JAMB Government 2016
Questions & Answers

Students might mistakenly pick Local rates or Levies assuming self-generated internally driven revenue is the primary financial pillar. The 1976 reforms altered this structure, making federal allocations the main funding source for local governments in Nigeria. Common mistake: Believing local government administration relies chiefly on internally collected taxes rather than central government disbursements.

One could easily select National assembly by assuming central parliamentary supremacy over executive removal. The 1979 Constitution specifically required a two-thirds majority from state assemblies for presidential impeachment. Common mistake: Confusing federal legislative oversight with the specific multi-tier approval threshold mandated for removing a president.

An examinee might choose Attorney-General due to high-profile executive legal advisory duties. The Chief Justice led the judiciary under the 1979 Constitution, overseeing the Supreme Court. Common mistake: Confusing executive law officers with the administrative head of the court system.

Code of Conduct Bureau might seem plausible since it deals with public ethics and accountability. The Public Complaints Commission serves specifically as Nigeria's Ombudsman to handle grievances against public officials. Common mistake: Conflating ethical compliance monitoring bodies with dedicated citizen grievance resolution offices.

Sierra Leone and Uganda or Cameroon and Burkina Faso could trick students who guess based on general African continental geography. Ghana and Mauritania are the correct pair holding membership in both ECOWAS and the UN. Common mistake: Assuming all West African nations share identical multi-lateral organizational memberships without checking specific country pairs.

Students might mistakenly choose the UN Charter or OAU Charter by thinking international treaties are the sole guarantors of personal freedoms. Chapter IV of the 1979 Constitution explicitly outlines fundamental human rights like life and liberty in Nigeria. Common mistake: Looking to external international documents instead of domestic constitutional law for citizens' legal rights.

A student might mistakenly choose the Secretary-General or Conference chairman, thinking administrative roles dictate leadership, but the symbolic head is distinct. Looking at the organizational structure, the ceremonial head is the British monarch, with King Charles III serving in this capacity. Common mistake: Confusing the administrative secretariat with the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth.

A student might incorrectly select non-alignment or African interests, assuming all foreign policy positions relate to regional alliances or neutrality. When evaluating official objectives, terrorism is not a stated foreign policy principle for the country. Common mistake: Assuming all listed international issues are adopted as core foreign policy pillars.

A student might mistakenly pick UNITA or FNLA due to competing factions during the conflict, but looking at regional diplomacy reveals the specific choice. Nigeria backed the MPLA for its anti-colonial stance during Angola’s independence. Common mistake: Confusing the various liberation movements active during the Angolan conflict.

A student might mistakenly select the General Assembly, assuming all major UN bodies exercise executive privileges. Examining the organizational powers, permanent Security Council members use veto power. Common mistake: Attributing high-level voting privileges like the veto to the broader General Assembly.

A student might mistakenly choose contesting elections, assuming all political entities field candidates, even though pressure groups do not. Both articulate constituent needs to influence policy, which is a shared function between political parties and pressure groups. Common mistake: Believing that only political parties engage in interest articulation.

A student might mistakenly pick winning elections or using police, confusing the acquisition or enforcement of authority with its fundamental purpose. Political power allocates resources and benefits in society. Common mistake: Equating political power directly with winning office or physical enforcement mechanisms.

A student might mistakenly select decrees or the legal system, thinking domestic rules are the primary constraint on a state. International law restricts state sovereignty. Common mistake: Assuming a sovereign state is entirely absolute and unbound by external legal agreements.

A student might mistakenly choose judicial oaths or orders-in-council, mixing up administrative decrees with court decisions. Precedents set binding legal principles through judge pronouncements with legal force. Common mistake: Confusing executive or procedural rules with judicial precedents.

A student might mistakenly select Parliament or the Court of Appeal, assuming legislative bodies or lower courts handle federal disputes. The Supreme Court interprets constitutional disputes in a federation. Common mistake: Assuming the legislature resolves legal conflicts between federal units.

A student might mistakenly choose a simple majority or fifty percent, confusing standard pluralities with runoff requirements. An absolute majority (over 50%) is needed for the second ballot. Common mistake: Confusing a simple majority with an absolute majority requirement.

A student might mistakenly pick first past the post or proportional representation, which are standard voting formats rather than non-elective mechanisms. Co-option is the least democratic selection process because it excludes public voting entirely. Common mistake: Confusing electoral systems with appointment or co-option methods.

A student might mistakenly choose presidentialism or socialism, confusing structural systems or economic models with fundamental liberties. Human rights protect citizens’ liberties, making it an essential feature of a democratic constitution. Common mistake: Equating a specific form of government framework with foundational constitutional rights.

A student might mistakenly pick national political parties or accountability, assuming these are harmful rather than vital. Judicial independence is crucial for democracy, meaning a democratic constitution should avoid a judiciary dependent on the executive. Common mistake: Failing to recognize that executive control over courts undermines democratic governance.

A student might mistakenly select popular sovereignty or majority rule, thinking these are limits when they are actually core tenets. Democracy promotes universal suffrage, not limited franchise, which is why limited franchise is NOT a characteristic of democracy. Common mistake: Confusing restricted voting access with democratic principles.