The All-Liberian Conference on Dual Citizenship (ALCOD) is urging the legislature to give them a July 26 gift by passing into law their draft Dual Citizenship bill copies of which have been handed to all 173 members of the legislature. July 26 is Liberia’s Independence Day.
In the draft bill, ALCOD’s cause for dual citizenship is for natural-born Liberians, who are citizens of other countries. These Liberians are proposing an “Act to Amend Part III, Chapter 20, Section 20.1; Chapter 21, Sections 21.30, 21.31, 21.51 and 21.52; and Chapter 22, Sections 22.1, 22.2 & 22.4. of the Aliens and Nationality Law of the Liberian Codes of Law Revised, Vol. II.”
Speaking to FrontPage, Eminent Emmanuel S. Wettee, Chairman of ALCOD, which includes the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), European Federation of Liberian Associations (EFLA), Liberian Advocacy for Change (LAC), Federation of Liberia Communities in Australia (FLCA), United Liberian Association of Ghana (ULAG), Liberian Association of Canada (LAC), Conference of Liberian Organizations in Southwestern United States of America (CLOSUSA), said Liberians should do away with politics and look at the economic benefits that come along with the dual citizenship.
According to Eminent Wettee, ALCOD’s records show that there are at least 500,000 Liberians in the diaspora; and when all these people decide to come home and take up citizenship, the government is going to generate needed revenue from the process.
“Assuming that this bill passes and the Liberian Government charges every Liberian in the diaspora, who would want to come back and obtain their citizenship US$200, if 1000 persons apply within a month, it will amount to US$200,000 and when this is multiplied by 12 months, it will amount to US$2.4 million. This amount can fill a significant gap in the national revenue,” he said.
The ALCOD Chairman indicated that other countries are doing the same. “It’s being done by Ghana, Nigeria and other countries. Our government can generate this amount of money from time to time. The economic benefits that will come to Liberia are going to be enormous.
He also mentioned additional funding that would come from the money that will be paid for Covid-19 testing at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) when more and more people start to come home to get their citizenship.
“The government can use this money to cater to medical facilities that are now challenged. In addition to this, these diasporan Liberians who are going to be coming home, are going to begin building their homes and businesses. All those who are going to be hired to build those homes, are going to be their fellow Liberians and those Liberians are going to benefit from their salaries,” he further stated.
According to him, at the moment, some of those Liberians in the diaspora, are skeptical of investing in Liberia. “If the law is passed and Liberians begin to feel more attached to their country, we can organize a Liberian Diaspora Economic Conference, in which Liberian entrepreneurs in the diaspora will be encouraged to come back home and invest.”
“They are going to know that their investments will be protected as they are going to be recognized as citizens.”
The ALCOD Chairman argued that even now as Liberia battles the pandemic, they in the diaspora are helping massively, adding: “We are sending money, oxygen tanks, etc.” Eminent Wettee disclosed that a two-person delegation from ALCOD headed by Ms. Eliza B. Flahn, met with Deputy Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa and re-presented their draft bill to him. It’s these diasporic Liberians’ hope that lawmakers in the House of Representatives will see reasons to pass the bill and the Senate will concur with it.
Source: FPA
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