoral system is the system which governs

1. A.the appointment of the Pope
2. B.how people vote
3. C.the conduct of elections
4. D.the appointment of cabinet ministers
5. E.the appointment of judges

An unwritten constitution is one which

1. A.is not subject to judicial review
2. B.is only partially written
3. C.is not written at all
4. D.is made up solely of a set of conventions
5. E.none of the above

Delegated legislation is legislation

1. A.which is not submitted to parliament
2. B.made by judicial tribunals
3. C.made by a Minister acting under an Act of Parliament
4. D.made by local government
5. E.made by parastatals

Before colonial rule, Yoruba traditional rulers were appointed by

1. A.the people acting through their representatives
2. B.the Ogboni
3. C.Ifa (oracle)
4. D.Oduduwa
5. E.Kingmakers

The first political party, properly so-called, was formed in Nigeria in

1. A.1916
2. B.1923
3. C.1944
4. D.1948
5. E.1951

The Loi Cadre, a major factor in the constitutional development of the French colonial territories, was introduced in

1. A.1940
2. B.1946
3. C.1950
4. D.1956
5. E.1960

The Coussey Commission Report laid the ground-work for the eventual independence of

1. A.Nigeria
2. B.Gambia
3. C.Gold Coast (Ghana)
4. D.Sierra Leone
5. E.Liberia

The (former) Western Region of Nigeria became internally self-governing in

1. A.1955
2. B.1956
3. C.1957
4. D.1958
5. E.1959

The first Pan African conference was held in

1. A.Paris
2. B.Brussels
3. C.London
4. D.New York
5. E.Manchester

The Public Service Commission (Nigeria) is responsible for the appointment of all

1. A.judges of the High Court
2. B.officials of public corporations
3. C.civil servants
4. D.military personnel
5. E.university teachers

Constitutional cases in Nigeria can only be raised in the first instance in

1. A.the Supreme Court
2. B.the High Courts
3. C.the Courts of Appeal
4. D.the Sharia Court of Appeal
5. E.none of the above

Which of the following would act for the Head of State when he is out of the country?

1. A.The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
2. B.The Chief of Staff, Army
3. C.The Chief of Staff, Supreme Military Headquarters
4. D.The Chief of Staff, Air Force
5. E.The General Officer Commanding, First Division

To raise funds, local governments can levy

1. A.import duties
2. B.income taxes
3. C.excise duties
4. D.rates
5. E.profits tax

The Economic Commission for Africa is an agency of

1. A.the OAU
2. B.The Commonwealth
3. C.the United Nations
4. D.the OCAM
5. E.the African Development Bank

Nigeria is not a member of

1. A.the OAU
2. B.the Security Council of the UN
3. C.the African Development Bank
4. D.the Commonwealth
5. E.the OCAM

The primary function of political parties is to

1. A.oppose the government
2. B.aggregate interests
3. C.mobilise public opinion
4. D.provide welfare for their members
5. E.provide support for the military

The OAU was formed in

1. A.1946
2. B.1956
3. C.1960
4. D.1963
5. E.1965

Which of the following is true as a major function of elections?

1. A.Elections serve the purpose of recruitment of the leaders to office in a modern state
2. B.The elections give the people a chance to eliminate opponents who are in office
3. C.They are means of testing the popularity of politicians
4. D.Politicians use elections as tools to deceive the populace
5. E.Elections are a means by which politicians keep themselves in power

The first Governor-General of Nigeria was

1. A.Lord Lugard
2. B.Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe
3. C.Sir James Robertson
4. D.(the late) Major-General Aguiyi Ironsi
5. E.The Oni of Ife

The supreme policy-making organ in the Organisation of African Unity is

1. A.the Council of Ministers
2. B.the Assembly of Heads of State and Government
3. C.the General Secretariat
4. D.the specialised commissions
5. E.none of the above

In which of these organs of the United Nations Organisation is veto power exercised by some countries?

1. A.The World Health Organisation
2. B.The Security Council
3. C.The General Assembly
4. D.The UN Committee Against Apartheid
5. E.The International Court of Justice

In a federal system (such as Nigeria) the local governments are directly responsible

1. A.to the Federal or Central Government
2. B.to the State Government
3. C.to the Federal and State Governments
4. D.to no other level of government
5. E.to any level of government which can provide money for its programmes

The 1946 Constitutions in Nigeria and the Gold Coast (Ghana) were the results of

1. A.pressures from nationalists within the colonies
2. B.pressures from the British Government
3. C.pressures by United States of America
4. D.pressures from within and from outside these colonies
5. E.none of the above

If the rights of the individual are violated or threatened, where can he go for redress?

