JAMB Government 1995 past questions and answers

The concept of sovereignty can best be defined as the

1. A.state of being supreme in authority
2. B.power of the executive president
3. C.supremacy of the legislature
4. D.supremacy of the executive

Power is understood to mean the

1. A.right to compel obedience
2. B.capacity to compel obedience
3. C.relationship between the government and the people
4. D.desire to seize the state apparatus

The institutions which constitute the main organs of the government of a nation are the

1. A.legislature, the executive and the judiciary
2. B.judiciary and the civil service
3. C.trustee and the presidium
4. D.civil service and the senate

The executive arm of government includes the

1. A.police
2. B.courts
3. C.national assembly
4. D.senate president

Unicameral legislature is often criticized for

1. A.restricting the scope of participation
2. B.cheapening the opportunity for participation
3. C.condoning the participation of traditional rulers
4. D.narrowing participation to the military

A legal document yet to be enacted into law but still under debate in the legislature is known as

1. A.an edict
2. B.a decree
3. C.a white paper
4. D.a bill

According to Marxist theory, those who own and control the means of production in a capitalist society are the

1. A.producers
2. B.bourgeoisie
3. C.colonialists
4. D.proletariats

A distinctive feature of a democratic system of government is the

1. A.existence of periodic competitive elections
2. B.existence of a single political party
3. C.absence of strong pressure groups
4. D.centralization of all powers in the executive

The goal of the theory of separation of powers is to

1. A.make the executive dependent on the legislature
2. B.give more powers to the legislature
3. C.protect individual liberty
4. D.create efficiency in the judiciary

The power of the courts to declare legislative enactments as unconstitutional is known as judicial

1. A.ruling
2. B.review
3. C.interpretation
4. D.edict

Bye-laws made by the Minister of Transport for running the Nigerian Railway Corporation is an exercise of

1. A.delegated power
2. B.parliamentary power
3. C.statutory power
4. D.residual power

The application of the rule of law can be limited by

1. A.giving judges full authority
2. B.invoking emergency powers
3. C.securing the tenure of office of judges
4. D.insulating judges from partisan politics

The legal process by which an alien is accepted as a national of a country other than his own is known as

1. A.naturalization
2. B.citizenship
3. C.expatriation
4. D.indigenization

Enfranchisement describes the process of

1. A.allowing eligible persons the right to vote
2. B.allowing special categories of persons to contest elections
3. C.allowing all women the right to vote
4. D.the actual act of voting

An electoral system that apportions legislative seats to a group relative to its actual voting strength is referred to as

1. A.franchise
2. B.simple plurality
3. C.proportional representation
4. D.discriminatory majority

A non-party election occurs when

1. A.all candidates run as independents
2. B.there are no party symbols
3. C.only party candidates contest
4. D.voters have no parties

The major distinguishing factor between a political party and a pressure group is that while the former

1. A.is effectively organized, the latter is not
2. B.engages in propaganda, the latter does not
3. C.seeks power, the latter influences it
4. D.does not form a government, the latter does

Public opinion is the view expressed by a

1. A.few members of the society
2. B.few articulate members in a society
3. C.majority of the members of a society
4. D.group of individuals in a society

On what is charismatic authority based?

1. A.Inherited wealth and power
2. B.Tyrannical tendencies
3. C.Institutional processes
4. D.Personal ability and influence

In which of the following Nigerian pre-colonial political units was the principle of separation of powers institutionalized?

1. A.Oyo Empire
2. B.Benin Empire
3. C.Hausa states
4. D.Bornu Empire

The geographical entity in which the traditional ruler was both the religious and political head was the

1. A.Tiv society
2. B.Efik kingdom
3. C.Jukun kingdom
4. D.Sokoto Caliphate

The breakdown of the Macpherson Constitution was partly caused by the crisis within the

1. A.NCNC
2. B.AG
3. C.NPC
4. D.NNDP

The first leader of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons was

1. A.Nnamdi Azikiwe
2. B.Michael Okpara
3. C.Samuel Ikoku
4. D.Herbert Macaulay

Under the 1963 Constitution, a bill could only become law if it was accented to by the

1. A.prime minister
2. B.president
3. C.Queen
4. D.governor-general

The first executive president of Nigeria was

1. A.Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe
2. B.Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
3. C.General Yakubu Gowon
4. D.Alhaji Shehu Shagari

Which of the following organs control the Civil Service?

