Government's Responsibilities and Citizens' Duties in a Democratic System: The implication for Nigerian Fourth Republic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47604/jir.1590Keywords:
citizens, government, state, obligationsAbstract
In any political system the presence of government and citizens is sine qua non. In
keeping with the purpose for which government was established, citizens expect
government not only to be responsible for all its actions towards them, but also be
responsive to their yearning just as government expects its citizens to discharge their
duties to the state. It is often claimed that democracy is a system of government that
enables both the leaders and the citizens to be conscious of what is required, and
accomplish it for the betterment of the society in terms of political, social and economic
development. In Nigeria, it is argued, however, that neither government nor the citizens
have discharged their statutory functions satisfactorily. The study was undertaken to
examine the extent to which the Nigerian state and its citizens have lived up to their
statutory and civic requirements. The study revealed that most citizens of Nigeria are
politically docile, gullible, and parochial. This has led to a situation where citizen"˜ rights
are trampled upon and made them easy target of elites"˜ maneuvers. The citizens"˜ level
of political awareness and participation is low and this has resulted in the being shirking
of their duties to the state. The work is of the view that democratic system in Nigeria
could only be sustained when both the state and its citizens accept their duties and
responsibilities as being inherent and inalienable. Both descriptive and historical
methods were used in the study. It recommended among others that government
should work to help citizens through massive education to develop their capacity for
democratic participations and civic leadership.
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