GST 201 NIGERIAN PEOPLES AND CULTURE

UNIT 4 A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF MORAL AND

SOCIO-POLITICAL RIGHTS OF CITIZENS IN
NIGERIA

CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Origins of Citizenship
3.1.1 Ancient Origins
3.1.2 Contemporary Origins
3.2 How to Become a Citizen of a State in Nigeria?
3.2.1 Citizenship by Birth
3.2.2 Citizenship by Legal Processes
3.3 Rights and Privileges of Citizens
3.4 Obligations of Citizens
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION
This study unit introduces you to the understanding of ancient and
contemporary origins of citizenship; the issue of rights of citizens; the
methods or conditions of acquiring citizenship, and duties and
obligations of a citizen in Nigeria.

2.0 OBJECTIVES
It is hoped that at the end this unit you should be able to:
• know what citizenship actually means in Nigeria;
• discuss the ancient and contemporary origins of citizenship;
• know the conditions of acquiring citizenship in Nigeria;
• know the difference between political rights and civil liberty; and
• know about rights and obligations of citizens in Nigeria Etc.

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Origins of Citizenship

3.1.1 Ancient Origins

It is very difficult if not impossible to trace the origins of citizenship

without going back to Greek philosophers. Indeed, Greek philosophers

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are best known as the systematizers of early “scientific thought”. In

early Athenian society, the concept of citizen was very different from
what we know of it today. Plato and Aristotle, for instance, had a strange
and unique understanding of citizenship. According to them, a citizen
was he who was born into or classified within the penumbra of the
ruling class or the Aristocratic class. That is, the philosopher–king, the
guardian and the like. Only this category of people could exercise the
right to life, private property, education, leadership, vote and be voted
for, etc. To Plato and Aristotle, anyone outside the foregoing categories
was just an ordinary person, someone of low birth or a servant. He did
not deserve the status of a citizen. His lifestyle could not go beyond that
of an animal. Indeed, he was someone totally imbued with passions
instead of reason.

3.1.2 Contemporary Origins

The contemporary origin and understanding of citizenship different from

that of Plato and Aristotle can be traced to as far back as 1789. The
declaration of the Rights of Man issued by the National Assembly of
France during the French Revolution in 1789 gave a universal and an
unbiased dimension to citizenship. We could hear statements such as
Men are born and always continue, free and equal in respect of
their rights (Appadorai, 1975:86). We hold these truths to be self-
evident; that all men are created equal… was also found in the
American Declaration of independence in 1776.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

Use your own words to discuss the origins of Ancient and

Contemporary citizenship.

3.2 How to Become a Citizen of a State in Nigeria

According to The Oxford Advanced Dictionary of Current English, a

citizen is he that has full rights in a State either by birth or by gaining
such rights. While for Okoli and Okoli, in a simple language, citizenship
means the totality of all rights and privileges accorded to all members of
a given state (Okoli and Okoli, 1990:27).

In Nigeria, there are at least two ways of acquiring citizenship, namely

by birth and by legal process.

3.2.1 Citizenship by Birth

The citizenship by birth is also called Jus Sanguinis. In Nigeria, there

are some conditions to fulfill in order to acquire citizenship by birth:

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i. For instance, all persons born in Nigeria before independence

either of whose parents or any of whose grand parents belong
to an indigenous Nigerian community.

ii. All persons born in Nigeria after independence either of whose

parents or any of whose grand parents is a Nigerian Citizen are
automatically citizens of Nigeria.

You should also remember that the citizenship by Jus Sanguinis does
not necessarily mean that you must be born within Nigeria. As long as
your parents are citizens of Nigeria, it does not matter where you are
born in order to acquire citizenship status. However, this is different
from the so-called law of soil or place. In the case of the law of soil
(also called Jus Soli), any person born within the territorial jurisdiction
of a State is automatically a citizen of that State irrespective of the
citizenship of the parents. This is clearly stated in the 14th Amendment
of the United States of America: “All persons born or naturalized in the
United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the
United States and the State wherein they reside.”

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

What are the conditions for acquiring citizenship in Nigeria?

3.2.2 Citizenship by Legal Processes

Naturalization is the commonest legal mode of acquiring the citizenship

of a State. You should know that there are at least three forms of
naturalization namely:

Direct Naturalization

Here, the individual acquires the citizenship of a State after he has

fulfilled the prescribed legal prerequisites as determined by that state. In
Nigeria’s case, for instance, an applicant must be resident in the country
for a continuous period of fifteen years, or for at least fifteen of non-
continuous twenty years, including twelve consecutive months
immediately preceding application to the president for the grant of
certificate of naturalization.

Besides, the applicant must be able to contribute to the growth or

advancement of Nigeria; must be of age and capacity, and must be of
good character and wishes to be domiciled in Nigeria. Furthermore, the
person must satisfy the Governor of the State of residency that he or she

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is acceptable to the immediate community and has indeed been

assimilated into its norms, values, etc.

