NECO Civic Education 2014 past questions and answers

INEC registers parties and voters and conducts elections; the oath of office is administered by judicial officers such as the Chief Justice.

Nigeria's National Assembly has two chambers: the Senate (upper) and the House of Representatives (lower).

Bilateral means between two parties; multilateral involves many countries.

Under the 1999 Constitution a Nigerian citizen must be 18 years or older to vote; higher minimum ages apply for contesting elections.

Commonwealth countries exchange high commissioners rather than ambassadors.

Properties are possessions, not values; caring, honesty, patience and tolerance are values that build good relationships.

Citizens pay taxes to government, not the other way round.

The boundaries of most African states were drawn by European colonial powers, e.g. at the Berlin Conference of 1884-85.

The National Assembly has two chambers (Senate and House of Representatives), so it is bicameral.

Abstaining from sex removes the risk of sexual transmission entirely; condoms reduce but do not remove it.

Shehu Shagari became the first executive president in 1979; Azikiwe (1963) was a ceremonial president.

Citizenship education aims to make young people patriotic and responsible citizens.

The red ribbon is the international symbol of awareness and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Nigeria became independent on 1 October 1960; 2013 − 1960 = 53, so it was the 53rd anniversary.

The press is a channel through which people express opinions, so muzzling it denies freedom of expression.

Franchise (suffrage) is the right to vote and be voted for in elections.

The House of Representatives has 360 members.

Each of the 36 states elects 3 senators and the FCT elects 1, making 109.

Nigeria's first AIDS case was identified in 1985 (it was announced publicly in 1986).

Socialism places the means of production under state control so that wealth is shared fairly.

Procedural rights concern the legal process, such as access to court and fair hearing.

The NYSC was set up by Decree No. 24 of 22 May 1973 under General Gowon.

Paying tax is required by law; the others are civic or moral duties that are not enforced by law.

Anarchy means the absence of government, so it is not a system of government.

Local governments (the third tier) make bye-laws.

The 35% affirmative action (National Gender Policy, 2006) asked that women hold at least 35% of political and public positions.

A manifesto sets out what a party plans to do if elected.

The FCT, Abuja, has one senator.

The ICJ sits at The Hague in the Netherlands.

The UN headquarters is in New York, USA.

A bill must pass both chambers, so each house checks hasty or arbitrary laws by the other.

The Public Complaints Commission is Nigeria's ombudsman: it investigates citizens' complaints against public officials.

Nigeria's civil service was inherited from British colonial administration.

De facto authority rests on actual control, usually obtained by force (e.g. a military government), not on law.

The UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948.

Censoring the press keeps people uninformed and discourages participation, so it would increase apathy.

Obedience to constituted authority (lawful government and its officials) is a basic civic duty.

A hundredth anniversary is a centenary; the 1914 amalgamation was 100 years old in 2014.

The armed forces, led by the army, defend Nigeria's territory against external attack.

Australia is both a country and (with nearby islands) a continent.

In a parliamentary system the prime minister heads the government and holds real executive power.

Local governments depend on federal allocations and have little revenue of their own, so lack of funds is a major problem.

Nigeria and Cameroon disputed the Bakassi Peninsula; the ICJ awarded it to Cameroon in 2002 and Nigeria handed it over in 2008.

The ECOWAS Commission's headquarters is in Abuja, Nigeria (Lome hosts the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development).

The constitution, courts, education and the media are lawful, lasting safeguards; protest only reacts after an abuse and can turn violent.

The public (civil) service carries out government policies, so it is part of the executive.

Flying the flag at half-mast is a sign of national mourning.

Protecting electoral officials and materials stops rigging and violence, helping elections to be free and fair.

A traffic light has three colours: red, amber and green.

Cleaners, drivers and security staff are junior support staff in the messengerial (manipulative) class; the administrative class makes and advises on policy.

Kofi Annan of Ghana was UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006.

The executive arm formulates and carries out government policies.

Love for one's nation brings citizens together and promotes unity.

Federations are formed because of large size, diversity, common history, desire for union and security; small population is not a reason.

During a state of emergency some rights may be lawfully restricted.

Voting is a civic obligation of every adult citizen; the others are duties of courts, police and the legislature.

The UDHR was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948.

Green means go; amber means get ready/stop if safe; red means stop.

