Rabbi Gbaba’s Response to Some Salient Points Raised by Joseph Fayiah Borbor McCabe Regarding the Conversation the Dual Citizenship: Part Four Dear Readers: Several weeks ago prior to the death of our Brother Thomas Eric Duncan, the martyr, I was challenged by some Liberians regarding an article I wrote entitled: “In Times Such as These We Need Dual Citizenship Fast!” As a Rabbi I accepted the challenge and provided some answers to address some of my participants’ queries but there was one participant whose sophisticated inquiry I requested his permission to table in order to give me more time to adequately address the issues he raised, and that was Mr. Joseph Fayiah Borbor McCabe’s questions. Today I am pleased to provide both Mr. McCabe’s questions and my responses to help the general public gain greater insights on the conversation regarding the legalization of dual citizenship in Liberia. Please note this is an issue that will either break or make Liberia a prosperous nation in the near future. So, I beg that you please take your own time to read this document line by line; and, if you have any additional inputs to add to the conversation, please feel free to do so in the interest of all Liberians at home and abroad. Also, I hope that those who have submitted the initial dual citizenship proposal to the National Legislature in Liberia may have an opportunity to read the remarks in this document and if possible remodel the appeal before it goes on the floor for discussion and approval by the joint Houses of Legislature in Liberia. Remember the interests of our children and grandchildren, including our own interests, are at stake. Therefore, hopefully it is through this democratic process of dialogue, or through the process of give and take, that we may be able to disagree in order to agree on this crucial national issue as civilized rational beings. In addition and due to the length of this document, I have decided to post it in segments. So please make sure that you follow the sequence to better understand the conversation or argument at bay. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you as your Rabbi and professor. Let us start with Mr. McCabe’s question below: Joseph Fayiah Borbor McCabe: “Mr. Joseph Gbaba , although I have some uncertainties about your argument, you have written a cogent and coherent argument in favor of dual citizenship especially when I consider your style and proper usage of grammar in the English language. Anyways, like the economic incentive that international trade offers to both the home country of the exporters and importers, dual citizenship has economic advantages and disadvantages for both the home country and the adopted country if not only the home country. I will not delve into the particular absolute advantage, absolute disadvantage, comparative advantage and comparative disadvantage of dual citizenship because I have not fully studied the issues because I do not have the data to do a comparative quantitative analysis based on countries who have implemented such law. However, although I am in favor of a dual citizenship bill due to these economic incentives as they relate to comparative advantages and comparative disadvantages depending on the particular sector of both countries markets or industries, I am not certain if proponents of dual citizenship have fully articulated some of the pros and cons of dual citizenship.” Rabbi Gbaba: First of all, I would like to apologize for the time lapse in replying you. I was bereaved by the death of Thomas Eric Duncan and the manipulation of the American press regarding his medical and racial treatment and how the entire issue was politicized. I hope that within the next couple of weeks after the distractions of other nurses being infected as a result of ‘treating’ Eric Duncan that the Presbyterian Health Hospital in Dallas, Texas will explain to the world what really transpired and how come caregivers were infected if at all they were administering the appropriate treatment to Eric Duncan during his stay in the hospital. However, this is what you get if you do not put your own house in order: that is, if you do not prioritize the needs of your fellow citizens and if you do not centralize the greater interests of the country and its citizens in the daily administration of your country as a leader. That said let us resume our conversation from where we stopped the last time. However, in answering your questions, Mr. McCabe, I decided to break your comments into arguable blocks in order to do justice to your well thought and impressive rendering because anyone reading your expose above will immediately gather that you came prepared to converse in good spirit knowing very well the probing mind you want to tap or engage. Thus, it is quite natural to have uncertainties whenever you are not convinced about a certain argument or conversation, especially as it pertains to the issue of legalizing dual citizenship in Liberia. Also, I agree as you stated that proponents of dual citizenship have not fully articulated some of the pros and cons of dual citizenship and so there is a dire need for further clarification. Below are a few reasons why I concur with your suggestion: Clearly Redefining Dual Citizenship for the Benefit of All Liberians 1. While the legalization of dual citizenship may have more good come out of it than the bad, it is very important that those who promote the concept of dual citizenship clearly state or define in lay man’s terms what type of dual citizenship they are talking about because dual citizenship may be defined in several categories: A. Dual citizenship for natural born Liberians (Liberians born in Liberia of both Liberian parents) that naturalized as citizens of other nations around the world due to unforeseeable circumstances such as civil wars, threat of life, etc., but that want to retain their Liberian citizenship; B. Dual citizenship for natural born Liberians (one of whose parents is a Liberian citizen and the other is a foreign national—say—a Nigerian or a Lebanese—but that declares his or her Liberian citizenship when that individual turns 18 years old according to the Constitution of Liberia; but who consequently naturalized as a citizen of another nation due to unforeseen circumstances such as civil war, natural disasters that caused the individual (s) to leave Liberia against their will; C. Dual citizenship