Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term - Senior Secondary School 1

SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT

CLASS:  SS1

DATE:

TERM: 3RD TERM

• REFERENCE
• Essential Government by C.C. Dibie.
• Comprehensive Government by J.U. Anyaele.

WEEK TWO

TOPIC: CITIZENSHIP

CONTENT

1. Meaning.
2. Ways of Acquiring Citizenship.
3. Ways of Loosing Citizenship.

MEANING OF CITIZENSHIP

A citizen can be defined as a person who is a legal member of and owes allegiance to a particular country he resides in which he enjoys full civil and political rights.

In every state, there are citizens and foreigners or aliens. While the citizens are entitled to all the civil and political rights available in the state, aliens or foreigners are not. Citizens of a state are expected to perform certain duties to the state because they belong to it and have rights by law.

WAYS OF ACQUIRING CITIZENSHIP

To become a citizen one needs to meet some of these criteria for citizenship. These are:

1. Birth/Descent
2. Registration
3. Naturalization
4. Honorary
5. By conquest

1. CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH: Citizenship by birth is obtained by being born in a particular state. A child born to a Nigeria couple in the United States is automatically a citizen of that country.

1. CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT: A child born to a Nigeria couple in the United States is an American. But he is also a Nigeria citizen by descent because his parents are Nigerians.
2. CITIZENSHIP BY REGISTRATION: A foreigner (woman) may become a citizen by getting married to a Nigerian man and as such be registered as a citizen. 
3. CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALIZATION: A citizen of a country who has lived in another country for  a long period; for example 15 years as in the case of Nigeria can apply for citizenship of the country he resides.
4. HONOURARY CITIZENSHIP: The government of a state may confer the honour of citizenship status on a personality considered to have contributed to the development of the country in particular or to humanity in general. For example Miriam Makeba, a citizen of South Africa was honoured with the citizenship of Liberia, Ethiopia and Guinea.
5. CITIZENSHIP BY CONQUEST: Through conquest after secessionist struggles, citizenship of certain individuals may be changed by acquiring a new status.

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

1. Who is a citizen?
2. Why do citizens enjoy civil and political rights in a state?

WAYS OF LOOSING CITIZENSHIP

1. Through Disloyalty: A naturalized citizen can lose his citizenship if his activities are detrimental to the country’s corporate existence.
2. Supporting another country: If a citizen is found supporting another country engaged in war with his country, his citizenship may be terminated.
3. Imprisonment: The individual can also lose his citizenship if within a period of say 5-7 years after becoming naturalized; he gets involved in a criminal case, resulting in his incarceration for some years.
4. False Declaration: If there is a fundamental breach of the citizenship agreement binding him, for instance, false declaration.
5. Treason: If a citizen is found guilty of treasonable felony, his citizenship may be terminated.
6. Dual Citizenship: If a citizen has a dual citizenship, that is, if he has not renounced the citizenship of his formal country.
7.  A citizen can lose his citizenship if he verbally renounces it.

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

1. What is dual citizenship?
2. What is citizenship by conquest?

GENERAL EVALUATION/REVISION QUESTIONS

1. Explain the following: (i) Citizenship by Naturalization (ii) Citizenship by Conquest.
2. Explain the term Treason.
3. How can citizenship be acquired through registration?
4. List 5 features of Monarchy.
5. State 5 reasons why the military intervene in politics.

READING ASSINGMENT

Comprehensive Government pages 72-74

Essential Government pages 87-88

WEEKEND ASSINGMENT

1. Citizenship can be acquired through the following ways except (a) by coup (b) by conquest (c) by birth (d) by registration 
2. Citizenship acquired through one’s personal contribution to the development of a state is called (a) citizenship by registration (b) citizenship by birth (c) honourary citizenship (d) citizenship by conquest
3. One of the following is a condition for becoming a citizen of a country (a) good character (b) through conflict (c) through coup (c) bad record
4. Dual citizenship means (a) citizen of three countries (b) citizen of one country (c) citizen of no country (d) citizen of two countries
5. One can lose his citizenship of a country through (a) honesty (b) disloyalty (c) obedience (d) respect for constituted authority

THEORY

1. Mention 6 ways by which one can lose his citizenship.
2. What do you understand by citizenship by naturalisation?