The executive organ of government

Definition of the Executive Organ of Government

The executive is the organ of government responsible for the implementation, execution or enforcement of laws and policies made by the legislative arm of the government. The executive sees to it that laws made in a country are obeyed.

Composition of the Executive

1. Federal Level:At the federal level, we have the following: president or prime minister, secretary to the government of the federation, ministers, permanent secretaries, directors, etc

President Muhammadu Buhari – Executive President of Nigeria

2. State Level:At the state level we have, governor, deputy governor, head of service, secretary to the governor of the state, commissioners, permanent secretaries, directors etc.
3. Local Level:At the local level, we have, the chairman, vice chairman, secretary to the local government directors, head of department etc.

Types of Executive

1. Presidential Executive

It is a system of government in which all executive powers of government are vested in the president. The president is the head of state, head of government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Member of the executive are the president and his ministers, countries that practice the system include USA, Nigeria, Brazil, Chile etc.

2. Parliamentary Executive

It is a system of government in which one person is the head of state while another person is the head of government. The head of state maybe monarch or ceremonial president, while the head of government is usually the prime minister. In the parliamentary executive, all members of the executive are also members of parliament. Countries that practice the system include Britain, Sweden, republic of Italy, and Nigeria in her fist republic

EVALUATION

1. Explain the term “Executive composition”?
2. List and explain the type of executive?

Functions of the Executive

1. Execution of Laws: It is the executive arm that executes or implements the laws made in the legislature by making sure that they are obeyed.
2. Giving Assent to Bills: The head of the executive arm signs or gives assent to bills before they can become laws.
3. Military Function: The head of the executive performs crucial military functions as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
4. Provision of Welfare Services: It is the executive that performs the main function of the government which is provision of welfare services to the citizens.
5. Maintenance of External Relations: The executive maintains external relations, signs treaties etc with other countries especially friendly ones.
6. Making of Budget: It is the executive that prepares the total proposed financial expenditure and revenue of the government in every new financial year.
7. Dissolution of the Parliament: The executive performs the function of ordering the dissolution of the parliament.
8. Appointment of Judicial Officials: The executive appoints the Chief Justice of the federation and other high ranking officials of the judiciary.
9. Pardoning of Convicts: The executive through the powers granted to it by the constitution, he performs crucial judicial function of pardoning convicted offenders in a country.

Control of the Executive

1. The executive cannot act ultra vires; that is beyond its legal capacity.
2. Actions of the executive could be challenged in the law courts and such acts could be declared null and void.
3. Injunctions could be used to compel the executive to do certain things.
4. In a presidential system of government, some appointments and decisions of the executive have to be approved by the legislature.
5. A president can be impeached in a presidential system of government.
6. In the parliamentary system of government, a vote of no confidence can be passed on the executive.
7. The public through lectures, seminars, symposia and public opinions can control the activities of the executive by creating public awareness.
8. Convections or norms, wars, crises and calls for state of emergency can control the executives.
9. International sanctions, bans etc can control the executive and force it into taking a specific stand on issues.

EVALUATION

1. Mention five functions of the executives
2. State five ways of controlling the executive.

Honesty and Integrity in the Executive Organ of Government

Honesty in the Executive

Meaning of Honesty

This refers to the quality of saying the truth and acting truthfully in fairness and sincerity. Honesty does not involve cheating, deceit or telling lies, stealing or dealing in craftiness. It is a disposition of always communicating the truth with all sincerity, openness, equity, fairness in every situation whether in verbal and non-verbal communication.

Attributes or Qualities of Honesty

The attributes or qualities of honesty include the following:

1. Sincerity: The executive arm of government should be sincere in carrying out their duties and responsibility while in government.
2. Trust-worthiness: This is the quality that the executive must possess so that citizens can trust them and believe in whatever they say.
3. Truthfulness: This is the attitude of giving correct or true information about something.
4. Responsibility: The executive must be responsible to the citizens.
5. Good Character: The executive of a country must be of good character.
6. Integrity: This is the attitude of being good in character, having good moral and always doing the right thing.
7. Fairness: This is the act of doing things according to the rule of law without cheating.

Benefits of Honesty

The benefits of honesty include the following:

1. It helps to form bonds in human relationship.
2. It helps to build a just and egalitarian society; where stealing, cheating, and lying and all forms of corruption are frowned at and condemned without fear or favour.
3. It guarantees rapid development because honesty or righteousness exalts a nation.
4. It prevents fraudulent practices such as inflating costs of contract, public funds embezzlement, money laundering, falsification of records and figures in order to steal or mis-appropriate public funds.
5. It enables things to work out well and fast. It helps to identify and solve problems in a straight forward way to avoid wastefulness.

Integrity in the Executive

Meaning of Integrity

Integrity is the quality of being honest and morally upright.  It is the ability to do what is right in spite of all odds.

The Attributes of Integrity

The executive must possess the following attributes:

1. Probity and Honesty: A man of integrity must be honest and accountable for whatever task that is given to him
2. Non-Compromise of Principle: A man of integrity would never compromise whatever stand he is taking no matter the situation or the people involved
3. Truthfulness: A man of integrity will always stand by the truth at all times.
4. Contentment: He must be contented with whatever he has or in any situation he finds himself
5. Fair play: He or she is always fair when dealing with other people.
6. A role model:Finally, a man of integrity should alsobe a role modelwhich other people in the society can emulate.

EVALUATION

1. Outline five attributes of honesty.
2. State five attribute of integrity.

GENERAL EVALUATION

1. Explain the compositions of the executive.
2. What is cabinet executive?
3. Highlight five functions of the executive.
4. State five ways in which the executive can be controlled.

What is honesty and integrity?