MONROVIA – The All-Liberian Conference on Dual Citizenship (ALCOD) has donated several oxygen tanks to the Star Base Covid_19 Treatment Unit on the Bushrod Island in Monrovia.
The life tanks, which are 10 canisters, are valued at over 403,000 Liberian dollars. ALCOD has promised to donate more, needed medications for Covid-19 treatment centers across the country.
The oxygen tanks were handed to Dr. Ibrahim A. Ajami by Rev. Marcus Sherman and Madam Eliza B. Flahn, representatives of ALCOD. ALCOD represents the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), European Federation of Liberian Associations (EFLA), Liberian Advocacy for Change (LAFC), Federation of Liberia Communities in Australia (FOLICA), United Liberian Association of Ghana (ULAG), Liberian Association of Canada (LAC), and Conference of Liberian Organizations in Southwestern United States of America (CLOSUSA). ALCOD is the largest Liberian diaspora organization advocating for dual citizenship in Liberia since 2012.
Making the presentation to the Liberian health authority, this diasporic Liberian group, ALCOD, said it was their way of identifying with their compatriots back home in Liberia during these difficult times of the fight against the deadly Covid_19 virus.
Dr. Ajami, who received the tanks, full with the precious element of life, oxygen, thanked ALCOD for the donation and added that they are going to be used appropriately in the fight against the virus.
While the donation was ALCOD’s first direct intervention in the fight against the Coronavirus disease in Liberia, it was by no means these diasporic Liberians’ first interventions in helping their fellow countrymen and women recover from other shackles, including the 2014 Ebola virus disease outbreak. They have also immensely contributed to the revitalization of the nation’s economy by remitting monthly, hundreds of thousands of United States Dollars to their family and loved ones back home across the country. ALCOD is encouraging more diaspora Liberian organizations to join the effort to fight Covid-19 and save lives.
Eminent Emmanuel Wettee, who leads ALCOD at the moment, once told this newspaper that there is no better way to demonstrate allegiance to their ancestral homeland than sending remittances every day to sustain loved ones, replacing brain drain with brain gain, providing employment opportunities as they are investing in the country and providing humanitarian services to their fellow Liberians. These remittances represent a significant part of the Liberian economy. “Many Liberians may not be aware that the country relies heavily on remittances. Diaspora Liberians are lifelines for relatives in Liberia, sending remittances each month in millions of United States dollars. Remittances to Liberia have averaged nearly US$40 million a month. It reached an all-time high of US$174.90 million in March of 2017. This is an enormous contribution to the struggling economy.” In that same interview, Eminent Wettee also thanked President George Manneh Weah for “singularly” championing the aspirations of over 500,000 diasporic Liberians. “We remain indebted to him for his bold and measured leadership on dual citizenship for natural born Liberians. It is no gainsaying that we feel strongly bounded by blood to our ancestral homeland and are unequivocal about maintaining our Liberian citizenship.”
Members of ALCOD, who contributed to the procuring of the oxygen tanks include Liberian Advocacy for Change, Professor Willie Kamara, Mr. and Mrs. Wilmot Kunney, Mr. and Mrs. J. Shiwoh Kamara, Mr. and Mrs. Alphon Tongor, Full Gospel Church, ULTIMATE TOO, INC, Dr. Vera Tolbert, Eminent Emmanuel S. Wettee, Mohammed Kieta, Siaka Sheriff, Beverly Harris and Abdulla Sillah.
