Africa youths need job opportunity

The deputy commissioner for administration at the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization or BIN, Col. Peter F. Zaizay, has emphasized here that youth in Africa needs job opportunity for economic empowerment.

Col. Zaizay challenged governments on the continent to see creation of job opportunity as one key factor to national development. The commissioner noted that youth in African are dying overseas as a result of leaving their various countries to go to Europe in search of greener pasture.

He spoke Friday, October 16, at program marking Global Diaspora week in Monrovia celebrated under the auspices of the Accountability Lab. It brought together business people from the diaspora, and countries from the Mano River basin, including Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast.

The program was held under the theme, “Celebrating Global Consciousness” to appreciate those from the diaspora coming to Liberia to invest in the economy. Speaking on cross border movement within the MRU, Zaizay said the BIN is working along with counterparts at various border points across the country to ensure security, stressing that the issue of free movement should be taken into serious consideration by MRU authorities.

He said the Government of Liberia is concerned about free movement of citizens and has plan to introduce an ECOWAS Biometric Identification Card in the sub-region that would directly represent passport, saying often people, who migrate from one place to another face difficulties but with the establishment of the ECOWAS Biometric Card, people could migrate to the next MRU country without encountering problem.

He added that the biometric identification card is also intended to help register  businesses of citizens, who want to migrate to other African countries with the  desire of doing business there, including opening of bank accounts, saying the biometric card will also give every necessary information about a person, whether you are a Liberian, Ivorian, Guinean  or Sierra Leonean.

Meanwhile, an official of the Accountability Lab, Lawrence Yealue, said the program was meant to appreciate the important role play by those in the diasporas.“We as must express our gratitude to various diaspora organizations that are working with us in Liberia for their numerous supports to us especially during the heat of the deadly Ebola crisis.

He recalled that when the Ebola virus disease hit Liberia in March  last year, diaspora organizations assisted the national government in carrying  out awareness, and distributing other essential materials to community dwellers in Montserrado County and its environs, saying “We just want to say thank you and appreciate you for your hard and tireless effort to Liberia.”

By Lewis S. Teh