Monrovia – A United States based rights group, the “Universal Human Rights International (UHRI) is urging the government of Liberia to grant visa waiver to Liberian born who have acquired the citizenship of other countries in search for greener pasture and safety during the heat of the civil crisis.
The head of UHRI, Rev. Torli Krua believes that this will encourage those Liberians to contribute to the private sector meaningfully and provide jobs for many people back home adding “this does not necessarily mean they should be allowed to hold dual citizenship.”
Rev. Krua argued that makes little sense for the Liberian government to allow citizens of other West African countries to enter Liberia without but request payments from those whose navel strings are buried in Liberia.
“During the war, I tried to start business in ECOWAS countries and it was impossible. Now, ECOWAS citizens come to Liberia without a visa to do business, bring their relatives to work and take their profits back home.
The current ruling elites sponsored or fought in the war that drove Liberians into exile. The Diaspora Liberians still support their families in Liberia. While government officials and foreign business men are sending money out of Liberia.
If the president truly desires lawmakers to pass a “dual citizenship ” bill why isn’t she taking the first steps toward reconciliation, family integration and economic revitalization by issuing an executive order which only the president has the authority to sign?” Rev. Krua stated.
In order to create an economic stimulus, UHRI calls on the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf led administration to immediately issue an executive order granting visa waiver to all Liberians forced into exile because of the military coup and brutal Liberian Civil War in the interests of national reconciliation, family reunion and economic recovery.
President Sirleaf supports “Dual Citizenship” why isn’t she taking the first step with visa waiver for Liberians? Why isn’t she supporting Liberian refugees using her pen and the authority given her by the people of Liberia?
“If other countries accepted Liberians fleeing for their lives, surely Liberia must encourage former refugees to return. Liberia already offers visa waiver to over 300 million ECOWAS citizens based on protocols to promote trade and business.
The economic impact of visa waiver for the Liberian Diaspora far exceeds economic benefits Liberia gains from ECOWAS gratis visa because compared to ECOWAS citizens, Liberian Diaspora support families in Liberia while ECOWAS citizens support their families in their native countries.
For example, Diaspora Liberians send remittances from overseas to Liberia while ECOWAS citizens send remittances from Liberia to their native countries.
Diaspora Liberians visiting or starting businesses in Liberia directly benefit Liberia through employment of relatives and friends who are Liberians while ECOWAS citizens doing business in Liberia import their relatives and friends to Liberia to work.
The economic impact has been argued by President Sirleaf in her speeches. Only President Sirleaf has the authority to issue a visa waiver executive order. Action speaks louder than words, therefore we urge her at the 11th hour to issue the executive order,” the group advocated.
The indefinite temporary protection to all Liberian refugees in America because of historic discrimination that forced African Americans into exile in 1822 and also call on Congress to pass a comprehensive Liberian immigration relief bill. It can be recalled that 54,000 Chinese were also granted temporary status by an Executive Order 12711 issued by President George Bush Sr. on 11 April 1990.
Three months of pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square that resulted in death of 300 people according to official accounts were the justifications for the executive order. Compare the Chinese justification to the 14 year civil war in Liberia that killed 250000 people.
In 1992, Democrat Nancy Pelosi and Senator Gorton sponsored The Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992, granting 54,000 Chinese permanent residencies in America.
The unnecessary suffering of Liberian citizens at home and abroad, the group emphasized, will no longer be overlooked by donors and international partners.
“We call on all Liberians to pool their talents together to rebuild the country and work for the greater common good of society. We call for participatory democracy that empowers ordinary citizens to directly make laws and set the salaries and benefits of public servants.
True patriots don’t have to be president in order to bring change in their country. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. could never have accomplished his life’s dream had he been stuck in elective office,” UHRI stressed.
In a dispatch, UHRI said former US Congressman, Benjamin Swan, Democrat and former Member of the House of Representatives has agreed to help advance the cause of the Patriotic Entrepreneurs of Liberia (PATEL) to the international community against high taxes and unfavorable business conditions being instituted against Liberian businesses. The group is also inviting Executives of PATEL to the US and participate in its civic leadership conference this spring.
“As we witness the silence of the world in the face of economic hardship facing Liberians and American families and read of the deployment of 59 cruise missiles, we are reminded of the words of American President Dwight D. Eisenhower: “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone.
It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children…”
Being fully cognizant of the global economy we now live in, local issues have international ramifications. The economic suffering of Liberians at home does not exist in a vacuum because the suffering of thousands of Liberians worldwide has been largely ignored by authorities,” the group indicated.
Across the United States, according to the rights group, even American families are also struggling financially but no one hears about this adding “we need concerted international efforts to end human suffering and promote the greater common good of humanity, beginning with the plight of Liberians at home and abroad” stressing “we need the business community whether they are from India, Lebanon or Nigeria; even so we also need fairness and giving back to community.”
The head of the group, Rev. Torli Krua suggested the need to establish a voluntary consumer network as part of the economic system because supply and demand are two sides of the same coin and the consumers are as important as the suppliers.
He pointed out that stakeholders shall also address the root cause of economic difficulties which the group believes is rooted in the excessive salaries and benefits that undermine the quality of life and sustainable development in Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria and many foreign aid dependent countries.
Commenting on the plight of Liberians in the United States, the group leader said the status of Liberians on indefinite “temporary” status since 1991 in the USA and the status of Liberian women evacuated with their American born children to America in 2003 and effectively abandoned by both the Liberian and United States governments need to be urgently addressed; economic hardship facing Liberians at home and abroad and the erosion of democracy in Liberia with the appointment of mayors and chiefs cannot be ignored; excessive salaries of Liberian politicians and how it undermines peace and stability need to be brought to the attention of donors and international partners.
The group continued: “visa waiver for Liberian victims of the brutal civil war who sought refuge in the USA and elsewhere is a right of refugees to return under international law. President Sirleaf financially support Charles Taylor when he started the brutal civil war that killed 250,000 Liberians. Surely she must assist the victims who fled to return by simply issuing an executive order opening the doors that has been shut so that reconciliation can begin.”
The rights group also stated that democracy in Liberia is being eroded by the fact that an elected president has absolute powers to appoint all judges, all governors, all mayors, all traditional chiefs, all ministers of government; all heads of public corporations and all members of the boards of public corporation.
“Well, people do things they feel they can get away with. How many American would tolerate President Trump appointing all the governors of every state, all mayors of every American city, all sheriffs of every county and all members of the boards of every public corporation? Liberians are people too and “people everywhere just want to be free!”
It’s not good enough to say “We welcome refugees!” Refugees don’t desire to be refugees! Would you kindly join us in working for peace to prevent another unnecessary refugee crisis? “Prevention is better than cure,” the group maintained.
They went on to say that unnecessary conflict is brewing in Liberia because government has ascribed absolute powers contrary to the Liberian Constitution which is crystal clear: “all power is inherent in the people.
All free governments are instituted by their authority and for their benefit and they have the right to alter and reform the same when their safety and happiness so require.”
Excessive salaries of Liberian politicians and how it undermines peace and stability
The group bemoans that “American families also need money because American families are struggling too. According to the Social Security Administration, in 2014, forty percent of working Americans earn less than $20,000 annually.
Compare the American income to that of Liberian citizens and politicians: Liberians police officers earn US$1,920 annually, public school teachers earn US$1,560, Liberian medical doctors US$24,000 annually; the Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate earns US$482,203.00 annually, the Liberian Speaker of the House earns US$444,945.00 annually, and deputy speaker earns US$440,961.00 annually.
Members of the Liberian House of Representatives earn US$209,516.00 annually while Liberian Senators annual income is US$193,416.00.”