Relationship between government and the people in a democracyWord文档下载推荐.docx
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Relationship between government and the people in a democracyWord文档下载推荐.docx
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Rightfromancienttimes,aslongagoastheageofPlato(427BC)andAristotle(384BC),downtotherelativelyrecenttimesofJean-JacqueRousseau(1712),philosophershavebasedthefoundationsofgovernmentandtheStateonthesocialcontract.Underthiscontractorcompact,maninthepro-socialeraagreedtosurrenderhisnaturallibertyinreturnfortheprotectionoftheStateandforjusttreatment.
Thisexchangeofabsolutelibertyfortheruleoflaw,justiceandgoodgovernanceisevidentinthepreambletotheAmericanDeclarationofIndependencein1776,inwhichtherebellingcolonistsdeclaredinteraliaasfollows:
"
Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident;
thatallmenarecreatedequal;
thattheyareendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertainunalienableRights;
thatamongtheseareLife,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness.
Thattosecuretheserights,Governmentsareinstitutedamongmen,derivingtheirjustpowersfromtheconsentofthegoverned;
thatwheneveranyFormofGovernmentbecomesdestructiveoftheseends,itistheRightofthepeopletoalterortoabolishit,andtoinstituteanewGovernment,layingitsfoundationonsuchprinciplesandorganisingitspowersinsuchformastothemshallseemmostlikelytoeffecttheirSafetyandHappiness."
Itiseasytoidentifythetermsofthesocialcontracthere,namely,inexchangeforourStateofnaturalfreedom(whichanotherphilosopher,ThomasHobbesdescribedassolitary,nasty,brutishandshort),theStateorgovernmentisboundtoprotectourinalienablerights,amongstwhicharelife,libertyandthepursuitofhappiness.Whilstlifeandlibertyrepresentwhatwenowrefertoascivilandpoliticalrights,thepursuitofhappinessmust,surely,representthetotalityofrightsnowknownassocial,economicandculturalrights.
Indeed,JeremyBenthambasedhisphilosophy,utilitarianism,onthedutyofgovernmenttopromotethegreatesthappinessofthegreatestnumber.
TheFrenchNationalAssemblyin1789,i.e.atthebeginningoftherevolution,madeasimilarappealto"
simpleandindisputable"
principles,whichshowedthatmenhadnaturalrightstoliberty,property,securityandresistancetooppression.Hencetheirbattlecrywasliberty,equalityandfraternity.
Thesearenotemptyconceptsormereemotionalcryforattention.Theyaretheveryfoundationsonwhichthemoderndemocratic,civilisedandhumanestatehasbeenbuilt.TheUnitedNationsCharter(1945),theUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights(1948),theEuropeanConventiononHumanRights(1952),theUnitedNationsCovenantsonCivilandPoliticalRightsandonEconomic,SocialandCulturalRights,(1967),havealldrawntheirinspirationand,indeed,justificationandvalidityfromtheseancientsources.
ThepowerandinfluenceofthesegreatphilosophicalthoughtsandmovementsareevidentinourConstitutionsandintheAfricanCharterofHumanandPeoples’Rights(1981).
Dutiesofgovernmenttothepeople
ThecivilandpoliticalrightsofthepeoplecontainedinChapter4ofourConstitutionarewellknownbyvirtuallyalladultNigeriansandarecontinuallybeingenforced.Theseincludetherighttolifeandprohibitionofdegradingandinhumantreatment;
therighttofairhearing;
therighttofamilylife;
therighttofreedomofexpression,freedomofassociation,freedomofconscienceandreligionandtherighttoownpropertyamongstothers;
butnottherighttoownpropertyinthepetroleuminyourbackyardifyouhappentocomefromtheNigerDelta.
Apartfromtheperiodsofmilitarydictatorshipanddespotismwhentheserightsaregreatlyresisted,wehaveneverhadanyseriousproblemoftheirenforcementduringcivilianrule.Notehoweverthatthesearerightswhichmerelyrestrainthegovernmentfromtakingnegativeanddeleteriousactionsagainstthecitizens.Theydonotentailgovernment,intakingpositivesteps,topromotethewelfareofthecitizen.
Theareainwhichwehaveexperiencedgreatdifficultyinrealisationofourcollectiverightsandnationalgoalshasalwaysbeenwithregardtotheenforcementofoureconomic,socialandculturalrights.Thisistheareapopularlyreferredtoas‘democracydividends,’i.e.therightstoeducation,goodhealth,employment,protectionintheplaceofwork,shelter,food,socialsecurity,pensionetc.
TheserightsarecontainedinChapter2ofourConstitution.Theyarenotjudiciallyenforceablerights.TheyarerightswhicheverygovernmentinNigeriaisobligedtoimplement.Theonlysanctionfornon-deliveryoftheserightsistherejectionofthegovernmentatthenextelection.
