Reynoldsburg, OH – The All Liberian Conference on Dual Citizenship (ALCDC), an umbrella organization of Liberian communities in the diaspora, is calling on President George Weah and Senate Pro-Tempore Albert Chie to prevail on the Liberian Senate to pass into law an act amending the 1974 Alien and Nationality Law to allow dual citizenship in Liberia before taking their legislative break.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
According to the group, since the bill was introduced at the Liberia Senate by Senators H. Varney G. Sherman (Grand Cape Mount County), Armah Zulu Jallah (Gbarpolu) and Geraldine Doe-Sheriff (Montserrado), it is yet to be passed.
Said the group, “According to the Senate rules, if Senator Albert Chie, President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate, does not put the bill up for a vote and the Senate leaves for a break on August 31, 2018, the bill will not be discussed again until the Senate returns in 2019. In this light, The All-Liberian Conference on Dual Citizenship, representing over 500,000 Liberians in the Diaspora is appealing to both Senator Albert Chie, President Pro-Tempore and President George Weah to encourage the Liberian Senate to vote on the bill before their August 31st break.”
ALCDC’s appeal was contained in a statement signed by its Chairman, Emmanuel S. Wettee, and heads of several Liberian communities in the diaspora.
In the communication, the group further stated that despite the contributions of Diaspora Liberians to the country’s economy, political leaders, including lawmakers are not prepared to amend the 1974 Alien and Nationality Law to allow dual citizenship.
They are also awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision on the constitutionality of the 1974 Alien and Nationality Law, a case submitted by Cllr. Seward Cooper, representing A. Jalloh Teage as the plaintiff in March 2017.
As President Weah is preparing to address the United Nations General Assembly, the group expressed hope that the President will directly ask the Liberian Senate to take a vote on the bill and the Supreme Court to decide on the March 2017 case.
Further pushing their case for dual citizenship, the group cited a joint survey report by the World Bank and the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), placing Liberia among countries that receive the highest remittances in Sub-Saharan Africa.
It stated that the survey revealed that remittances to Liberia grew from US$360 million in 2011 to US$549 million in 2016, representing 27 percent of Liberia’s GDP, adding that 75 percent of remittances from abroad to Liberians came from immediate family members.
According to the group, 60 percent of transfers received were done informally, while in 2014 and 2016, about 40 percent of the total transfers received were done through traceable methods such as Western Union, Money Gram or Mobile Money.
In the statement, they also mentioned that Liberians in the United States rank first in the inflow of remittances to Liberia with the inflow of remittances from the US constituting 70 percent of the total inflow to Liberia in 2014 and 61 percent in 2016.
ALCDC: “The World Bank and LISGIS findings also noted that Diaspora Liberians in other countries provided 15 percent of inflows in 2014 and three percent in 2016.” The report, however, uncovered that in 2014, Liberia became the second top remittance-sender in the world, and during that year, Liberia remitted US$366 million, which accounted for 18.2 percent of its GDP.
“With such a report it is very difficult, if not impossible to understand why Liberians are claiming that Diaspora Liberians and to be specific those Liberians who have changed their citizenship have abandoned their country, Liberia. How have Diaspora Liberians abandoned Liberia when they are providing scholarships, healthcare, sharing knowledge and skills with their peers in Liberia and providing vast amounts of money for family and friends?” the group asked rhetorically.
Meanwhile signatories to the group’s statements include, Yamba Fofana, president of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), Kingston Washington Wleh Sr., president, European Federation of Liberian Associations (EFLA), Mohamed Salia Dukuly, president, Federation of Liberian Communities in Australia (FOLICA), Inc., Francis Williams, president, Conference of Liberian Organizations in the Southwestern United States (COLOSUS), Julia Mardea Richards, president United Liberian Association in Ghana (ULAG), John F. Lloyd, National Chairman, Coalition of Concern Liberians (CCL).