Eguria

HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE RULE OF LAW By Eguriase S. M. Okaka The Rule of Law Law is the body of rules and regulations that guide the government and the governed (citizens). A law is also the body or system of rules recognized by a community and enforceable by an established process. Such laws are contained in the constitution which can be written or unwritten. The law prescribes rights and responsibilities of the citizens to the state and also clarifies the powers of the government. This indicates that the law of every community, state or nation should be respected by everybody irrespective of their status. The rule of law on the other hand, means the supremacy of law over every person in the state. Rule of law emphasizes the principles of supremacy of law, equality before the law and the enjoyment of individual rights. The doctrine of rule of law is credited to Prof. A. V. Dicey, who states that every political leader that is assigned with the role of controlling the affairs of a stat...

RELATIONSHIP AMONG FEDERAL, STATES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BY EGURIASE S. M. OKAKA A government is a system of government where the power to govern is divided between the national or central government and its component units. Nigeria, as a federation, operates a three-tier system of government. These are the federal government, state government and the local government. The federal government is the apex government, which is called the central government. The local government is the lowest level of government otherwise known as the grassroots government. The state government is the intermediate government which stands between the federal and the local government. Nigeria was formerly a single country before she became a federation in 1954. This means that the component states of the federation were created out of a single country. In a federal state, all the government, both federal and regional governments, are being coordinated together, yet they are independent of one another. Th...

NIGERIA AS A FEDERATION BY EGURIASE S. M. OKAKA Meaning of Federation Every state requires an organized system of governance for the warfare and security of the people. Governance is defined as the processes, decisions and action of the people who run the affairs of the state. It also means the establishment of policies, and continuous monitoring of their proper implementation of by the members of the governing body of the state. Consequently, a state may be either a federation, confederation or unitary. Each system determines the structure and powers of different levels of government towards satisfying the needs and aspirations of the people. A federation, therefore, is a union of states, regions or ethnic groups that are united under one federal government. These states or regions, which are called, federating units, are in control of most of their internal affairs while leaving some crucial issues such as defense, currency, immigration and external affairs in the hands of the cen...

COURAGE By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Meaning of Courage Courage is the strength to do what is difficult or dangerous without fear. It is also the determination to face pain, fear, hardship, danger, uncertainty or intimidation without being afraid. Courage is a very important quality to overcoming challenges. It also enables communities, societies, and nations to pursue a course and make progress. This is positive courage or courage that the society approves for it members to displayed. We also have negative courage, which is the boldness or fearlessness to do what is wrong and harmful to oneself, others, and the society. Negative courage includes courage to commit suicide, murder, arson, kidnapping, illegal bunkering, rape, shoplifting, tax evasion, resist punishment by school authority, etc. This type of courage does not bring progress to the society. Thus, it is not approved by the society. Types of Courage There are three main types of courage in the society – physical, moral and s...

Discipline By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Discipline is the quality of being in control of one’s behavior as a result of constant training. Discipline also means being well-behaved. A disciplined person is one who shows ability to control his or her behavior. He or she has a good training of mind and character and is able to exercise self-control and obedience to rules and regulation. A disciplined person does things as the society or group approves, rather than, as he or she wants. Every society needs disciplined men and women for the affairs of a society to run smoothly. Discipline is one of the most important values in a society. It enables us to do the right things without being forced. No society ever realizes its goals if its citizens are not disciplined. Attributes of Discipline Like other values, discipline has many attributes, some of which include:  Self-control: Self control is the ability to control your feelings, actions and desires, especially while expressing them. A sel...

Contentment By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Contentment is the feeling of satisfaction and happiness with what one has and with oneself. A person who is content is not desperate about things. However, contentment does not mean that a person should not make genuine efforts to have more things of life but only requires that he or she is not desperate in the efforts he or she makes. A content person cannot say I must get it at all cause. If he does, he is no longer a contented person but a desperate person. Contentment and desperation are two parallel lines which cannot meet in any way. Contented people regard whatever they have as the will of God. This is the key to fulfillment, freedom and security. Let me say here that if contentment is in the life of a person that person is safe from life’s problem which is often cause by anxiety and fear for tomorrow and what it might bring in terms of ones needs or desires. Do you know that a contented man or woman does have anxiety related sickness hype...

Traffic Rules and Regulation By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Traffic rules and regulations came into Nigeria during the colonial era. Traffic rules and regulations are passed into law by every country to guarantee the safety of all road users. With the increase of vehicular movement in Nigeria, the laws on road traffic must be properly handled by the authority in charge. The National Road Traffic Act was enacted on 1st January, 1949 which later gave birth to vehicle inspection office. Meaning of Traffic Rules and Regulations Traffic rules and regulations are acts or laws enacted by the legislature of a country to make our roads accident free. It is called the Highway Code in Nigeria. These laws are made to check driver’s behavior. Traffic rules and regulations could also be define as sets of statements and symbols which direct road users at any given circumstance on what to do and what must not be done in order to avoid accident and ensure safety for all road users. Traffic Rules and Regula...

HUMAN RIGHTS By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Meaning of Human Rights Human beings have been on this earth for over 4,000 years. They had always lived together in communities, nations or countries. Some of these people in these communities or nations are poor and weak while others are rich and strong. The need to prevent oppression and intimidation among the people and make them continue to live together happily in peace and harmony led to the concept of human rights. Human rights are rights that people possess by virtue of being human beings, and are neither created nor can be abrogated by any government. All individuals belong to a society; and such, becomes citizens of that society where they freely exercise their rights. In other words, the rights of citizens of a country are those entitlements they enjoy as citizens of that country. Human rights can also be define as rights people are entitled to by reason of being human beings regardless of their race, religion, sex, nationality, etc...

Constitution By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Meaning of Constitution A constitution is a set of laws, rules and regulations by which a country is governed. Constitution also refers to the body of agreed rules and principles stating how the powers of a state are to be exercised. It is the basic fundamental laws of any country and all other laws govern the country must be in conformity with provision of the constitution. Any law made outside the constitution is regarded as unconstitutional and therefore null and void. The constitution contains the working of government, sets limits for actions of government, and outlines the duties, rights and obligation of the citizen. Every country has a constitution which is either written or unwritten. Sources of Constitution The constitution used to govern a country is regarded as supreme, and is derived from a number of sources. They include:  Common law (customs and traditions of the people): Some of the customs of the people in a country which a...

DEMOCRACY By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Meaning of Democracy Democracy is a form of government that had its root in Athens in ancient Greece in Europe. The democracy is derive from two Greek words “Demo” meaning “the people” and “Krates” meaning “rule”. In this form of government power belongs to the people, administered by the people and the powers to elect representatives/officials are vested on the people sometime democracy is referred to as government by the consent of the governed. Democracy may be defined as a system of government in which all eligible people of a state or country can vote to elect their representatives. According to Abraham Lincoln, democracy can be defined as government of the people, by the people and for the people. It is a form of government in which power belongs to the people as a whole. Feature of Democracy Democracy is the most popular form of government today because of it features. They include: • Independence of the judiciary • Majority rule • Applicat...