JAMB Government 2015 Past Questions & Answers

For a political entity to be recognized as a state, it must possess four essential attributes. These are a defined population (the people), a specific territory (the land with clear borders), a government to organize and control the state, and sovereignty, which is the supreme power to act independently. Option B correctly lists all four of these fundamental characteristics.

Common mistake: Students may confuse the arms or agencies of government, like the police and armed forces in option A, with the fundamental attributes that define the state itself.

In a one-party system, there is no opposition party to check the actions of the government or provide an alternative for voters. This absence of competition means the ruling party does not have to answer to anyone for its decisions or performance. Therefore, it is very difficult to hold the government accountable for its promises and actions.

Common mistake: Students often choose option C, 'negates freedom of association,' which is also a valid disadvantage, but the lack of accountability (B) is a more fundamental problem of governance that arises from having no political opposition.

The year 1914 is a very important date in Nigerian history because it was when the British, under Governor-General Lord Lugard, joined the Northern and Southern Protectorates into a single country called Nigeria. This event, known as the amalgamation, created the geographical and political entity we know as Nigeria today. It was a major administrative decision made by the British colonial government to make ruling the vast territory easier.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option A, but British rule was established gradually over several decades before 1914; the amalgamation was a consolidation of existing territories, not the beginning of rule.

Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi was the ruler of the Benin Kingdom who strongly resisted British influence and control over his territory. His resistance led to the British Punitive Expedition of 1897, during which the British forces captured Benin City. Following the conquest, Oba Ovonramwen was captured and exiled to Calabar, where he lived until his death in 1914.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose King Jaja of Opobo because he also famously resisted British colonial rule and was deported, but he was exiled to the West Indies, not Calabar.

In May 1967, the military government led by General Yakubu Gowon abolished the four existing regions and created 12 new states. This was a significant political move done just before the start of the Nigerian Civil War. The creation of states was intended to weaken the regional power bases, particularly the Eastern Region which was attempting to secede, and promote a more unified federal structure.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 19 states, confusing the 1967 state creation exercise by Gowon with the one carried out in 1976 by the Murtala Mohammed regime.

Warrant Chiefs were individuals appointed by the British colonial government to serve as local administrators, especially in Eastern Nigeria where centralized traditional rulers were absent. The British gave them a 'warrant' or certificate of authority to help govern the people at the grassroots level. Their main function was to take charge of local administration, which included collecting taxes and maintaining law and order for the colonial government.

Common mistake: Students might choose option D because Warrant Chiefs did supervise native courts, but this was just one aspect of their broader and more important role in overall local administration.

A republic is a form of government where the head of state is an elected citizen, often called a president, rather than a monarch who inherits the position. The question describes a state ruled by an elected citizen, which is the exact definition of a republic. For example, Nigeria is a republic because its leader, the President, is chosen through elections.

Common mistake: Students might confuse a republic with a monarchy, which is its opposite, where the ruler is a king or queen who inherits the throne.

Lord Lugard was the British official responsible for the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates in 1914, which created the single colony of Nigeria. Following this unification, he was appointed as the very first Governor-General to administer the new territory on behalf of the British Crown.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe because he was the first indigenous or Nigerian Governor-General after independence, but Lord Lugard was the first person to ever hold the title in Nigeria during the colonial era.

Pressure groups are organizations formed by people with common interests who want to influence government decisions. Their main job is to persuade the lawmakers in the legislature to create or change laws in a way that benefits their group. This process of influencing lawmakers is a key function of pressure groups in a democracy.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D because some pressure groups may use illegal methods like bribery, but this is not their officially recognized main role, which is to legitimately influence government policy.

The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was established on May 25, 1963, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was formed by 32 independent African states who signed the OAU Charter. The main purpose was to promote unity and solidarity among African countries and to end colonialism in Africa.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 1960 because it is the year of Nigeria's independence, confusing this major national event with the founding of the continent-wide organization.