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WEEK 10

TOPIC:          PRE-COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION

CONTENT:  

  1. Roles of the respective components of their structure.
  2. Comparison of different pre-colonial administrations in Nigeria

The main political institutions of the pre-colonial societies included:

  1. The paramount chiefs.
  2. The Council of elders.
  3. Secret Societies.
  4. Age grades.
  5. Religious organizations.

Functions and powers of Paramount chiefs

  1. They acted as the supreme rulers of their various communities.
  2. They performed religious functions as high priest of all religious cults.
  3. They controlled commerce and trade in their various communities.
  4. They perform legislative functions of law-making in their various communities.
  5. They ensured the defense of their communities.

EVALUATION

  1. Some pre-colonial West African governments were democratic because of the existence of ….(a) powerful traditional rulers (b) age grades (c) religious institutions (d) checks and balances
  2. In the pre-colonial West Africa, the kingdoms of the Asante, Wolof and the Hausa were examples of a …….(a) state (b) union (c) country (d) nation
  3. In the pre-colonial period, traditional rulers in most parts of West Africa were appointed by the….(a) oracle Priest (b) Ogboni (c ) Kingmakers (d) age-grade
  4. A chief could be deposed in the pre-colonial era if he….(a) violated the written constitution (b) persistently neglected the advice of his elders (c) refused to collect tax from the British Governor (d) married too many wives.
  5. A common feature in a pre-colonial centralized state was (a) loyalty to ones political superior (b) absence of a single superior authority (c) the existence of autocratic rule (d) existence of separation of powers.

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