1. A.Parliament and the courts
2. B.Trade unions and the courts
3. C.The police and parliament
4. D.Tribunals and interest groups

Under the Civil Service Reforms of 1988, the Nigerian civil service became

1. A.nationalized
2. B.professionalized
3. C.bureaucratized
4. D.indigenized

Which of the following was NOT a function of FEDECO during the Second Republic?

1. A.Organizing, conducting and supervising all elections
2. B.Providing guidelines, rules and regulations for political parties
3. C.Arranging for the registration of persons qualified to vote
4. D.Swearing-in of elected candidates

Who among the following served as chairmen of NEC under General Babangida?

1. A.Chief Ani and Justice Ovie-Whiskey
2. B.Prof. Awa and Prof. Nwosu
3. C.Prof. Uya and Alh. Kurfi
4. D.Col. Wase and Chief Esua

The Minorities Commission appointed in 1957 in Nigeria was headed by

1. A.Justice Udo Udoma
2. B.Sir Henry Willink
3. C.Sir Allan Lennox-Boyd
4. D.Justice Darnley Alexander

Nigeria adopted the nineteen-state structure in

1. A.1960
2. B.1966
3. C.1969
4. D.1976

Privatization of public corporations in Nigeria implies

1. A.government divestment from the companies
2. B.the public take-over of companies
3. C.the autonomy of government companies
4. D.the commercialization of public corporations

Examples of public corporations in Nigeria are

1. A.UAC and CFAO
2. B.NEPA and UAC
3. C.CFAO and NCC
4. D.NEPA and NRC

Presidentialism in local government administration is understood to mean

1. A.the abolition of the role of traditional rulers as chairmen
2. B.local government chief executives to be known as presidents
3. C.chairmen of local governments to serve as accounting officers
4. D.the phasing out of the post of councillors

Local governments have been stripped of one of their important functions through the establishment of the

1. A.National Primary Education Commission
2. B.National Health Care Commission
3. C.National Board for Local Governments
4. D.National Orientation Agency

The military administration that attempted to tackle the problem of inefficiency in the public sector by mass retirement of public officers was the

1. A.Gowon administration
2. B.Murtala administration
3. C.Obasanjo administration
4. D.Buhari administration

Nigeria is the major shareholder in the

1. A.OPEC Fund for Development
2. B.African Development Bank
3. C.World Bank
4. D.International Monetary Fund

Nigerian soldiers have been deployed for peace-keeping missions to

1. A.Burundi and Yugoslavia
2. B.Ethiopia and Korea
3. C.Somalia and Rwanda
4. D.Haiti and Lebanon

The adoption of non-alignment as a principle of Nigerian foreign policy is aimed at

1. A.promoting Nigeria's leadership aspiration in Africa
2. B.placing Nigeria on a comfortable position to contribute to international peace and morality
3. C.enabling Nigeria assume equal status with the world powers
4. D.fulfilling a basic requirement for her acceptance into the Security Council of the UN

The country whose interest conflicted with those of Nigeria over Angola in 1975 was

1. A.USSR
2. B.USA
3. C.France
4. D.Cuba

The principle of Africa being the centre-piece of Nigeria's foreign policy has been demonstrated in

1. A.Egypt
2. B.Gabon
3. C.Zambia
4. D.Namibia

Which of the following countries has the right to veto the decision of the Security Council of the UNO?

1. A.Switzerland
2. B.Argentina
3. C.China
4. D.Sweden

The primary objective of the UNO is to

1. A.maintain international peace and security
2. B.promote fundamental human rights
3. C.develop bilateral relations among nations
4. D.serve as a co-ordinating platform for the actions of nations

The OAU is founded on the principle of

1. A.settlement of international disputes by armed struggles
2. B.justifiable interference in the domestic affairs of member states
3. C.sovereign equality of member states
4. D.equal contribution by member states