NOTE 1
FORM ONE
SOCIAL STUDIES
CITIZENSHIP AND HUMAN RIGHTS
CITIZEN
A citizen is a person who is recognized as a member of a country and enjoys rights and freedoms due to that membership. If a person is not a citizen, he or she cannot enjoy all the rights that the real citizens enjoy under the nation's constitution.
CITIZENSHIP
Citizenship means membership of a country and the enjoyment of rights and freedoms due to that membership. It therefore deals with how a person can become a true citizen of a particular country. The Chapter Three of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana explains how people can become accepted citizens of Ghana.
WAYS OF OBTAINING GHANAIAN CITIZENSHIP
These include;
BY BIRTH
A person can become a citizen of Ghana if he or she is born in any part of Ghana or if any of his parents or grandparents is or was a citizen of Ghana. This is because when a child is born, he or she is registered in Ghana's Birth Registry.
BY FOUNDLING (PRESUMPTION)
A child of not more than seven years of age found in Ghana but whose parents are unknown is presumed to be a citizen of Ghana. This is because it is assumed that he or she was born in Ghana.
BY ADOPTION
A child of not more than 16 years whose biological parents are not Ghanaians but adopted by a citizen of Ghana becomes a Ghanaian citizen. This is because he or she is registered in the name and nationality or citizenship of the adopted parent.
BY NATURALISATION
A foreigner can register or go through the legal processes in Ghana to become a Ghanaian citizen. Such a person renounces and loses his or her original citizenship. He or she is then said to be Ghanaian citizen by naturalisation.
THROUGH MARRIAGE
A man or woman who marries a Ghanaian citizen in the nation can also register to become a Ghanaian through the marriage. This is because the marriage is registered officially in Ghana's Marriage Registry.
BY HONORARY CONFERMENT
A foreign citizen who does something good to help develop Ghana can be given Ghanaian citizenship as a form of honour for his or her good works. Such a person does not lose his or her original citizenship. For example; in 1964, Kwame Nkrumah gave Ghanaian citizenship to an American called W.E.B Du Bois for his contributions towards Africa's independence.
Note
* The easiest or commonest way of becoming a citizen of Ghana is by birth.
* A dual citizen is a person who is accepted as a member of two different nations. Dual citizens do not enjoy full rights in these two nations. For example; in Ghana, dual citizens cannot hold some public offices such as Members of Parliament.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Rights are the benefits or privileges a person enjoys as a member of a country under the constitution. This means that rights are found in a constitution and therefore it is the constitution that allows the citizens to enjoy such rights. The rights of Ghanaian citizens are found in the Chapter 5 of the 1992 Constitution.
TYPES OF HUMAN RIGHTS
There are 5 main types of human rights. These are;
1. Natural or Basic Rights
These are the benefits people enjoy just because they are human beings. Every human being therefore enjoys them wherever he or she finds him or herself. Examples are;
a. Right to life
b. Right to personal liberty
2. Social Rights
These are the privileges which enable people to interact with others freely. Examples are;
a. Right to Education
b. Freedom of Worship
c. Freedom of Movement
3. Economic Rights
These are privileges that enable people to work and be treated well as workers and also acquire property for themselves freely. They include;
a. Right to work
b. Right to own property
4. Political Rights
These are the benefits which enable us to be selected as leaders or to select other people as leaders for the nation. An example is the Right to vote and be voted for.
5. Legal Rights
These are benefits which enable people to be protected by the laws of the nation. They include;
a. Right to fair trial and hearing
b. Freedom from slavery and servitude.
Note
* It is only the law courts that can take away a person's rights and freedoms from him or her.
NOTE TWO
FORM ONE
SOCIALSTUDIES
Some rights and freedoms of Ghanaian citizens as written or enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana are;
RIGHT TO LIFE
This right enables the Ghanaian to enjoy his or her life without any interference. Thus, no one should kill the Ghanaian citizen unless a court sentences him or her to death for a criminal act such as murder or treason.
RIGHT TO PERSONAL LIBERTY
This right makes it unlawful for the Ghanaian to be arrested and detained without being told the reason(s) for his or her arrest. Again, anyone suspected of a crime should be arraigned before court within two days (48 hours) of his or her arrest.
RIGHT TO WORK
All Ghanaians have the right to work in a safe and healthy environment. They should also be given equal pay or salary for equal work done.