However,inviewoftheunreliabilityandgenerallackofcredibilityintheelectoralprocessinthiscountry,wemustsurelydeviseawaytocompelourgovernmentstofulfilloureconomic,socialandculturalrights.Wemustestablishcultureandconvention,whichwillcreatefeelingofobligationinourgovernmentstodelivertheserights,thesedemocracydividends.
In1989,whentherenownedConstitutionalLawyer,ProfessorBenNwabueze,deliveredhisoutstandinganduniversallyacclaimedTheGuardianlectureentitle:
"
OurMarchtoConstitutionalDemocracy,”hemadetheerrorofstatingthatcivilandpoliticalrightsaremoreimportantthaneconomic,socialandculturalrights.Iwascompelledtochallengethatviewinthefollowingstatement.
Contrarytotheviewsofthelearnedwriter,ithasbeenempiricallyestablishedthateconomicandsocialrightsaremorebasicandfundamentalthancivilandpoliticalrights.Indeed,civilandpoliticalrightsaremeaninglessandhollowintheabsenceofeconomicandsocialrights.Education,health,shelter,food,employment,masstransit,socialsecurity,aretheveryfundamentalbasisonwhichpersonalliberty,humandignity,freedomofexpression,fairhearing,freedomofworship,association,etc.arebuilt.Amanwithoutajob,withoutshelter,whohasnoaccesstomedicalattentionduringillness,whocannotpayhischildren’sschoolfees,cannotaffordonegoodmealaday,iscompletelyilliterate,etc.willhavenointerestwhatsoeverintherighttovoteforaConstitutionorPartyorPerson,toexpresshimself,tomovefreely,assemblefreely,etc.Indeed,suchamanmayevenbeanxioustogiveuphissacredrightofpersonallibertyifhecouldbeguaranteedtherighttoadequatefoodinprisonorsomeotherformofdetention.
Iam,however,infullaccordwithProfessorNwabuezewhenhedeclares-ofthetwotypesofhumanrights(i.e.(i)EconomicandSocial,and(ii)CivilandPolitical)that:
“Neitherofcourseshouldoverridetheother.Theymustbeproperlybalanced,one(against?
)theother.”Thetwosetsofhumanrightsarecomplementary,althoughitisahistoricalfactthatmanonlydemandsrespectforhiscivilandpoliticalrightsaftersecuringaminimumdegreeofhiseconomicandsocialrights.
Now,ontothepeoplesrightsenshrinedinChapter2oftheConstitution.Quiteappropriately,thechaptercommencesatSection13bydeclaringthatitshallbethedutyandresponsibilityofailorgansofgovernmentandallauthoritiesandpersonsexercisinglegislative,executiveandjudicialpowerstoconform,toobserveandapplytheprovisionsofthechapter.Sothechaptercreatesadutyongovernmentanditsagencies,butbarsrecoursetojudicialenforcementincaseoffailuretofulfilltheseduties.
Again,Section14declaresthatNigeriashallbeastatebasedontheprinciplesofdemocracyandsocialjustice.Italsomakesthefollowingoverridingandfundamentaldeclarationonthebasisofgovernmentandtherelationshipbetweenthegovernmentandthepeople.
“ItisherebydeclaredthatsovereigntybelongstothepeopleofNigeriafromwhomgovernmentthroughthisConstitutionderivesallitspowersandauthority.”
ThesourceofinspirationoftheAmericanDeclarationofIndependenceandChapter2ofourConstitutionareobviouslythesame.
ItthenaddsthatthesecurityandwelfareofthepeopleshallbetheprimarypurposeofgovernmentandthattheparticipationbythepeopleintheirgovernmentshallbeensuredinaccordancewiththeprovisionsoftheConstitution.
Sovereigntybelongstothepeopleandallthepowersandauthorityofgovernmentanditsagenciescomefromthepeople.Itisthusclearthatgovernment,itspersonnelandallitsagenciesareservantsofthepeople.Indeedthatword‘minister’meansservant.Itisthepeoplewhoarethemasters;
whoarethesovereign.Sovereigntyremainsunqualifiedatalltimes.ItisnevertransferredortemporarilyonloantoanyonebecauseheiselectedPresidentorGovernor.Thisconstitutionalfactshouldguideallthoseinpowertoalwaysconductthemselveswithhumilityandrespecttowardsthepeople,whoputtheminpowerandauthorityforthesingularpurposeofservingthem.
TheotherdutiesofgovernmenttowardsthepeopleascontainedinChapter2canbesummarisedasfollows:
Thegovernmentisobliged:
(i)controloftheeconomyinsuchamannerastosecuremaximumwelfare,freedomandthebasisofsocialjustice,andequalityofstatusandopportunity;
(ii)equalityofrights,obligationsandopportunitiesbeforethelaw;
(iii)recognitionofthesanctityofthehumanpersonandmaintenanceandenhancementofhumandignity17
(2)(b);
(iv)provisionofanopportunityforsecuringadequatemeansoflivelihood17(3)(a);
(v)provisionofconditionsofworkwhicharejusthumane,withadequatefacilitiesforleisureandsocial,religiousandculturallife;
(vi)prote
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