Lawmaker backs Dual Citizenship

RiverGee County Senator Conmany B. Wesseh seems to be in support of President George Weah’s recent suggestions for dual citizenship in Liberia, including granting land ownership right to non-Negroes.

Appearing on Power FM, a local radio station in Monrovia on Monday, February 19, he says Liberians are from a diverse background, and the tendency that everything they own would be taken away from them by foreign nationals is baseless.

“We must not be afraid of these things because what I see here is fear, if such can be done in other countries, what’s more of people coming here to be citizens?”, he asks.

Sen. Wesseh argues that if Liberians enjoyed the privilege to go to the United States, Canada, Germany and become citizens in these foreign countries, there should be no reason why nationals of these countries couldn’t come here and take up citizenship as well.

“We should expect other foreigners coming here to take up citizenship as well, so I don’t believe that foreigners will come here and take away things from people, all I see is fear, and we must find a way to handle this fear”, he emphasizes.

He continues that Liberians who traveled to other countries and took up citizenship and later returned home, look so good, and besides, not a single presidential candidate, including former Vice President Joseph Boakai object to dual citizenship, noting they all endorse it, so “let’s give people the chance.”
The Rivergee County Senator says there are many things Liberians should be thinking of rather than talking about Lawmakers reducing their salaries, saying “I think we should focus on poor education, health care institutions, among other things.”

His comments were in response to a caller’s question whether he would join President Weah in reducing his salary to help less fortunate Liberians. Sen. Wesseh adds that most of the individuals that talked about reducing their income never lived up to their promises, saying President Weah doesn’t have the power to reduce his own salary.

According to the senator, the Constitution of Liberia forbids a sitting President to reduce his salary, but if he received his salary and decided to use it in whatever way, that is left with him, but he can’t not instruct the Ministry of Finance to cut his salary.

The former AC Milan and Chelsea player, George Weah, defeated former Vice President Amb. Joseph N. Boakai in the presidential runoff election to succeed Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president, who stepped down in January 2018 after serving two terms.

In his first state of the nation address last month, President Weah announced that he would cut his salary by 25 percent. “Our currency is in free fall; inflation is rising, unemployment is at an unprecedented high and our foreign reserves are at an all-time low,” he noted, and urged members of his government, “Let us all remember that we were elected to serve the Liberian people and not to be masters of them” in an address that was interrupted by wild applause from the audience.

By Lewis S. Teh– Editing by Jonathan Browne