HomePrimary 5Civic EducationARMS OF GOVERNMENT CIVIC EDUCATION

ARMS OF GOVERNMENT CIVIC EDUCATION

SUBJECT:

Civic Education

 

CLASS:         

BASIC  5 / GRADE 5 / PRIMARY 5

 

TERM:         

SECOND TERM (2ND TERM) 

 

WEEK:

WEEK 3

 

TOPIC:

Arms of government 

 

Previous Lesson:

  DEFINITION AND MEANING OF GOVERNMENT 

 

 

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

  • Identify the three arms of government in Nigeria which are the executive, the legislative and the Judiciary
  • Explain the meaning the three arms of government in Nigeria
  • Mention the head of each arm of government
  • Understand the concept of the three arms of government in Nigeria
  • Identify the functions and responsibilities of each arm of government in Nigeria
  • Understand the importance of the separation of powers in a democratic system

 

 

Learning Activities

  • Pupils as individuals define the three arms of government
  • Pupils as a class discuss the arms government in Nigeria
  • Pupils in pairs identity mention the head of these arms of government in Nigeria 🇳🇬

 

 

Embedded Core Skills

  • Communication and Collaboration
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Leadership and Personal Development skills
  • Creativity and Imagination
  • Citizenship

 

 

Learning Resources

  • Posters
  • Pictures
  • Resource Person
  • Newspaper

 

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES:

  • Identification,
  • Explanation,
  • Questions and answers,
  • Demonstration,
  • Story-telling,
  • Videos from source

 

Content

The Three Arms of Government in Nigeria

Executive Arm: This arm of government is responsible for the administration and implementation of laws and policies in Nigeria. The President, who is the head of state, and the Vice President, who is the second-in-command, lead the Executive Arm. Other members include the cabinet, which is made up of ministers appointed by the President, and other government agencies and departments. The executive arm of government refers to the president, ministers, and special advisers at the Federal level; while at the state government level, it comprises of the state governor, commissioners and advisers.

Functions of the executive

    1. It makes policies.
    2. It appoints top government officials.
    3. It represents the country in the gathering of other countries of the world.
    4. It declares war when there is a need for it.
    5. It maintains law and order.6 It decides how money should be spent by the government.
    6. When a law is made, the president must sign it before it becomes law.
    7. The president can pardon those who have committed some crime

Legislative Arm: The legislative arm of government is responsible for making laws in Nigeria. The National Assembly, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, is the highest legislative body in the country. The Senate is made up of three senators from each of the 36 states and one senator from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while the House of Representatives is made up of 360 members who are elected from each of the 360 federal constituencies in Nigeria.At the federal level, the legislature consists of the National Assembly—Senate and House of Representatives, while at the state level, the legislature consists of the House of Assembly.

Functions of the legislature

    1. It is the arm of government that makes laws.
    2. It controls how money should be spent in the country.
    3. It approves the appointment of ministerial nominees.
    4. The legislature makes enquiry about complaints against other arms of government.
    5. It discusses the different plans which the government has for its citizens.

Judicial Arm: The judicial arm of government is responsible for interpreting laws and resolving legal disputes in Nigeria. The Federal Supreme Court is the highest court in the country and has the power to hear appeals from lower courts. Other courts in the judicial system include the Court of Appeal, High Courts, and Sharia and Customary Courts. The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative arms of government and is responsible for ensuring the protection of individual rights and freedoms as guaranteed by the constitution. One of the major functions of the judiciary is to interpret and apply laws to specific cases. In the course of deciding the disputes that come before it, the judges interpret and apply laws. Every law needs a proper interpretation for getting applied to every specific case. This function is performed by the judges

Functions of the Judiciary .

  1. Interpreting state laws
  2. Settling legal disputes
  3. Punishing violators of the law
  4. Hearing civil cases
  5. Protecting individual rights granted by the state constitution
  6. Determining the guilt or innocence of those accused of violating the criminal laws of the state.

Evaluation

1. Mention the arms of government.

2. State three differences between the three arms of government .

The head of each arm of government in Nigeria

  1. Executive Arm: The President of Nigeria is the head of the Executive Arm of government.
  2. Legislative Arm: The Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives are the heads of the Legislative Arm of government in Nigeria.
  3. Judicial Arm: The Chief Justice of Nigeria is the head of the Judicial Arm of government.