RIGHT TO EDUCATION
All Ghanaians should be given equal access to educational opportunities. Also, they should be given equal access to the facilities and benefits in the school.
RIGHT TO OWN PROPERTY
Any citizen of Ghana has the right to own any property alone or with others. However, the property must be legally obtained.
RIGHT TO FAIR TRIAL AND HEARING
This right enables the Ghanaian to be heard in the law court within a reasonable time even if he or she is convicted of a crime. This is because a person is not guilty until he or she is proved so by the law court.
RIGHT TO EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW
All Ghanaians are equal before the law despite their age, sex or tribe. That is, no one is above the law. Therefore, the law must not show favouritism to anyone.
RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY AND SERVITUDE
This right makes it unlawful for any Ghanaian to be made a slave or treated like a slave in any situation.
RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION
The 1992 Constitution protects Ghanaians from all forms of discrimination on ethnic, political, racial, religious and sexual grounds.
RIGHT TO VOTE AND BE VOTED FOR
Every Ghanaian who is of sound mind and has attained the voting age of 18 years has the right to vote during national elections. Also, he or she can stand or contest for a national office if only he or she qualifies.
FREEDOM
It is the ability to act without any restriction. Anyone who prevents another person from enjoying his or her freedom is to be punished. Examples are;
i. Freedom of speech: This freedom enables us to air our views on any issue. However, what we say should not harm or disturb other people.
ii. Freedom of movement: This freedom enables us to go to any place in the nation so long as it is not illegal to go there.
iii. Freedom of association: Any citizen is free to join any group of his or choice without being intimidated. This group can be a political party, religious group or club.
iv. Freedom of worship: Ghanaians are free to worship any deity of their choice. However, the beliefs and activities of that worship should not go against the laws of the nation.
Note
➢ Foreigners do not enjoy the right to vote in a foreign nation.
➢ Right to vote is also known as right to exercise franchise or suffrage.
➢ Curfew and lockdown limit an individual’s right or freedom of movement
RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibilities are the duties or the roles a person must perform as a member of a nation to help in its development. This means that responsibilities are not optional but obligatory and therefore if anyone refuses to perform them, he or she will be punished or will be answerable for it.
Some basic responsibilities of Ghanaian citizens are;
i. Payment of taxes: Ghanaians must pay their taxes to enable the government to obtain enough money to develop the nation.
ii. Voting during elections: Adult Ghanaians who have attained the voting age of 18 years and of sound mind must vote to select or elect people to rule the nation.
iii. Protecting national property: Ghanaians must help to protect or take good care of the nation’s property such as currency, roads, schools and hospitals. This will prevent the government from wasting the nation’s money on repairing them when destroyed.
iv. Keeping the nation clean: Good citizens of Ghana should not litter the nation. Rather, they must help clean the nation by clearing all bushes, filth and choked gutters.
v. Helping the police in investigations: Ghanaians must report saboteurs or wrong doers to the police. Also, if they know of any crime, they should quickly inform the police so that the wrong doers will be dealt with.
vi. Abiding by the 1992 Constitution: Ghanaian citizens must obey all the laws of the nation. This will help promote peace and security in the nation.
vii. Participating in communal labour: Ghanaians must take active part in communal labour to help develop the nation. For example, they should be part of the Sanitation Day activities done on every first Saturday of each month to keep the nation clean.
viii. Showing respect to authority: Good Ghanaian citizens must respect all leaders in the nation. This includes Presidents, Chiefs, Police men and Parliamentarians in our community.
Some rights and their corresponding responsibilities
Every right that citizens enjoy comes with a particular responsibility that they must perform. Some rights and their associated responsibilities are;
S/N
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RIGHTS
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RESPONSIBILITIES
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1.
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Everyone has the right to personal liberty
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Citizens have to know the law and be law abiding
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2.
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All citizens have the right to freedom from slavery and servitude.
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Citizens must respect the rights of others so that they will not infringe them
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3.
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Individuals have the right to own property in the nation
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Citizens must use honest or just ways to acquire property
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4.
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Citizens of voting age and of right and sound mind have the right to vote during national elections
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Citizens of voting age and of sound mind must vote during national elections without being forced
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5.
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Individuals have the right to education
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Individuals must study hard in school to become responsible adults
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6.
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Individuals have the right to work under safe and healthy conditions and receive equal pay for equal work done
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Individuals must be hard working and also pay their taxes to the state
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NOTE 3
FORM ONE
SOCIAL STUDIES
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE
Human right abuse is the infringement on the rights and freedoms of any individual or group by another individual or group.
