Eguria

Election and Voter Responsibility By Eguriase S. M. Okaka An election is the process of choosing candidates, from among interested persons, who will represent the people or occupy a political office. An election is a very important ingredient of democracy. Democracy requires that leaders do not make themselves or impose themselves on the led. Instead people are to choose their leaders. In our modern society, election is not only used in choosing people who serve in the executive and legislative arms of government, but also in the society choosing leaders or representatives for example among families, communities, trade unions, church, towns unions, etc. A voter is a person who is eligible to vote in an election. To qualify to vote, one must: • Be of age, that is, an adult. Here in Nigeria, a person must be up to eighteen (18) years of age. • Register to vote. Only citizens who register their names are allowed to vote during general election. Voting is the process of taking part i...

PILLARS OF DEMOCRACY By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Democracy cannot flourish properly without strong pillars. These pillars are those necessary prerequisites upon which democracy operates. These pillars guarantee enjoyment and survival of democracy in a state. The pillars of democracy include the following:  The People: The people constitute the basis for democracy. Democracy cannot be practiced in a vacuum. It is a society composed of people that are well informed. People are, therefore, the most important pillars of democracy in the society.  The Constitution: The constitution determines the structure of government with their powers and functions for the welfare and security of the people.  Political Parties: Political parties provide platforms for aspiring candidates and also present alternative choices for the electorate in a democratic setting.  Impartial Electoral Process: This involves the conduct of free and fair elections in a country. It is a pillar that holds democracy firm...

The Government by the People (Democracy) By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Democracy means government by the people. The term is derived from Greek word demos, meaning ‘people’, and ‘kratos’, meaning ‘rule’. In a democracy, the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. The general principle of democracy is that the majority rules while the minority rights are protected. According to Abraham Lincoln, democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Democracy links government to the people. That is, it gives everyone an opportunity to participate. This is why it is a popular form of governance in most countries of the world. The principles of democracy can also be used in other areas of life e.g. in business, in schools and at home. Democracy has two types: Direct democracy and indirect (representative) democracy. In direct-democracy, the power of decision-making is exercised by the peo...

Consumer Rights and Responsibilities By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Consumer rights are the entitlements of a consumer to get the required value for the consumption of any good or service. Consumer rights seek to protect the interest of consumers against faulty goods, counterfeit goods, poor service, problems with contact, problem with builders, rogue traders, internet fraud, etc. In Nigeria, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) was established by Act No. 66 of 1992, to provide protection for all consumers of goods and services. The Council has enforced compliance by the business sector to some extent. It has also adopted strategic initiative to enhance the protection of the rights of consumers and the prosecution and litigation of recalcitrant to achieve satisfactory redress. However, we have high rate of consumer rights abuses in the communications, aviation, banking and power sectors of the economy. Market failures manifest in different ways with varying degrees of a negative impact on...

Roles of Individuals and Groups in the Protection of Human Rights and the Rule of Law By Eguriase S. M. Okaka Human rights are basic rights of citizens to be enjoyed by them as contained in the constitution. Such rights include: right to life, right to education, freedom of expression, right to fair hearing, etc. Government establishes institutions that aid the protection and enjoyment of these rights such as the police, judiciary (court), civil defense, Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), NAFDC, ICPC, EFCC, customs and the military. In Nigeria, we also have the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) which is legally empowered to look into cases of human rights abuse. However, human rights are sometimes infringed upon by either an individual or the government. Steps Necessary for the Protection of Human Rights Under a democratic government, rights of citizens are not only entrenched in the constitution, but also protected by actions, policies and institutions of government. T...

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...