Power becomes authority when people accept it as rightful, that is, when it is legitimate.

(a) Values are the beliefs, principles and standards of behaviour that a society regards as good, important and worth keeping, and passes from one generation to the next (e.g. honesty, justice, tolerance).
(b) Any four:
Independent judiciary that judges cases fairly.
Respect for the rule of law and equality before the law.
Fair hearing for everyone accused.
Equal treatment and fair distribution of resources and opportunities.
Rewarding honest, selfless service and punishing corruption.
Public enlightenment through the media, religious bodies and schools.
Good examples from leaders and parents.
Encouraging community service and care for others.

Define values, then four practical ways.

(a) HIV means Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the virus that attacks the body's immune system and, if untreated, leads to AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).
(b) Symptoms (any): persistent fever; prolonged diarrhoea; rapid weight loss; persistent dry cough/tuberculosis; night sweats; skin rashes and infections; oral thrush; tiredness.
Effects (any): early death and loss of manpower; stigmatisation and discrimination; high cost of treatment and poverty; orphans and broken homes; reduced productivity and national development.
Four points in all, each explained (symptoms and effects may be combined).

Spell out the letters of HIV correctly; then four explained points.

Any five, each explained:
Law-making: passes bills that become laws.
Approves the budget (appropriation) and controls public funds.
Oversight: checks the executive through investigations and committees.
Impeachment of the President/Governor and their deputies for gross misconduct.
Confirms appointments (ministers, ambassadors, judges, service chiefs).
Amends the constitution.
Represents the people and serves as a forum for debating national issues.
Approves declaration of war and state of emergency; ratifies treaties.

Five functions, each with a sentence of explanation.

(a) Cultism is the practice of belonging to a secret group whose members are bound by oaths and rituals, whose activities are hidden from the public and often violent.
(b) Any three:
Peer pressure / influence of friends.
Desire for protection or power.
Desire for popularity, recognition or to be feared.
Poor parental care / broken homes.
To get money, favours or good grades without effort.
Frustration, revenge or ignorance of the dangers.
(c) Any three:
Enlightenment of students on the dangers of cultism.
Strict punishment / expulsion of cultists.
Good parenting and monitoring of children.
Encouraging lawful clubs, sports and religious activities.
Guidance and counselling.
Good security on campuses.

Three parts; answer each.

Any five, each explained:
Loss of life of victims through abuse, illness or dangerous journeys.
Spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases through forced prostitution.
Physical and psychological trauma; victims are abused and dehumanised.
Victims lose education and future opportunities.
Bad image for the country abroad.
Loss of manpower/youths needed for national development.
Increase in crime and organised criminal networks.
Families are broken up.

Five consequences, each explained in a sentence.

(a) NAPTIP means National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters, set up in 2003 to fight human trafficking. (Since the 2015 Act it is called the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.)
(b) Any four:
Investigates and prosecutes human traffickers.
Rescues, counsels and rehabilitates victims.
Enlightens the public on the dangers of trafficking.
Works with foreign and international agencies (e.g. Interpol) to stop cross-border trafficking.
Enforces anti-trafficking laws and recommends new ones.
Keeps records and does research on trafficking.

Write the full name correctly, then four functions.

(a) Public service is the body of paid government employees in ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals who carry out government policies and provide services to the public.
(b) Any four:
Recruitment and promotion on merit, not nepotism or tribalism.
Regular training and retraining of staff.
Good pay, incentives and prompt payment of salaries.
Use of modern technology (e-governance).
Discipline and punishment of corrupt officials; strengthening anti-corruption agencies.
Political neutrality of public servants.
Good working environment and equipment.

Define, then four ways each explained.

(a) NDLEA means National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, set up in 1989 to fight the production, sale and use of illegal drugs.
(b) Drug abuse is the use of drugs without medical prescription, in excess, or for purposes other than intended, including taking illegal drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin.
(c) Any three:
Public enlightenment on the dangers of drugs (media, schools, religious bodies).
Strict enforcement of drug laws and punishment of dealers.
Control of drug sales; drugs sold only on prescription.
Good parental guidance and avoiding bad peer groups.
Guidance and counselling; rehabilitation of addicts.
Youth empowerment and recreation facilities.

Write the full name of NDLEA, a definition, then three ways.