Highlight any six features of the Independence Constitution of your country.

Answer Details

Taking Nigeria as the country, the Independence Constitution of 1960 had the following main features.

1. Parliamentary system of government: It established a cabinet system with a Prime Minister (Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa) as head of government responsible to Parliament.
2. The Queen as Head of State: The British monarch, represented by a Governor-General (Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe), was the ceremonial Head of State.
3. Federal structure: Nigeria was a federation of three regions (Northern, Western and Eastern) with a central government at Lagos and a division of powers between the centre and the regions.
4. Bicameral legislature: The federal Parliament consisted of a Senate and a House of Representatives.
5. Fundamental human rights: The rights of citizens were entrenched and made enforceable in the courts.
6. An independent judiciary: The courts were made independent, though the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in Britain remained the final court of appeal.
7. Separation of powers with checks and balances among the legislature, executive and judiciary.
8. Amendment procedure: A rigid procedure was provided for altering the constitution.