CITIZENSHIP AND ITS CONCEPT
INTRODUCTION
It can also be define as a membership of a given state.some scholar in 2016 described citizenship as a membership in specific nation-state and the formal right and obligation that this membership entails.It connotes status and identity
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citizenship is a term that is used to express the status of individuals who passes full political and legal rights in a state.
It can also be define as a membership of a given state.some scholar in 2016 described citizenship as a membership in specific nation-state and the formal right and obligation that this membership entails.It connotes status and identity
.
some scholars in 2012 posits that citizenship has three aspect,namely the citizens have a say in political decision making; access to courts of laws that are manned by co-citizens;who judge according to rules that equally applies to all citizens;and a guarantee of minimum socio-economic conditions of existence. therefor, citizenship connotes a status as well as well as a legal relationship that exist between an individual and the state. The relationship translate into performance of duties as well as obligations by the citizen on one hand and on the other hand the provision of welfare and securities to the people which is the primary purpose of the government. Citizenship involves duties and obligations on the citizens and the state.what the citizens own the state are duties or obligations they must perform and what the state own the citizens are rights they must enjoy. The question now is, who is a citizen?
WHO IS A CITIZEN
Citizen has been define differently by different people.
A citizen is a person or someone who sees himself as a legal member of a political community and whose deeds an actions support the the good norms and values of that community.
A citizen is a person who is a legal member of a state who enjoys full civil and political rights and will be ready to put his life for a state in defense of its territory.
" Banks (2010) argues that, citizens in a country needs the knowledge, attitude and skills required to function within and beyond cultural communities and borders."
Not everyone who reside in a country is her citizen. foreigners are never citizens of a country in which the reside unless the naturalize.
"A scholar name FLORENCE in 2013 argues that, a citizen can become a foreigner in his country if he renounce his citizenship and take on the citizenship of another country"
A foreigner can equally become a citizen of the country of his residence either by registration or naturalization. In a country like Nigeria citizenship is a legal matter and anything concerning it, is to be treated legally. The constitution provide for three kinds of citizenship
SIGNIFICANCE OF CITIZENSHIP
The main significance of citizenship are as follows;
PRINCIPLES OF CITIZENSHIP
NATIONALISM:
This means, a strong desire and sense of love for one's country. That feeling of one to sacrifice his life for the survival of his own country and making sure that his thinking and activities are nationalistic in nature. This feeling of nationalism is one that makes a good citizen to think more of his country as an indivisible entity and not a tribal estate.
PATRIOTISM:
This implies the act of showing great commitment and support for one's country at all times, in all situations, conditions and states. A patriotic citizen is one who believes in dedication to duty, law abiding, truth, trustworthiness and discipline.
METHODS OF ACQUIRING
CITIZENSHIP
They are several methods/ways of acquiring citizenship, weather you're and indigent of a particular place or not.
CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH
This is a situation where a person becomes a citizen of a country at instance of his parents. If a person is born in a country where the parents are legal members of that country, the person automatically becomes a citizen by BIRTH. For instance i am a Nigerian because my parents are citizens of Nigeria.
One advantage of citizen by birth is that, it is easy to acquire because ones parents determines his or her citizenship. It makes the citizen to be patriotic and nationalistic because of blood affiliation. The disadvantages of citizenship by birth are that it creates room for denouncement at will and they is a possibility of over population because it is easy to acquire citizen by birth.
CITIZENSHIP BY REGISTRATION
This is a method whereby women acquire citizenship of a country through marriage or a person born outside the Country any of whose parent is a citizen of that country can acquire citizenship through registration for example a British woman married to a Nigerian man may register as a citizen of Nigeria the advantage of citizen by registration are that it makes it easy for women to acquire the citizenship of their husbands country it also pave ways for those born outside the parents or grandparents country to change to their original country when they wish to do so. The simplicity of change of Citizenship through registration may question the Foundation of one's patriotism and nationalism to one's country.
CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALIZATION
This is a process by which a foreigner apply for a citizenship of his host country after fulfilling the conditions prescribed by law for instance in Nigeria if a foreigner lives in a country for 15 years he is of good character he has contributed or is ready to contribute to the development of community he decided to leave and law-abiding he can apply for the citizenship of the country the advantage of citizen by naturalization is that it makes it easy for foreigners to acquire citizenship of a country in which he chooses to reside it also brings about development because one of the conditions of naturalization is that the foreigner must be useful to the community whom he chose to reside but the main disadvantage of Citizenship by naturalization is that the naturalized citizen may not be loyal to the country because of lack of blood relations
CITIZENSHIP BY DECENT
This is a method by which a person claim citizenship of another country as a result of the fact that his grandparents are citizens of the country for instance a person who is born to parents or grandparents who are citizens of a particular state are automatic legal members or citizens of the State
CITIZENSHIP BY HONOUR
This is when citizenship of a country is granted to a distinguished or eminent foreigner would the usual requirement as a mark of honour for instance Canada granted honorary citizenship to Raoul Wallenberg posthumously in 1985, Nelson Mandela in 2001, Prince Karim Aga in 2009, the honorary citizenship ends with the death of the honoured or in exceptional cases when the honoree is involved in war crimes.
