The Constitution – JSS3 Civic Education Lesson Note (First Term)

A constitution is a body of rules and regulations by which the citizens of a country are governed.

Behavioural objectives

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

1. define a constitution;
2. mention political office holders in Nigeria;
3. list and explain the types of constitution;
4. give examples of countries that operate each type of constitution.

What is a constitution?

A constitution is the supreme set of rules by which the citizens and government of a country are ruled.

• Powers of office holders: it defines the powers and functions of political office holders.
• Rights of citizens: it states what citizens are free to do, such as the right to life and freedom of expression.
• Duties and obligations: it states what citizens must do, such as obeying the law, paying taxes and voting.
• Obedience: all citizens are expected to abide by its rules and regulations.
• Nigerian example: the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) is the constitution now in use.

Who are the political office holders in Nigeria?

Political office holders are the people elected or appointed to run the government at the federal, state and local levels.

• President: head of the federal government.
• Vice-President: deputy to the President.
• Governor: head of the government of a state.
• Deputy Governor: deputy to the Governor.
• Senators and members of the House of Representatives: make laws at the federal level.
• Members of a State House of Assembly: make laws for a state.
• Local Government Chairman: head of a local government area.
• Councillor: represents a ward in the local government council.

Why does a country need a constitution?

A country needs a constitution to set out how it is governed and to protect its citizens.

• Guides government: it shows how power is shared and used.
• Limits power: office holders cannot act outside the powers it gives them.
• Protects citizens: it guarantees their rights.
• Keeps order: it provides rules for settling disputes.

What are the types of constitution?

There are six types of constitution, which come in three pairs: written and unwritten, rigid and flexible, federal and unitary.

1. What is a written constitution?

A written constitution is a body of rules of a country that is written in a single document.

• Form: the rules are collected in one document.
• Examples: Nigeria and America.

2. What is an unwritten constitution?

An unwritten constitution is a body of rules of a country that is not written in a single document.

• Source: it is based on the culture, traditions, conventions and beliefs of the people.
• Example: Britain.

Written and unwritten constitutions compared

3. What is a rigid constitution?

A rigid constitution is one that is very difficult to amend or change.

• Link to form: most written constitutions are rigid.
• Examples: America, Ghana and Nigeria have written and rigid constitutions.

4. What is a flexible constitution?

A flexible constitution is one that is easy to amend.

• Link to form: most unwritten constitutions are flexible.
• Example: Britain has an unwritten and flexible constitution.

Rigid and flexible constitutions compared

5. What is a federal constitution?

A federal constitution divides the powers of government between the central government and other levels of government.

• Levels: central government and state governments, with local governments in Nigeria.
• Examples: Nigeria and America.

6. What is a unitary constitution?

A unitary constitution is one in which power is held by one central government.

• Power: any smaller units get their powers from the central government.
• Examples: Britain, Italy and France.

Federal and unitary constitutions compared

Which countries operate which type of constitution?

Evaluation

1. Define a constitution.
2. Mention five political office holders in Nigeria.
3. List and explain the six types of constitution.
4. Differentiate between a rigid and a flexible constitution.
5. Name one country that operates an unwritten, a federal and a unitary constitution.

Assignment

Differentiate between a federal and a written constitution, and mention five political offices in Nigeria.

Reading: Fundamentals of Civic Education for Basic 9, JSS 3 by Sola Akinyemi, pages 50 to 58.