Question 1
Which of the following is a method by which a person may acquire citizenship?
Strand 1 · Government and Development
Government Year 2 Learner Material, Section 1: Citizenship, Rights and Responsibilities
You are welcome to Section One of the Year Two Learning Material. In this section, you will be introduced to concepts of citizenship, rights and responsibilities. You will also understand the meaning of citizenship and the methods of acquiring citizenship.
Being a citizen normally comes with some rights, privileges, and responsibilities.
You will learn that the rights of citizenship may be restricted by the president of the republic through a declaration of a curfew, during a pandemic as COVID-19 disease or by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Key Ideas
• Citizenship can be acquired in different ways such as through birth, adoption, marriage and registration, among others.
• Citizenship comes with rights and responsibilities
• Rights can be limited under certain conditions, such as the outbreak of pandemics and the imposition of a curfew.
Citizenship refers to membership of a state. The concept of ‘citizen’ traces its roots to ancient Greece and Rome. To qualify to be a member of the state, one will have to go through different procedures. e There are different ways of acquiring citizenship, which include birth, adoption, foundling, naturalisation, marriage and registration. However, citizenship is different from nationality. Nationality refers to an individual’s identity and relationship to a particular nation. Nationality is associated with the country of birth, and citizenship is acquired. In other words, you can give up your citizenship and loyalty to another country, but your identity to a country, i.e. nationality, remains constant.
Activity 1.1 Citizenship
1. Research on the meaning and origin of the concept of citizenship. Share your findings with a friend.
2. Based on your research, compare the concept of citizenship in Ancient Greece with that of Rome. Discuss your findings with a friend.
3. Explain the differences between ‘nationality’ and ‘citizenship’. Share your findings with a colleague in class.
4. In your own words, explain citizenship and compare it with a friend.
5. Visit the services section of the Ministry of the Interior website https:// www.mint.gov.gh. Study the processes of acquiring Ghanaian citizenship.
Prepare a presentation for a class discussion. Your teacher will make further clarifications.
6. Research on the challenges of acquiring citizenship. Your teacher may ask you to make a presentation to the whole class.
Rights are permitted actions and freedoms that citizens enjoy. are usually found in the constitution and other legal documents of a state and are therefore legally protected.
There are several types of rights such as natural, political, civil/social, legal, economic and political. Privileges are opportunities individuals enjoy within the state, e.g.
Therefore, rights are entitlement, but privileges are not.
Activity 1.2 Rights
1. Research and write a one-page meaning of rights.
2. Read about the rights and duties of a citizen. Use the information to complete the table below.
3. Explore the relationship between rights and duties. Prepare a presentation for class discussion.
Table 1.1: Relationship between rights and duties Rights Duties Right to education
4. Research on civil and political rights in Ghana. Write an informative poster that raises awareness. Compare your poster with a friend for feedback.
The rights of citizens in a state are protected by the government in various ways. These include:
1. The courts
2. The police
3. Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ)
4. Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU)
5. National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE)
6. International treaties and conventions.
Activity 1.3 Universal Human Rights
Watch an audio descriptive video on Universal Human Rights in the link below:
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDgIVseTkuE. From the video, write in your own words the meaning of Universal Human Rights, identify the rights that you consider to be most important and the challenges in enforcing these rights.
2. Visit https://research.un.org/en/udhr75/30, identify and discuss with a peer the type of rights contained in the United Nations Universal Declaration.
3. Based on Activity 1.2 above, outline and discuss the key features of any four types of rights with a classmate.
4. Prepare a presentation on how the rights identified in Activity 1.3 are protected in Ghana.
5. Do a case study on the core mandate of any institution responsible for the protection of human rights in Ghana. Present your findings for further class discussion.
Your rights may be limited as a citizen. This refers to a situation where some of the rights you enjoy may be denied. These include:
1. Conviction and sentence for a prison term
2. Emergency
3. Conflicts, curfews, and terrorism
4. Occurrence of natural disasters (e.g. floods, earthquakes)
5. Outbreak of pandemics (e.g. COVID-19, Ebola)
6. Death penalty
Activity 1.4 Restrictions on Citizens’ Rights
1. Research on the measures used to restrict the rights of a citizen. Discuss your findings with your peers in class.
2. Visit a legal person in your community for further information on conditions under which the rights of a citizen can be restricted. Compare your notes with a peer for feedback.
3. Explore circumstances under which the right of a citizen may be abused.
Make a presentation in class for further discussion.
As citizens enjoy their rights, the state also imposes certain responsibilities on them.
These responsibilities, when carried out, help in the smooth running of the affairs of the state. These include:
a. payment of taxes
b. obeying the laws and regulations of the state
c. undertaking national service
d. voting On the other hand, the state also has certain responsibilities toward the citizens. Some of these are:
a. maintenance of law and order through the security agencies
b. provision of social amenities such as schools, hospitals
c. defending the state against external attacks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmmZAaQkewc [video on rights and responsibilities]
Activity 1.5 Responsibilities
1. Write a one-page report on any developmental project undertaken in your community. Compare your findings with a friend.
2. Watch an audio descriptive video (s) of the President/Minister/DCE commissioning a building/road/hospital.
3. Based on the videos, write your observations. Show your work to a peer for feedback. Your teacher might ask you to do a group presentation in class for further discussion.
Which of the following is a method by which a person may acquire citizenship?
Kojo was born in Accra to Ghanaian parents. He later travelled to the United Kingdom and gave up his Ghanaian citizenship so that he could become a British citizen. Which of the following statements is correct?
In Ghana the right to education is written in the constitution and can be enforced in court, but a scholarship to study abroad is enjoyed by only a few lucky students and cannot be demanded by everyone. This difference shows that
During the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ghana, the President declared a curfew which limited the movement of citizens. Which of the following best explains this action?
Kwesi's right to fair treatment was abused by a public officer. Which institution is mandated to investigate such complaints of human rights abuse in Ghana?
In March 2020, the President of Ghana imposed a partial lockdown in Accra and Kumasi to curb the spread of COVID-19. During the period, some citizens complained that their rights to movement and assembly were restricted. The government explained that the restrictions were necessary for public safety.
Identify four rights of a citizen of Ghana that were affected by the lockdown.
Explain three conditions under which the rights of a citizen may be restricted.
Discuss three responsibilities of a citizen of Ghana, and show how they are important during a pandemic like COVID-19.