The panel at the Ashesi Citi Dialogue has encouraged Ghanaians to embrace a deeper, more active role in citizenship beyond simply casting votes in elections.
They said this would help propel the country on all fronts.
They were discussing ‘Scholarship, Leadership, Citizenship, and Nation Building,’ at the Ashesi Citi Dialogue, held in Accra on Thursday.
Dr. Maame Mensah-Bonsu, Head of the Department of Law, Humanities, and Social Science at Ashesi University, highlighted the responsibilities that come with being a citizen, stressing that true engagement goes far beyond the electoral queue.
“A citizen is invested in their country. There are duties and the duties are not simply to be in an electoral queue, although we respect that. But that is not it; it is knowing who you are supposed to be asking the questions and asking them and waiting for their answers and asking them the next time you see them if you don’t have your answers. Your MP should not be out of your country for 6 months and you know this. A real citizen protects their home, but enjoys their right,” she stated.
Dr. Pumpuni Asante, the Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships at CDD-Ghana, echoed a similar sentiment.
He emphasized that democratic societies rely on citizens who are not only aware of their rights but also committed to their responsibilities.
“Being a citizen comes with certain rights accrue to you that you get to exercise the same way you have duties. So, for any democratic society to thrive, you have to have active citizens who are aware of their rights but also aware of their responsibilities and exercising them on a daily basis. If that is missing, then we have a problem.”
“Do any type of citizenship type thing that is supposed to make democracy thrive and work. So I don’t think we are alive to our roles as citizens. We think that when we go and vote, the government that we elect should govern and we will get our bread and water. You have to almost be on that government from day 1 to the next election to make sure that you get the bread and the water. But I think that the gap is what we have to fill,” he stated.
Brigitte Dzogbenuku, Executive Director of Mentoring Women Ghana, also contributed to the discussion, urging citizens to be involved in their local communities and governance.
“When you live in a certain locality, find out who the assemblyman or woman is or say I want to be the Assembly person of this locality. If you want to be, support the one who wants to be and if you want to support the person, go and vote. Be involved in the local governance of your community and take it from there. Be concerned when you walk around and see things that are not right and speak up about it and it doesn’t matter on speaking against someone you know or your relation. It is about principles and values.
“We have so much gone against our principles and values in support of our political parties. We have become political people or partisan people rather than citizens, and that is where we have to change it. It is country first, before the political party,” she stated.
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