Derivative Naturalization

This simply means that a spouse or a child becomes or acquires

citizenship status as a result of the parents’, spouses’ or relatives’ direct
naturalization.

Collective Naturalization

In this case, a group of people occupying a defined territory acquires the

citizenship privileges of another either by treaty or by statute annexing
the territory to a new one.

3.3 Rights and Privileges of Citizens

You should know that in any State the individual must have his rights
and privileges as well. Civil liberty is an aggregate of the rights
recognized by the State. Gettel, according to Appadorai (1975),
contends that civil liberty consists of the rights and privileges which the
state creates and protects for its citizens. According to Okoli and Okoli
(1990) the most important of these rights and privileges that citizens of
any state enjoy can be grouped into two, namely: political rights and
civil rights

a. Political Rights

Here every adult citizen for instance, is entitled to vote or be voted for in
any election unless and until he is disqualified by competent authority of
the State.

b. Civil Rights

These are rights that inhere in the individual, and they must, ipso facto,
be protected by the basic law or the constitution, and indeed, the legal
process of the state. These are rights to:

a. Life, dignity of human person, personal liberty, fair hearing,

b. Freedom of thought, private and family life, peaceful assembly
and association, freedom of movement and freedom from
discrimination.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 3

In your own words state the rights of citizens in Nigeria.

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3.4 Obligations of Citizens

As stated earlier, besides the rights and privileges the individual enjoys
as a member of the state, he also has some obligations vis-is-vis the
State. These obligations can be summarized as follows:

• A citizen is expected to place the interest of the State before any

other interest;
• A citizen must pay his tax promptly;
• A citizen must obey the laws of the State;
• A citizen must defence of the State against internal and external
enemies;
• A citizen must uphold the honour and dignity of the State; and
• A citizen must respect the symbol and symbolism of the State.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 4

What are the obligations of citizens in Nigeria?

4.0 CONCLUSION

This study unit dealt with the issue of rights and obligations of citizens,
the ancient and contemporary understanding of citizenship, and the
methods of acquiring citizenship in Nigeria.

5.0 SUMMARY

In this unit, I introduced you to the ancient and contemporary origins of

citizenship, the rights of citizens, the methods or conditions of acquiring
citizenship, and the duties and obligations of citizens in Nigeria.
Therefore, at the end of this unit, you are expected to:

• Know what citizenship actually means in Nigeria

• Discuss the ancient and contemporary origins of citizenship
• Know about the conditions of acquiring citizenship in Nigeria
• Know the difference between political rights and civil liberty
• Know about fundamental rights and obligations of citizen in Nigeria
etc.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

Who is called a citizen in a Nigerian State?

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7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS

Appadorai, A. (1995). The Substance of Politics. London: Oxford

University Press.

Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution. Lagos: Federal Ministry

of Information, 1979.

Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution. Lagos: Daily Times

Publication, 1989.

Okoli, H.F. and F.C. Okoli (1990). Foundations of Government and

Politics. Onitsha: Africa-FEP Publishers.

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UNIT 5 A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL

JUSTICE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN
NIGERIA

CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Objectives
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Justice and Social Justice in Nigeria
3.2 Individual and Social Justice in Nigeria
3.3 Development and Social Justice in Nigeria
3.4 Social Justice and National Development in Nigeria
4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment
7.0 References/Further Readings

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This study unit introduces you to the understanding of social justice in

Nigeria. It focuses mainly on the historical perspective.

2.0 OBJECTIVES

It is hoped that at the end of this unit you should be able to:

• know what social justice actually means;

• understand the relationship between social justice and Human
Rights;
• discuss the relationship between social justice and national
development; and
• know if social injustice is a permanent condition or can be
eradicated etc.

3.0 MAIN CONTENT

3.1 Justice and Social Justice

Justice is not a simple word; it is a way of life as well. In English, for

instance, the word “justice” is mostly limited to its judicial and
administrative contexts, while in ancient Greece “justice” was
something more than that. Apart from the administrative and the judicial
usages, justice has an ethical meaning as well (Orieso, 1996: 29). For
Greek philosophers and thinkers, justice was equated with morality. For

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Socrates and especially Plato, justice is a part of human virtue. It made

man to be good. Accordingly, to Plato, justice was one of the virtues
apart from wisdom, courage and temperance that made a good
individual. In Plato’s thought, justice was designed for the amicable
relationship of man in society. Consequently, “social justice” was seen
as restraint on the individual’s capacities from doing things that lacked
virtue or that made him a bad person. Simply put, social justice was the
quality which men possessed that enabled them to enter into potential
relation with each other. You should also remember that the term “social
justice” was synonymous with “human rights.”

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

What does ‘social justice’ mean to you?

