FIRST TERM SCHEME OF WORK FOR CIVIC EDUCATION SS3

WEEK TOPIC

1 RESUMPTION TEST/ REVISION

2 CHARACTERISTICS OF CATEGORIES OF HUMAN RIGTHS

3 FIGHTING POLITICAL APATHY

4 PUBLIC SERVICE

5 SHORTCOMINGS IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE

6 HOW TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SERVICE IN NIGERIA

7 MID TERM TEST/BREAK

8 CIVIC SOCIETY

9 POPULAR PARTICIPATION

10 DETERMINANTS/ FACTORS THAT ENCOURAGES POPULAR

PARTICIPATION

11 REVISION

12 EXAMINATION

13 EXAMINATION
FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS

The fundamental right that humans have by the act of being human, and that are neither
created nor can be abrogated by any government.

Human right is simply the inalienable right and privileges enjoyed by citizens of any given
state which are usually outlined in the constitution of the state. It is the duty of a state to
ensure that her citizens enjoy these rights.

These was the major reason why the United Nations Organization (UNO) urged are
member states and all government of the entire world to incorporate the existence of
human rights in the their constitutions for easy and proper references.

Human Rights according to 1999 constitution are outlined as follows:

1. The right to life

2. Freedom from slavery act

3. Right to acquire and own movable and unmovable property

4. Freedom of the press

5. Right to fair hearing

6. Right to dignity of human person

7. Freedom of movement and freedom of expression

8. Right to private and family life

9. Freedom of unlawful detention and imprisonment

CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN RIGHTS

1) Universality of Human Rights: This simply means that the concept to human rights is the
same all over the world, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, sex or political
belief.

2) Inalienability: Inalienability of human rights means that as a human being, you are
entitled to human rights. It cannot be taken away from you, else life will become
unbearable. No government has the right to deprive citizens of their rights, except in
specific situations like emergencies and war periods. It must however be done according to
due process.

3) Particularity: Human rights exist for a particular period of human existence. In other
word, the human right being enjoyed by a human being will exist for the period for which
the person is alive.
4) Relativity: The concept of human rights varies in some culture and in some region and
the world. It varies in relative to their understanding of human rights and how they intend
to uphold it.

5) Indivisibility: All human rights are indivisible whether they are civil and political,
economic, social and cultural, they are interrelated and interdependent. The improvement
of one right facilitates advancement of the others.

TYPES OF HUMAN RIGHTS

1. POLITICAL RIGHTS: one types of right is political right of the citizen to participate in the
political process, the right to vote and be voted for the right to criticize the government
constructively and to express an opinion on all political issues without victimization and
molestation from political leaders

2. ECONOMIC RIGHTS: A citizen also enjoys economic rights such as the right to be
employed and to work to earn an income and most importantly the right to own property

3. SOCIAL RIGHTS: Every citizen is also entitled to social rights which include accessto
social amenities provided by the state. These include schools, roads, hospitals,pipe borne
water, etc.

4. LEGAL RIGHTS: These rights include fair hearing in court if he or she commits any crimes
and the right to legal representation in court. It also include the right to sue and be sued in
a competent court of law

5. ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS: A citizen of any country is entitled to environmental rights

and such rights must be tampered with by individual or government

CATEGORIES OF HUMAN RIGHTS

CIVIC AND POLITICAL RIGHTS (known as first rights);they are as follow

1. Right to vote

2. Right to seek redress

3. Right to freedom of personal liberty

4. Right to life

5. Right to petition

6. Freedom of joining and forming associations

7. Right to freedom of conscience

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS (known as second rights); they are as follows

1. Right to work

2. Right to fair compensation

3. Right to own property

4. Right to petition

5. Right to form and join trade unions

6. Right to free choice of employment

ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS(known as third rights); they are as follows

1. . Freedom of movement

2. Right to social security

3. Right to private and family life

4. Freedom from slavery

5. Right to security and protection from inhuman treatment

HOW INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS CAN BE PROTECTED

For people to enjoy their fundamental rights completely, the following steps must be taken:

1. Provision of Human Right Education: The citizen should be given appropriate human
right education. This is because the only way people can avoid being deprived of their
rights is to have adequate knowledge of their rights. There are two ways of doing this:

2. Public enlightenment: The National Orientation Agencies(NOA) has to keep the public
well informed by sponsoring enlightenment programmes on the televisions and radio.
They can also print the details of the rights in the form of hand bills and posters after which
they will distribute to the masses.

3. Formal Education: The school should teach the pupils about human rights in various
school subjects. School teachers are also to educate the students and pupils in their daily
assembly briefing. When there is proper knowledge of these rights, no one will be deprived
of it.

4. Making Laws that forbids Rights violation: Where laws do not exist, people cannot be
blamed or punished for wrong actions, but where there is law people apply caution.
Therefore laws that spell out the various rights and punishment attached to their violations
should be made.

5. Prosecution of people who violate Right: After people have been well educated of their
rights and punishment attached to the violations, anyone who therefore chooses to
intimidate or denied other people of their right by using their affluence, power, or position
should be prosecuted according to the law.

WHEN RIGHTS OF AN INDIVIDUAL CAN BE DEPRIVED

1. During emergency period like war, threat to internal security, a citizen may be detained
without trial by the president if the person is regarded as a security risk.

2. The right to life of a citizen can be denied if the person is found guilty of a murder or
criminal case.

3. The right to freedom of assembly or association can be denied if the association is not in
accordance to the law of the land .e.g. cultism,

4. Right to freedom of movement can also be denied if the citizen has criminal case pending
in court in which giving the criminal bail might jeopardize the investigation of the case by
the law enforcement agencies.