CITIZENSHIP BY CONQUEST
Through conquest after secessionist struggle citizenship of a certain individual may be changed by acquiring a new status for example the people of Eritirea change their citizenship after successful struggle carving out a new state out of Ethiopia.
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WHO IS A CITIZEN
Citizen has been define differently by different people.
A citizen is a person or someone who sees himself as a legal member of a political community and whose deeds an actions support the the good norms and values of that community.
A citizen is a person who is a legal member of a state who enjoys full civil and political rights and will be ready to put his life for a state in defense of its territory.
" Banks (2010) argues that, citizens in a country needs the knowledge, attitude and skills required to function within and beyond cultural communities and borders."
Not everyone who reside in a country is her citizen. foreigners are never citizens of a country in which the reside unless the naturalize.
"A scholar name FLORENCE in 2013 argues that, a citizen can become a foreigner in his country if he renounce his citizenship and take on the citizenship of another country"
A foreigner can equally become a citizen of the country of his residence either by registration or naturalization. In a country like Nigeria citizenship is a legal matter and anything concerning it, is to be treated legally. The constitution provide for three kinds of citizenship
- Citizenship by birth
- Citizenship by Registration
- Citizenship by naturalization
SIGNIFICANCE OF CITIZENSHIP
The main significance of citizenship are as follows;
- Enjoyment of human rights and freedom such as right to life, right to personal liberty, right to dignity of human person ETC
- To take active part in the socio-economic and political activities of one's country.
- Enjoyment of social service such as electricity, pipe borne water, health care, education among others.
- Also citizenship or being a legal member of a state guarantees one to enjoy the protection of life and protection
- Its stimulate our interest in the activities of Government of our country.
- Its liberates us from political apathy and ignorance
- Its positions us to defend our fundamental human right when infringed.
- Citizenship create a sense of belonging to the citizens of a country.
NATIONALISM:
This means, a strong desire and sense of love for one's country. That feeling of one to sacrifice his life for the survival of his own country and making sure that his thinking and activities are nationalistic in nature. This feeling of nationalism is one that makes a good citizen to think more of his country as an indivisible entity and not a tribal estate.
PATRIOTISM:
This implies the act of showing great commitment and support for one's country at all times, in all situations, conditions and states. A patriotic citizen is one who believes in dedication to duty, law abiding, truth, trustworthiness and discipline.
METHODS OF ACQUIRING
CITIZENSHIP
They are several methods/ways of acquiring citizenship, weather you're and indigent of a particular place or not.
CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH
This is a situation where a person becomes a citizen of a country at instance of his parents. If a person is born in a country where the parents are legal members of that country, the person automatically becomes a citizen by BIRTH. For instance i am a Nigerian because my parents are citizens of Nigeria.
One advantage of citizen by birth is that, it is easy to acquire because ones parents determines his or her citizenship. It makes the citizen to be patriotic and nationalistic because of blood affiliation. The disadvantages of citizenship by birth are that it creates room for denouncement at will and they is a possibility of over population because it is easy to acquire citizen by birth.
CITIZENSHIP BY REGISTRATION
This is a method whereby women acquire citizenship of a country through marriage or a person born outside the Country any of whose parent is a citizen of that country can acquire citizenship through registration for example a British woman married to a Nigerian man may register as a citizen of Nigeria the advantage of citizen by registration are that it makes it easy for women to acquire the citizenship of their husbands country it also pave ways for those born outside the parents or grandparents country to change to their original country when they wish to do so. The simplicity of change of Citizenship through registration may question the Foundation of one's patriotism and nationalism to one's country.
CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALIZATION
This is a process by which a foreigner apply for a citizenship of his host country after fulfilling the conditions prescribed by law for instance in Nigeria if a foreigner lives in a country for 15 years he is of good character he has contributed or is ready to contribute to the development of community he decided to leave and law-abiding he can apply for the citizenship of the country the advantage of citizen by naturalization is that it makes it easy for foreigners to acquire citizenship of a country in which he chooses to reside it also brings about development because one of the conditions of naturalization is that the foreigner must be useful to the community whom he chose to reside but the main disadvantage of Citizenship by naturalization is that the naturalized citizen may not be loyal to the country because of lack of blood relations
CITIZENSHIP BY DECENT
This is a method by which a person claim citizenship of another country as a result of the fact that his grandparents are citizens of the country for instance a person who is born to parents or grandparents who are citizens of a particular state are automatic legal members or citizens of the State
CITIZENSHIP BY HONOUR
This is when citizenship of a country is granted to a distinguished or eminent foreigner would the usual requirement as a mark of honour for instance Canada granted honorary citizenship to Raoul Wallenberg posthumously in 1985, Nelson Mandela in 2001, Prince Karim Aga in 2009, the honorary citizenship ends with the death of the honoured or in exceptional cases when the honoree is involved in war crimes.
CITIZENSHIP BY CONQUEST
Through conquest after secessionist struggle citizenship of a certain individual may be changed by acquiring a new status for example the people of Eritirea change their citizenship after successful struggle carving out a new state out of Ethiopia.
Please kindly leave a comment.
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