Bureaucracy is an arm of the

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which arm of government the bureaucracy belongs to. The three arms of government are the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary.

Step 2: Explain the concept Bureaucracy is the body of appointed (not elected) government officials who carry out government policies and run the day-to-day administration of the state. In Nigeria, this is the civil service, made up of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), headed by Permanent Secretaries and Directors.

Each arm of government has a specific job:

• Legislature: makes laws (National Assembly)
• Executive: implements and administers laws (President, Ministers, civil servants)
• Judiciary: interprets laws and settles disputes (courts)

Step 3: Work through the options

• A. Legislature: This is wrong. The legislature makes laws and does not administer them.
• B. Military: This is wrong. The military is an institution for national defence and is not an arm of government.
• C. Executive: This is correct. The bureaucracy (civil service) carries out government policies, so it is part of the executive arm.
• D. Judiciary: This is wrong. The judiciary is made up of judges and courts, not administrative officials.

Step 4: Answer The bureaucracy is an arm of the executive, which is option C.

Tip: Remember the phrase "Executive Executes." Anyone who implements or carries out government policy, such as ministers and civil servants, falls under the executive.