Man as a
social being always, cares about his self interest and how to meet his personal
goals. As a member of the society, how these goals are attained or achieve is a
major concern and it lays in the policy which indicate action taken or to be
taken in the activities of the set unit which upheld the power/Authority in the
state. Therefore Government is the organization that serves as the governing authority
of a political unit.
Isumonah (1994:94)
”government strictly refers to
the executive branch … this does not mean that other branches are
insignificant, the fact is that the modern executive has acquired a reputation
as the principal initiator, maker and executor of decisions and/or policies.
The role of the other branches in decision-making (the legislative arm and the
judiciary) is mainly modificatory”.
Government is a political
unit, empowered to establish an institutional framework of rule in the state.
The arms of these units are legislature, executives and the judiciary. (Mine
Definition)
The
Columbia Encyclopedia defines government as "a system of social control under
which the right to make laws, and the right to enforce them, is vested in a
particular group in society"
A person may be tempted to agree
with Isumonah because our experience of modern government shows that the
executive seems to have more relevance than the other two arms of government
(legislature and judiciary) particularly, due to its instrument of law
enforcement and execution This instrument
allows the executive to have exclusive control over some important
institutions such as law enforcement agencies, which are very strategic in
power equilibrium, especially as it relates to relationships among various arms
of government.
Adler (1996:80–81)
“with the authority to make laws,
to adjudicate disputes, and to use administrative decisions, and with a
monopoly of authorized force where it fails to persuade, is an indispensable
means, proximately, to the peace of communal life”.
Adler
(1996:8080–81)
posits that government refers to the body of persons:
“With the authority to make laws,
to adjudicate disputes, and to
use administrative decisions, and
with a monopoly of authorized force where it fails to persuade, is an
indispensable means, proximately, to the peace of communal life”.
Government can also be
defined as bodies of person in a given state, charged with the ultimate
responsibilities to make laws and enforce these laws as well adjudicate any
areas of conflicts relating to the law and among various disputes parties for
the smooth running of the state and to foster peaceful co-existence among the
people.
Government An institutional framework of rule in a
state, and it consists of the legislature, executive and judiciary.
Levels of government are
not just at the level of the elective/ elected government. Small societies also
have their customary authorities like:
Council of elders: e.g.
(2)
Centralized Political authority (as experienced in
the kingdom like) old Oyo empire where the Alafin was the head of the executive
(president) arm of the traditional government; the Oloye’s (Chief) are the
legislature and heads of families also serve as government in societies
(applied in the nomads system).
The nature of power devolution or sharing among the
various units of the state also determines the number and roles to be played by
various levels of government.
When Nigeria was running a
parliamentary system of government (prior to the first military-take over), the
power was basically shared between the central and regional governments. But
this is not implies in federal system of government as the constitution
provides for three levels of government: central or federal government; state
government and local government.
In the power equilibrium among
various levels of government the central (federal) government takes the lion
share followed by state (regional) government and finally the local government
(where applicable).
The constitution provides responsibilities to be
undertaken by the State and other level of the government and in case of any
conflict, in the pendulum of power, this will be interpreted by the court of
competent jurisdiction though the central government is often favored
except otherwise stated by court of
competent jurisdiction.
Further Acquired:
The Classical Greek philosopher Plato discusses five types of regimes (Republic, Book
VIII). They are Aristocracy, Timocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy, and Tyranny. Plato also assigns
a man to each of these regimes to illustrate what they stand for. The
tyrannical man would represent Tyranny, for example. These five regimes
progressively degenerate starting with Aristocracy at the top and Tyranny
at the bottom.
