Civic education entails process of impacting knowledge of rights, values, total-knowledge development and attitudes towards the affairs of the state to the citizens. As citizens enjoys their rights in the state, there are certain duties and obligation expected of the citizens to keep the state flourishing.
This obligations and duties are expected to start from the 'grassroot' (local community) to national level. They include the following :-
1) Obedience to rules and regulations:- Citizens are expected to abide by the laws, rules and regulations of the state they reside. Because law offenders has certain penalty as prescribed by the constitution of the state. However, citizens should deviate from unconventional or outlawed activities that would breach the peace, harmony and orderliness in the state.
2) Environmental sanitation:- Citizens should maintain cleanliness of their environment. They should ensure that their environment is free from dirtiness, they should not dispose waste any how on the road. There is a parlance that "cleanliness is next to godliness", so cleanliness creates healthy environment and makes healthy individuals.
3) Payment of taxes:- Taxes are those money that you pay to government for them to continue to initiate and complete projects, including running of public services such armed forces, the police, public corporations, provision of basic amenities, free education, etc. Also taxes are paid according to individual's income and business. Students don't pay taxes. A good and passionate citizen must pay his/her taxes accordingly and should avoid tax aversion.
4) Promotion of peace:- A good citizen must learn how to promote peace and should desist from activities that would generate turmoil or disorderly of the peace of the society. Citizens are expected to promote peace at all levels, in whatever they does, and by doing this, a harmonized and peaceful society is certain.
5) Promotion of national unity:- Citizens are expected to avoid from activities that would breach the unity of the nation like hate speeches, tribalistic behaviours, violent-inciting activities and the government should ensure good and competent measures in running the affairs of the state, avoid human rights abuses and maintain citizenry equity before the law. And by doing this, the citizens will live as one.
6) Protection of territorial integrity:- A good citizen must work to protect the interest and territorial integrity of his state and by doing this, he joins security organizations like the armed forces, the police, and others to protect his state from internal and external integrity. A good citizen is also expected to defend his state when the need arise.
7) Respect for the constitution:- Citizens should respect the constitution by abiding by rules and regulations and laws of the state. Also judicial personnel's and other political figures/authority should always respect the rule of law and should desist from anti-national activities, behaviours or speeches that may go against the constitution.
8) Curbing of crimes:- Every citizen should help in curbing of crimes by helping the security agents with helpful and necessary information they need to know about law offenders and criminals. A good citizen should be an unidentified spy to his neighbour and should always report any unusual activities or behaviours to the nearest authority or to the police.
10) Hardworking:- A good and passionate citizens should work tirelessly to contribute to the growth and development of his/her state. A country that harbours lazy citizens has reduced progress. For instance, a good citizen must study hard to represent his/her country in any competition and thereby make the country proud.
11) Security:- In this point, a good citizen should always be security conscious of his environment. Also the members of the armed forces should always discharge their duties accordingly to protect the lives of citizens, valuable properties and territorial integrity of the state.
12) Proper use of amenities:- A good citizen must learn how to properly make use of government provided properties. The properties may range from social amenities (those things that support life) such as public toilets, pipe borne water, park, stores etc.
13) Popular participation:- Citizens are expected to maintain active involvement in the affairs or activities of their state (government). This cut across political involvement, economic and social involvement. A good citizen is expected to exercise his/her franchise whenever election is taking place.
However, adhering to the above defines someone as good citizen. For the state to flourish, the citizens should plays active role in affairs of their government. The elites, illiterate, and literates should have the unrestricted rights to participate in running of their state and the government is also expected to give maximum freedom to their citizens to do so.