5. The right to vote can also be curtailed if a citizen is not 18years old.
WEEK TWO

POLITICALAPATHY

Political apathy is the lukewarm attitude or total refusal of the citizens to participate in the
political activities of the state. They are not willing neither are they interested in public
activities such as voting.

FORMS OF POLITICAL APATHY

1. Refusal to vote during election.

2. Unwillingness to join a political party.

3. Refusal to register to vote during elections.

4. Unwillingness to fight against electoral malpractices.

5. Refusal to attend public protests/demonstrations.

6. Refusal to attend political rallies and campaigns.

REASONSFORPOLITICALAPATHY

Citizens refuse to participate in political activities for the following reasons.

Political violence during election: Most elections in Nigeria are characterized by all manner
of violence, killings and maiming. This has discouraged many people from active
involvement in political activities.

Election Rigging: Many people are of the opinion that their vote will not count due to the
manipulation of election figures and result. Hence, they stay aloof.

Unfulfilled Political Promises: Political parties and government agents make political
promises that are never fulfilled when they get in to office. This has contributed to people’s
refusal to get involved in political activities.

Insecurity during elections: Many potential electorates stay at home during voting exercise
because they are not sure of the safety of their lives.

Bad Governance: The general attitude of the government towards the masses has
discouraged many people from participating in political affairs. Government agents live in
affluence while the people that voted them in to office live in abject poverty.

UnhealthyRivalryBetweenPoliticalParties:Membersofdifferentpoliticalpartiesseethemselve
sasenemiesbecauseoftheirselfishinteresttogainpoliticalpower.Theycangoasfaraseliminating
theiropponentsbyallmeansinordertowinelection.Hence,responsiblepeoplearediscouragedfr
ompolitics.

Illiteracy: Most people are not politically educated. They lack the necessary skills and
adequate knowledge to engage in political activities.
HOW TO REDUCE POLITICAL APATHY

The body responsible for the conduct of elections should be independent and impartial in
the conduct and discharge of its electoral duties.

Government should ensure fulfillment of political promises to the people.

Adequate security should be provided during election.

Violent campaigns should be avoided during election campaign.

People should be well educated about the political activities of their country and how they
can be involved.

Party faithful should stop seeing their political opponents as enemies.

Government should be responsible and accountable to the people.

WEEK THREE

PUBLIC SERVICE

Public service is a service rendered by the government to the people living within its
jurisdiction. They are responsible for the executions and implementation of government
programmes and policies targeted towards a sector of the society

PUBLIC SERVICE

MEANING: Public Service is a system provided by the government to the citizen either
directly or indirectly or by enhancing private provision of service. It entails certain services
being available to all, regardless of class or income. Public service is the administrative arm
of the executive organ of government. It comprises several departments/ministries of the
government and it recruits permanent state of various categories to provide various
services to the general public.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PUBLIC SERVICE

1. PERMANENCE: The public service is a permanent organization in the sense that while
government come and go it remains permanently in place to render the same services
irrespective of the government in power.

2. ANONYMITY: Public service is anonymous in the sense that while the politicians are
known to the public, the public servants identity is unknown. He works under the control
and supervision of the political head who bears the blame for the lapses in the service.

3. NEUTRALITY: A public servant is also neutral or non partisan, because he is ready to

work with any government irrespective of his party affiliation.
3. IMPARTIALITY: This emphasis that civil servants are expected to be impartial. That is,
they are not to allow their political interest to influence their performance in the ministry,
they must be ready to serve all the political parties in power equally.

4. BUREAUCRACY/ RED-TAPISM: This principle emphasis strict adherence to the rules and
regulations that govern the civil service. Which are found in a book called the” General
Order”. It also means keeping to the formalities. It brings about unnecessary delays.

5. EXPERTISE: This is a principle that states that civil servants must be experts in their
various field of work. That is, they must have a sound knowledge of their work.

6. NEUTRALITY/ NON-PARTISAN: This emphasis that civil servants must not be involved in
partisan politics. That is, civil servants cannot contest for a political post while still in
service. Thus, any civil servant that is in interested to contest for a

SHORT COMING OF PUBLIC SERVICE IN NIGERIA

1) Poor Condition of Service: The public servants do not earn good salaries and they lack
many motivational incentives that will make them work harder.

2) Bribery and Corruption: Some public servants no longer do their official duty, rather
they are looking forward to being bribed before doing their duties.

3) Tribalism: Some high ranking officials favours only people from their ethnic group.

4) Political Instability: Frequent changing of government results in constant change of top

officials of the public service like Head of Service and Director General.

5) Over-Staffing: The public service is over-staffed with people who are not willing to work
and whose ideas are outdated.

6) Lack of Qualified Personnel: Many intelligent and qualified professionals and technical
staff prefer to seek job opportunities in the private sector.

7)Inadequate Training Facilities: Workers need to be trained and re-trained but the
necessary facilities for the training are not available.

8)Red-tapism or Bureaucracy: This refers to excessive use of formalities in the public

service which hinders effectiveness in addressing corruption, misconduct, and
inefficiencies within the public service.
Citizen Engagement and Participation: Encourage citizen engagement in decision-making
processes and involve them in the design and evaluation of public services. Seek their
input, involve them in policy discussions, and consider their perspectives to make services
more responsive to their needs.

Improving public service requires a holistic approach that addresses administrative,

technological, and cultural aspects. By implementing these strategies, governments can
enhance public trust, deliver efficient services, and ultimately contribute to the well being
of their citizens.