3.2 Individual and Social Justice in Nigeria

You should remember that every country or nation is an aggregation of

individuals. But the individual, being the sole creative and the prime
mover in all activities, is considered a vital key to human development.
Since the end result of every country or nation is general harmony, then,
the individual must impose some degree of restraint on himself for the
country to achieve the needed harmony. He must allow his ability to be
regulated by law. In Plato’s understanding, for instance, the rules that
make society possible also make men good. Social justice is the
cornerstone of other virtues of the state. Without social justice the state
cannot be harmonious. You should know that in Nigeria there is yet no
general harmony. There is no check and balance between the individual
and the State. In the Nigerian context, some conditions need to be
fulfilled:

• Full employment for all citizens;

• A national minimum wage compatible with descent living and
economic well-Being;
• Free education at all levels;
• Modernization of agriculture;
• Rapid industrialization;
• Improvement in infrastructural facilities;
• A comprehensive social insurance scheme; and etc.

It is only under these conditions that the individual as the sole creative
and propelling force of development could be optimized.

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SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

Discuss the relationship between social justice and the individual in

Nigeria.

3.3 Development and Social Justice in Nigeria

You should remember that the concept of “development” does not have
a universal definition. Each scholar defines it according to his school of
thought. In this section development will refer to a change, or a
transformation into a better state. In this way, you see that development
is a process. As stated earlier, social justice and human rights are
interrelated. The question of development and human rights are being
tackled both at the international and national levels. At the international
level, with the adoption of the African Charter, there is now an African
perspective to human rights or social justice. But you should also know
that the African Charter or UN Commission on Human Rights cannot
effectively enforce measures against human rights violations. It is only
at the national level that this can be effectively done. Every nation must
consider the right to development as an inalienable human right. And so,
the violation of the right to development must be considered as a serious
social injustice. Besides, you should always remember that for now, the
African continent has the highest concentration of the least developed
nations of the world. This is much disturbing as well as challenging.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 3

Can we talk about development without social justice?

3.4 Social Justice and National Development in Nigeria

Historically, the problem of social justice in Nigeria can be traced back

to the first amalgamation of 1914. It is recorded that since that period,
the Nigerian experience with social justice has never been a pleasant one
at all. Nigerian people have been suffering from oppression and
repression ever since. The post-independence era represents another
period. You should know that even after the official handover of power
in 1960 social injustice did not stop in Nigeria. Till date, the question of
social injustice is so glaring because Nigeria as a country is still
characterized by:

• Unbalanced units of the federation;

• Gross incapacity and utter lack of honesty and comprehension on the
part of those who direct the affairs of the Federal Government;

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• Tenacity of power, that is, an over-powering and obsessive desire on

the part of our political leaders to stick indefinitely to public office
by all means, fair or foul;.
• Promulgation of unjust laws by undemocratic regimes;
• Travesty on the rights of individuals. For example, unnecessary
detention of members of opposition groups without trials;
• Discrimination in allocation of resources amongst the states of the
Federation;
• Inequality of rights and privileges;
• High degree of corruption, high spate of poverty, unemployment,
and so on.

However, you should also know that social injustice is not a permanent
condition; it cannot reign forever. Therefore, it is possible to reverse the
policy of “social injustice” which seems to be a “permanent” feature in
Nigeria. This can be done only and only if the Nigerian government is
ready to listen to all shades of opinion because Vox populi Vox dei, i.e.
the people’s voice is God’s voice as well.

SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 4

Discuss the relationship between social justice and national development

in Nigeria.

4.0 CONCLUSION

This study unit dealt with the relationship between social justice and
national development in Nigeria. It is clear to you now that although
social injustice has been reigning in Nigeria before and after
independence, it is not a permanent condition. Social injustice can be
eradicated in Nigeria.

5.0 SUMMARY

In this study unit, I introduced you to the relationship between social

justice and national development in Nigeria. I also discussed the
relationship between social justice and Human Rights. Therefore, at the
end of this unit, you should be able to:

• Know the relationship between social justice and national

development in Nigeria;
• Understand what social justice actually means;
• Know the relationship between social justice and human rights; and
• Know if social injustice in a country like Nigeria can be eradicated;
etc.

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6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

Is it possible to eradicate social injustice in a country like Nigeria?

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS

Eghagha, H.O. (1996). “Faces of Repression.” The Guardian, Friday,

April 5.

Fafowora, “Relevance of Awolowo’s Political, Social and Economic

Philosophy.” The Guardian on Sunday, March, 30, 1997, P. A12.

Gye-Wado, Oye (1991). “Human Rights: The Right to Development and

the African Challenge.” Ibadan: Halenye SSCN.

Harrison, P. (1981). Inside the Third World. London: Penguin.

Orieso, M.A. (1997). A Brief History of Political Thought: Plato-

Machiavelli- An Introduction. Adena Monograph Series. Benin
City: Adena.

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