-Launches swift investigation
Amid the recent wave of the unstableness of electricity supply by the Liberia Electric Cooperation (LEC) over the last few weeks, the House of Representatives appears troubled about the situation, as it has mandated its committee on State Owned Enterprise, and Public Utilities to look into the matter and report in a week.
The House decision was triggered by a communication from Grand Bassa County District #1, Representative Isaac G. Bannie, curving the House indulgence to invite the Management Team of the Liberia Electricity Corporation to provide reasons for the disappointing unstableness of electricity in the Country and state the remedy.
“Honorable Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues: I present compliments from the peace-loving people of District #1, Grand Bassa County. I am honored to bring to the attention of this noble body a serious national matter that warrants urgent intervention.”
He stressed: “Honorable Speaker and distinguished colleagues, I have observed with keen interest the inequitable and inconsistent power supply by the Liberia Electricity Corporation (L.E.C) in Monrovia and its environs. Such practice has the propensity to destroy lives and cause other forms of inconveniences.”
Predicated upon this, he asked the body
to invite the Management Team of the Liberia Electricity Corporation to provide reasons for such embarrassment and state the remedy.
At the same time, the House has tasked its Committees on Judiciary, labor, Good Governance, and Foreign Affairs to look into
a proposal for amendment of the Liberia Aliens and Nationality Law of 2022.
The House decision followed a communication from Nimba County District 7, Representative Musa Hassan Bility. “I submit herewith a proposal for amendment of the Liberia Aliens and Nationality Law of 2022. The submission is an omnibus bill that would revise and codify all of our laws relating to immigration, naturalization, and nationality. The Bill undertakes a general revision and modernization of these laws that is needed and long overdue, particularly with respect to citizenship, immigration and naturalization, and seeks to provide a policy that is in tune with the current global realities that takes us a step forward, especially in view of the crying need for reform in this area.”
In recent years, he noted: “Our citizenship, immigration, and naturalization policy has become a matter of major national concern with questions about its effect on our national and cultural fabric. What we do in this area is vital to the continued growth and development in our quest for unification among Liberians, critical to our economic and social strength, pertinent to the conduct of our foreign relations, and most importantly, critical to our responsibilities of moral
leadership in the struggle for unity.”
The lawmaker stated that the bill recognizes the great domestic and international significance of citizenship, immigration, and naturalization policies, and takes a step to improve existing laws to alleviate
the perpetuation of division that hamper the efforts they are making to rally support for unification and decrease the repressive and inhumane aspects of our immigration procedures by removing restrictions on the citizenship of natural-born Liberians and their children, removing
unnecessary barriers to immigration and naturalization, and alternative immigration and migration requirements.
He believes It also strikes down the marks of prejudice and removes repressive measures directed at all who seek a new and better life within our borders. In his opinion, the Bill also addresses the need to remove archaic and colonial references to Black people and women.
“Today, it seems that we are still “protecting” ourselves, as we were in 1876 during the colonial and slave period, against being flooded by immigrants and even diaspora Liberians. However, this period has long since ended and we do not need to be protected in this manner. On the contrary, we need to open our doors and welcome citizenship, immigration, and naturalization
as a means to economic development and growth. In no other area of our nation’s laws are we so encumbered by the dead hand of the past, as we are in our citizenship, immigration, and naturalization policies.”
He added: “We must not limit our social growth or hold our economic growth to the environment of 1876 but rather should welcome progress and change to meet changing conditions in every sphere of life.
Now is the time to start shaking off the dead weight of past mistakes – the time to develop laws on citizenship, immigration, and naturalization that are a true reflection of the ideals we proclaim to stand for.”
The lawmaker referenced: “In the last few years, we begun this work with the enactment of the dual
citizenship clause. This was a major win for Liberia. We must continue the work to further create laws not to keep people out, but to bring qualified and productive people in and find better ways to meet the immigration challenges of the 1870s that are so prevalent in our Alien and Nationality Law.”
He urged the body, “We must not restrict the inalienable rights of natural born Liberians, who have taken on the citizenship of other countries but not denounced Liberian citizenship, to serve their country as elected officials. We must instead recognize the conditions and necessities that compelled our citizens in the diaspora to seek citizenship elsewhere in the world and not subject them and their children to discriminatory practices.”
“We must adequately deal with the provisions of our existing laws related to the qualifications of aliens and immigrants for admission and the administration of the laws. We must not make it difficult for people of character and investors to enter and become resident aliens of our country.
We must instead remove the looming threat of surreptitious deportation at any
moment that makes Resident Aliens frightened to invest and/or cause capital flight.”
Moreover, he says: “We must not exhibit the distrust evidenced in the current laws for citizens and aliens alike, especially at a time when we need unity at home, the confidence of our citizens abroad, and the support of our foreign investors residing in the country.
We have adequate and fair provisions in our present law to protect us against the entry of criminals. Our attention must instead be drawn to enforcing those provisions instead of keeping or creating antiquated mechanisms to keep our doors closed in the name of “protection”.
Representative Bility urged his colleagues of the 55th House of Representatives to approve this amendment as it will strengthen Liberians, both at home and abroad.