This means that a person’s rights are abused when he or she is prevented from enjoying the rights and freedoms given to him or her by the constitution. Human right abuse is a punishable offense under the law as it makes the victims suffer or be harmed.
GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO COMMONLY SUFFER HUMAN ABUSE
These include;
- Women
- Children
- Illiterates or uneducated people
- Disabled people (blind, deaf and dumb, crippled)
- Poor people
- Albinos
- Mad or insane people
- Foreigners or strangers
- House helps
- Prisoners
EXAMPLES OF HUMAN RIGHT ABUSES
These includes;
Bullying
This involves threatening or harming people who are younger or weaker in the society. This often makes the victims timid. An example is seniors threatening to beat a junior at school.
Child labour
This is a situation where children below 15 years are made or forced to work for money. This prevents them from enjoying their right to education as they are forced to sell water, bread, dog chains and others on the street or markets instead of going to school.
Discrimination
This involves treating people unfairly due to their skin colour (race), age, religion, gender or social class (rich or poor). This does not enable the victim to live a happy or comfortable life.
Child trafficking
This is where children are sold into slavery in other communities by their parents or guardians. Such children are often maltreated, slaved and made to do hard work without pay.
Rape or defilement
This is when people are forced to engage in sexual activities against their will (desire). Rape is used for adults and defilement for children who are less than 16 years. They often result in the destruction of the reproductive organs and abuse the reproductive rights of the victims.
Sex trade
This is where young girls are engaged in sexual activities or prostitution for money. This denies them of their right to education and also their reproductive rights are often abused.
Domestic slavery
This involves employing young people to work in homes as maid servants, house helps or garden boys. Such people are often not paid and are treated as slaves.
CAUSES OR REASONS WHY PEOPLE SUFFER HUMAN RIGHT ABUSES IN GHANA
1. POVERTY
Many people suffer human right abuses because they do not have money to hire the services of lawyers to defend or protect their rights in court. They hence do nothing when they are abused. This enables people to continue to abuse their rights.
2. LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ON RIGHTS
Many Ghanaians have no knowledge of their rights and freedoms. They therefore are not aware when their rights are abused making others to freely abuse them always.
3. FEAR OF INTIMIDATION
People who are abused are often threatened to be killed if they report or tell others about the abuses. They hence do not report these abusers to the right authorities and that encourages them to continue to abuse them.
4. EFFECT OF OUTMODED CULTURAL PRACTICES
The practice of certain old cultures such as Trokosi system, infant marriage and tribal marks also abuse people's rights. For example; the Trokosi system denies the victims of their right to education.
5. IGNORANCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS
Some Ghanaians do not know about the activities and locations of human rights institutions such as the courts and DOVVSU. They are therefore unable to go to these institutions to seek justice when their rights are abused.
6. LACK OF POLITICAL REPRESENTATION
Minority groups such as albinos and the disabled have not got people to represent them in the government. Therefore, they are defenceless and less protected by the nation’s law making people abuse their rights easily.
EFFECTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
- It can lead to the death of the victims.
- It creates fear and insecurity in the community
- It makes people lose confidence in the police and human right agencies for not protecting them.
- It makes people maimed or lose parts of their bodies.
- It makes people lose their respect or dignity in the community.
- It leads to the arrest or punishment of the culprits.
- It makes people become timid.
WAYS OF CONTROLLING OR PREVENTING HUMAN RIGHT ABUSE
PUBLIC EDUCATION
Human right institutions such as the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the courts must educate Ghanaians on their rights and freedoms. This will make them know their rights and protect them.
REPORTING ABUSERS
Individuals whose rights are abused must report the abusers to police to be arrested. This will help reduce such cases.
ABOLITION OF OUTMODED CULTURES
Government must ensure that outmoded cultures such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Trokosi System are abolished as they violate people’s rights. People who practice them should be arrested.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
The courts must ensure that human right abusers are given severe punishment. This will help deter others and thus reduce human right abuses in our community.
EQUIPPING HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS
The government must supply human right institutions with all the things they need to make them work effectively. This will make people know about them and seek their services.
REPRESENTATION OF MINORITY GROUPS IN GOVERNMENT
Government must ensure that minority groups such as the disabled are represented in the government. This will help them to be defended in the nation.