1. A.The Executive branch of government
2. B.The Legislative branch of government
3. C.The Local Government Council
4. D.The Judicial branch of government
5. E.The Ministry for Internal or Home Affairs

In the Presidential system of government, the President is elected to office by

1. A.the cabinet
2. B.the parliament or legislature
3. C.the Military
4. D.the people through direct elections
5. E.the political party

The military take over power from politicians in West African countries

1. A.when politicians have become corrupt, and are reckless in their use of power
2. B.when there is a breakdown of law and order in the country
3. C.for reasons which touch on the interest of the military
4. D.because of the personal ambitions of some politicians
5. E.all of the above

By establishing public corporations, governments are trying to

1. A.eliminate private enterprises
2. B.compete with private enterprise
3. C.render crucial services to the public in areas which the civil service cannot effectively handle
4. D.make quick profit at the expense of the people
5. E.B and D

The constitution of any given country must provide for

1. A.the distribution of powers
2. B.the rights and duties of the individual
3. C.the rule of law
4. D.none of the above
5. E.A, B and C

In a modern state, Pressure Groups find that the most effective way of achieving their purposes is by

1. A.causing trouble among the populace
2. B.influencing decisions of government
3. C.forming political parties
4. D.rigging elections to offices of the state
5. E.A and C

Which of the following would you consider the most famous among the leaders of nationalist movements in Nigeria?

1. A.Kwame Nkrumah
2. B.General Olusegun Obasanjo
3. C.Herbert Macaulay
4. D.Anthony Enahoro
5. E.Dauda Adegbenro

The idea of collective responsibility in the Executive branch of government means that

1. A.no single member of the Executive can take any responsible decision
2. B.a member of the Executive has no way out of decisions made in that body
3. C.a member of the Executive cannot publicly criticise decisions collectively made without first resigning
4. D.responsibility within the Executive is not unilateral
5. E.Parliament must ratify Executive decision collectively reached

Indirect Rule, as practised by the British in their West African colonies

1. A.did not attempt to reform existing traditional institutions
2. B.was over glorified and expedient nonsense
3. C.satisfied neither the rulers nor the ruled
4. D.had nothing in common with the reality of French rule in their colonies
5. E.meant ruling through existing rulers and attempting to check excesses

The French idea of assimilation as applied in their colonies

1. A.was to make Frenchmen out of African subjects
2. B.would have been allowed to produce more Frenchmen in the colonies than in France itself
3. C.recognised real value in traditional African culture and was merely aimed at upgrading it
4. D.produced nothing but African puppets in the colonies
5. E.was abandoned within a couple of years of its operation

The most remarkable thing about post-independence political development in the Gambia is

1. A.that the country has been swallowed up by the much bigger country of Senegal
2. B.the relatively untarnished reputation of Sir Dauda Jawara
3. C.that without reliance on overwhelming force, the government has remained in power and tolerated opposition
4. D.the uniquely robust economy which the government has succeeded in establishing for the country and distributed fairly among its people
5. E.the existence of opposition parties

The dominant idea behind the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity is

1. A.that Africa must unite
2. B.to show the world that Africa can also do what Latin American and Asian countries have done
3. C.to provide a framework and opportunities for co-operation on common African problems
4. D.to promote economic development of Africa
5. E.to have its Secretary-General co-ordinate the foreign policies of member states

The nationalist movements in Nigeria and Gold Coast (Ghana)

1. A.were different from each other in all respects
2. B.produced the same results in both countries
3. C.were dominated by traditional rulers
4. D.influenced each other significantly
5. E.were led by philosopher-kings

The new Local Government Reforms in Nigeria

1. A.seek to establish uniformity in type, purpose and functions of local authorities
2. B.make traditional rulers more powerful than ever before
3. C.are a waste of time and the federal government's money
4. D.promote unity but allow for some diversity in the structure of local governments
5. E.would definitely establish clean and efficient governments at the local level

The treaty establishing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was

1. A.concluded in Lome (Togo) in December, 1976 after hard and extensive negotiations
2. B.designed as the main pillar on which an eventual African common market would be built
3. C.the brain-child of Togo and Ghana
4. D.signed in Lagos in May, 1975, to promote trade and other economic co-operation in the region as a whole
5. E.to immediately eliminate tariffs and other barriers to trade among members

The principle of universal adult suffrage refers to

1. A.the right of all adult people to vote
2. B.the structure of political parties
3. C.the legal nature of a constitution
4. D.the right to free speech
5. E.all of the above

A Constituency

1. A.is the same as a Legislature
2. B.is part of the campaign process
3. C.is an area or district in which the inhabitants can send a representative to Parliament
4. D.is an important part of every monarchy
5. E.consists of party executives and 'free-wheelers'