Names of the head of each arm of government in Nigeria (As at February 2023)

  1. Executive Arm: The current President of Nigeria is Muhammadu Buhari.
  2. Legislative Arm: The current Senate President of Nigeria is Ahmed Lawan and the current Speaker of the House of Representatives is Femi Gbajabiamila.
  3. Judicial Arm: The current Chief Justice of Nigeria is Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad.
Evaluation
  1. What is the highest legislative body in Nigeria? a. The Senate b. The House of Representatives c. The National Assembly
  2. Who is the head of state in Nigeria? a. The Vice President b. The Senate President c. The President
  3. Who leads the Executive Arm of government in Nigeria? a. The Senate President b. The President c. The Vice President
  4. What is the role of the Legislative Arm of government in Nigeria? a. To administer and implement laws and policies b. To make laws c. To interpret laws
  5. What is the role of the Judicial Arm of government in Nigeria? a. To make laws b. To interpret laws and resolve legal disputes c. To administer and implement laws and policies
  6. Who is the second-in-command in the Executive Arm of government in Nigeria? a. The Senate President b. The President c. The Vice President
  7. What is the highest court in Nigeria? a. The Federal Supreme Court b. The Court of Appeal c. The High Courts
  8. Who is responsible for ensuring the protection of individual rights and freedoms in Nigeria? a. The Legislative Arm of government b. The Executive Arm of government c. The Judicial Arm of government
  9. What is the role of ministers in the Executive Arm of government in Nigeria? a. To make laws b. To interpret laws and resolve legal disputes c. To assist the President in implementing laws and policies
  10. What is the role of the National Assembly in the Legislative Arm of government in Nigeria? a. To interpret laws and resolve legal disputes b. To make laws c. To administer and implement laws and policies

Lessen Presentation

Introduction (5 minutes):

  • Introduce the topic by asking the students if they know what a government is and what it does.
  • Explain that a government is responsible for making and enforcing laws and policies in a country.
  • Introduce the concept of the three arms of government, which are the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Arms.

Body (30 minutes):

  • Write the three arms of government on the board and explain their functions and responsibilities in detail.
  • Use the handout to help explain the role of each arm of government and provide examples to help illustrate the concepts.
  • Emphasize the importance of the separation of powers in a democratic system, explaining that each arm of government has its own unique responsibilities and functions to ensure that no one branch becomes too powerful.

Group Activity (15 minutes):

  • Divide the class into small groups and assign each group one of the three arms of government.
  • Have each group create a poster or presentation to explain the responsibilities and functions of their assigned arm of government.
  • Allow time for each group to present their findings to the rest of the class.

Review Questions 

  1. What is the primary function of the Executive Arm of government in Nigeria?
  2. Who leads the Legislative Arm of government in Nigeria?
  3. What is the role of the President in the Executive Arm of government in Nigeria?
  4. What is the role of the National Assembly in the Legislative Arm of government in Nigeria?
  5. What is the highest court in Nigeria?
  6. What is the role of the Judicial Arm of government in Nigeria?
  7. What is the role of the Vice President in the Executive Arm of government in Nigeria?
  8. What is the role of the Senate in the Legislative Arm of government in Nigeria?
  9. Who is responsible for making laws in Nigeria?
  10. What is the role of the Federal Supreme Court in the Judicial Arm of government in Nigeria?

Weekly Assessment /Test 

  1. The highest legislative body in Nigeria is the __________.
  2. The head of state in Nigeria is the __________.
  3. The President and the Vice President lead the __________ Arm of government in Nigeria.
  4. The __________ Arm of government is responsible for the administration and implementation of laws and policies in Nigeria.
  5. The legislative arm of government is responsible for __________ laws in Nigeria.
  6. The second-in-command in the Executive Arm of government in Nigeria is the __________.
  7. The highest court in Nigeria is the __________.
  8. The __________ Arm of government is responsible for interpreting laws and resolving legal disputes in Nigeria.
  9. The __________ is responsible for ensuring the protection of individual rights and freedoms as guaranteed by the constitution.
  10. Ministers in the Executive Arm of government assist the President in __________ laws and policies.

Conclusion (5 minutes):

  • Summarize the key points covered in the lesson, emphasizing the importance of the three arms of government in a democratic system.
  • Ask the students if they have any questions or if there is anything they would like to add.
  • End the lesson by asking the students to reflect on what they have learned and why the three arms of government are important.

Assessment:

  • Observe student participation during the group activity to evaluate their understanding of the concepts.
  • Ask the students to write a short essay or answer questions on a quiz to assess their understanding of the three arms of government in Nigeria.

Extension:

  • Encourage students to research further and learn more about the workings of each arm of government in Nigeria and how they interact with each other.
  • Have students explore other countries and compare the systems of government in different countries.
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