3RD TERM

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TOPIC: Yoruba Pre-colonial era periods
REFERENCE BOOK: Essential government for S.S.S by C.E. Dibie

SUBTOPC: The Yoruba Traditional Political System
BEHAVIOURAL OBJECTIVE: At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to explain the legislative executive and the judicial functions of the Yoruba system.

CONTENT
The Legislature: the Oba and his chiefs made laws for the good of the kingdom. However the oba was the head of the legislative body.

The Executive. The Oba was the executive head. However the main executive functions were performs by the council of elders who were usually appointed by the Oba.

The Judiciary. The judiciary consisted of the Oba and his chiefs with the Oba as the head. The settled disputes and applied sanctions against any person who violated the law.

EVALUATION: Explain the legislative, executive and judicial functions of the Yoruba traditional system.





TOPIC: IGBO POLITICAL STRUCTURE
BEHAVIOURAL OBJECTIVES: BY THE END OF THE LESSON, THE STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO:
1. Demarcate the pre-colonial institutions.
2. State the Igbo political structure.
3. Explain the Igbo political structure.
REFERENCE: COMPREHENSIVE GOVERNMENT FOR SSS by JOHNSON ANYAELE

CONTENT:
The term pre-colonial system means the period of political system before the white men came to rule Africa and Nigeria, before the colonial era, we had three basic traditional structures of the East (Igbo system), the North (Hausa system) and the West (Yoruba system).

The Igbo traditional political system falls into the second classification of the pre-colonial system which was not based upon the use of chiefs. The Ibo land (political system) was based upon the family system of group; in short, it was a complete republican society, an acephalous fragmented system. It did not concentrate authority on individual use of chiefs. Each family chose his own head who was expected to communicate frequently with their ancestors. Such a family head was respected by the members of the family and each family was made of kindred, as a result the entire village consisted of a number of well defined kindred.

The various family head met together at a public square from time to time discussing the affairs of the village. The meeting of the family head was referred to as the council of elders, it was this council that governed the village.

Some family head who were the founder of the village was known as Okpara while each family head held Ofo title. The Okpara acted as the chairman in the council of elders. His power was within his family and village only; he made all the laws in the meeting with the elders for the village. It was common under the Ibo political system for men of wealth to wield some influence over a number of villages and took the Ozo title which was very expensive to take and they are recognized.

EVALUATION:
1. What are the basic tribes in Nigeria's pre-colonial system?
2. Explain the Igbo system.

ASSIGNMENT:
Explain the Yoruba pre-colonial system.





CONTENT: IBO POLITICAL SYSTEM
The only part of Iboland where chieftaincy was adopted was Onitsha where we had the Obi of Onitsha but this was an exception rather than the rule in Iboland.
Judiciary- judicial functions were exercised by the same elders who made the law and executed them. In other words, there was no separation of powers between the three organs of government.

Each family head settled disputes between the family members where there was a dispute between two or more families, the elders of the families concerned settled it amongst themselves. Serious cases were referred to the council of elders presided over by the Okpara.
There was severe punishment for those who committed serious offences such as stealing and murder.
The age-grades are the people who function and duty is to clearing bush paths and making bridges. They are divided into age groups. They carry out the sentence passes on convicted offenders and arrest them. They also serve as the potential army for the defense of the village.


CHARACTERISTICS OF THE IGBO SYSTEM
1. The political system was not hereditary.
2. The political system was acephalous and fragmented.
3. There were no specific functions for the political institution.
4. There was a principle of checks and balances.
5. There was no system of taxation.
6. There was mass participation of people in the government.

EVALUATION:
1. How is the judicial system in Igbo land.
2. What are the characteristics of these systems?

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