Know your rights and responsibilities
For the past few weeks, we have been discussing what rights we have as citizens of Ghana.
Today, we are going to discuss the responsibilities of the government, parents and children in the country.
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A responsibility is simply something you are expected to do. If you are responsible, people will trust you because they know that they can count on you to do the things you are expected to do.
However, if you are not a responsible person, nobody will take you seriously and people will always have doubts if you promise to do something.
This explains why during elections, politicians ask the voters to look at the things they have already done and vote.
They are just telling the voters that they are responsible and will continue to be responsible when they are voted back to power.
Government's responsibilities
The government has a lot of responsibilities towards the people of Ghana. For instance, it is the responsibility of the government to protect the citizens of the country from external attacks so that the people will not live in fear in their own country.
This means that the government has to train and equip the Armed Forces and the Police to fight both external and internal forces which would threaten the citizens in the country.
The government has to build courts and prisons and to elect or appoint the officials to pass and implement the laws citizens must not break so that we can live in peace and harmony.
Also, the government has to see to it that the citizens of the country live a comfortable life by providing them certain amenities such as schools, health care, potable water, good roads to transport goods and services and so on.
The government has to make sure the economy is good and that people are working and making a living to take care of their family and not living in poverty.
The responsibilities of parents and guardians
Once the government has done its part, it is the duty of parents and guardians to work hard and cater for their families.
They have to make sure their children go to school, are taken to hospital when they are sick, have somewhere to put their heads and have clothes to wear at all times.
Parents and guardians have to make sure that their children are not abused. In the same way, they should also not abuse their own children as children need to grow and develop in an environment which is not threatening or unsafe for them.
Responsibilities of children
As children, never think that you are young and don't have any responsibility to your parents and the government of Ghana.
You are the future leaders of the country who will take up the mantle when the old ones are gone and that is why parents and the government are doing their part to make sure you have all the resources to grow into responsible adults so that you also have to do your bit by doing the following, according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
1. Going to school and studying hard as well as respecting your teachers.
2. Taking care of yourself. For instance, brushing your teeth and bathing regularly.
3. Keeping the environment clean and neat.
4. Showing love and respect to others.
5. Respecting other people's beliefs and origins.
Ghana would be a happy place to live if we all did what was expected of us.
If the government does what is expected of it, parents will have better jobs and there will be no poverty so that children will not be abused or get pregnant, drop out of school and dashing their hopes of becoming dignified members of the society one day.
Children, since you are the future leaders of the country, the time to be responsible is now!
