NECO Civic Education 2014 Past Questions & Answers

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is a key pillar of democracy responsible for organizing elections. Its functions include conducting elections, registering political parties, and recruiting electoral staff. However, administering the oath of office to elected officials is a constitutional duty performed by the judiciary, such as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, not by the electoral body.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'Registration of political parties', thinking that another government agency handles this, when in fact it is a core constitutional duty of INEC.

Nigeria operates a bicameral legislature at the federal level, which means the National Assembly is divided into two chambers. The upper chamber is known as the Senate, while the lower chamber is the House of Representatives. This question specifically asks for the name of the upper legislative chamber, which is the Senate.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'house of lords' because they confuse Nigeria's legislative structure with that of the United Kingdom, which has a House of Lords as its upper chamber.

The correct answer is 'bilateral' because the prefix 'bi-' means two. Therefore, bilateral cooperation is the specific term used to describe a relationship or agreement involving exactly two countries. This concept is an extension of how groups relate to each other, similar to interpersonal (between people) or intercommunal (between communities) relationships.

Common mistake: Students often confuse 'bilateral' with 'multilateral', but 'multilateral' refers to cooperation involving three or more countries, not just two.

In Nigeria, the constitution and electoral laws clearly state that the minimum age for a citizen to have the right to vote is 18 years. This is considered the age of political maturity, when an individual is legally recognized as an adult capable of making informed decisions about governance. This right, also known as suffrage or franchise, is a fundamental part of being an active citizen.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose a lower age like 16, confusing the official voting age with the age for other responsibilities like finishing secondary school or the age of consent in some contexts.

The correct answer is High Commissioner. Countries that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, like Nigeria, the UK, and Ghana, have a special historical relationship. Because of this, they exchange High Commissioners as their main diplomatic representatives instead of Ambassadors. An Ambassador is the title used for a representative between a Commonwealth country and a non-Commonwealth country, or between two non-Commonwealth countries.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'ambassador' because it is the most common title for a country's top representative, but they forget the special term 'high commissioner' used specifically between Commonwealth nations.

The question asks you to identify which option is NOT a value that helps build good relationships between people. Caring, honesty, and patience are all positive character traits that help people get along and build trust. However, 'properties' refers to material things that a person owns, like a house or a phone, which is not a personal value for building relationships.

Common mistake: A student might misread the question and not see the word 'except', leading them to choose a correct value like 'honesty' instead of the one that does not belong.

The question asks to identify the option that is NOT a responsibility of the government. While the government is responsible for creating jobs, maintaining order, and protecting citizens, paying property tax is a duty of citizens to the government. The government collects taxes from citizens to raise money to carry out its responsibilities.

Common mistake: Students might get confused about the flow of money, but it is important to remember that citizens pay taxes *to* the government, not the other way around.

This question is about the political body that champions the collective identity and sovereignty of modern African states. While colonialists drew the initial borders, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which became the African Union (AU), was formed by African leaders to protect their new independence and promote unity. In this context, the AU is seen as the institution that solidified the existence and identity of African nations as a recognized group on the world stage.

Common mistake: Students often choose 'European Colonialists' because they are historically responsible for creating the physical borders of most African countries, but the question can be interpreted as asking about the political body that ensures their continued sovereign identity.

The correct answer is 'bicameral' because this term describes a legislature with two houses or chambers. Nigeria's national legislature, the National Assembly, is made up of two parts: the Senate (the upper house) and the House of Representatives (the lower house). This two-house system makes the Nigerian legislature bicameral in nature.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'federal' because Nigeria is a federal republic, but 'federal' describes the overall system of government, not the specific structure of the legislature itself.

Abstinence is the choice to not engage in any sexual activity, which is the primary way sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spread. By completely avoiding sexual contact, a person eliminates the risk of contracting or spreading these diseases. While other methods like using condoms can reduce the risk, they are not 100% effective, making abstinence the most certain way to prevent STDs.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'use of condom' because it is a well-known method of prevention, but it only reduces the risk and is not as completely effective for elimination as abstinence.