for an individual born as a foreign national but of negro descent(meaning a member of the Black Race) that goes through the naturalization process with the National Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization in order to become citizen of Liberia and who eventually escapes Liberia during the civil war and naturalized as a citizen of another nation but still wants to retain his Liberian citizenship because of his or her love of and attraction to Liberia and Liberians; D. Dual citizenship for foreign born nationals like Lebanese, Syrians, Caucasians from European, American continents, Mongoloids from Asia or those from Australia, and far ends of the world, etc., who may be currently barred from becoming citizens of Liberia due to the racial clause in the original Constitution of Liberia designating Liberia as a state purposely founded to secure the sovereign rights of members of the Black race; and so forth. Reasons Why Dual Citizensship Is a Nut to Crack in Liberia 2. In view of the categories above, I would first of all opt for A, B, C because the underlying purpose for the founding of the Republic of Liberia as a modern state was to preserve a safe haven for all free men and women of color; to empower members of the Black Race to enjoy their sovereign rights and independence from the domination of the colonial world or foreign domination. Hence, the subject of dual citizenship in Liberia has always been a sticky issue or a hard nut to crack in Liberia because it was not clearly defined and also because Liberians fear that by naturalizing non-Negroid citizens as citizens of Liberia it would be equivalent to selling their birth rites; and that history will be repeating itself in terms of the recurrence of the vicious cycle of slavery and neo-slavery. 3. Another sticky issue surrounding the saga of dual citizenship in Liberia is because most politicians in Liberia today are satisfied with the high rate of illiteracy in Liberia. They are benefiting greatly by keeping most of the citizens in the dark as they reap and ransack the limited resources of Liberia while the vast majority of Liberians are silenced against their constitutional will and human rights. 4. Also, those in power these days will do anything within their power to make sure that many Liberians die of diseases, mayhems, atrocities in order to significantly reduce the population of Liberia. Some examples of my assertion include: a. Funding and abetting rebel incursions and the massacre or mass murder of more than a quarter million Liberians without those most responsible for the atrocities being held accountable for the consequences of their actions; but instead they are being rewarded with big public offices in order to safeguard themselves from being prosecuted and to prolong the suffering of the Liberian masses as they illegally fill their pockets with public funds and equip themselves to bring to bear more chaos among the Liberian people should they be toppled from power by the masses; b. The deliberate attempt of some Liberian leaders not to improve the educational sector of the country even despite the fact that the international community realized that one effective way to uplift the spirits of a war trodden people is to educate them to know the difference between right and wrong; to learn and know their constitutional rights; to encourage scholarship and research; to construct state-of-the-art learning institutions that are well equipped to develop and meet the manpower needs of Liberia; c. The deliberate refusal of those in power to pay teachers’ salaries on time and to foster better teacher training facilities with the sole aim to deprive underprivileged Liberian youth the opportunity to become future knowledgeable and productive citizens of Liberia and of the universe; d. The deliberate closure of schools during the Ebola outbreak as educational sabotage to keep Liberian children out of school and to keep them from learning so that they may continue to be illiterate third and fourth class citizens of Liberia while the children of those in power are sent abroad to continue their education and advance themselves; e. The deliberate opening of night clubs and movie halls and entertainment centers while schools are closed to prevent Liberian children from learning and to keep them ill-prepared so they may have a dreary future in order to keep the children of the haves of society far ahead of their underprivileged colleagues; f. Deliberate attempt of the powers-that-be not to provide better health care facilities so that those who cannot afford to travel abroad to seek medical attention may die of curable diseases and thus consequently adversely affect the population growth of Liberia; g. Deliberate attempt of the powers-that-be to glamorize murder, lawlessness, thievery, corruption, and nepotism so that sustainable peace and stability will not be attained in Liberia in the near future and in order for those in power to continue to be relevant in the eyes of the ignorant and illiterate masses of Liberia; h. Conniving and bribing the international community and international humanitarian organizations such as the United Nations in particular so that its peace-keeping mission will be thwarted and thus prolong the state of warfare, mayhem, atrocities, and uncertainties in Liberia; i. Deliberate attempt of those in power to choke local production of foods and nutritional goods so that Liberians will be everlastingly dependent on foreign handouts and the importation of their nutritional needs from abroad, such as the flimsy excuse that was given not to close Liberia’s borders with Guinea during the outbreak of the Ebola epidemic on grounds that Liberians depends on Guinea to provide peppers when Liberia was known throughout the world as the malagueta Coast (the Coast where the malagueta Peppers were grown), and so why can’t Liberians grow their own peppers and staple diet? The Fears of Present Day Liberian Leaders on the Ground 5. Thus in the instance of granting dual citizenship to Liberians abroad, the present powers-that-be in Liberia understand that most natural born Liberians who are advocating dual citizenship in Liberia constitute the intelligentsia of Liberia. They understand that most Liberians that live abroad are the ones with most of the technical and sophisticated experiences and expertise that can help to make a difference in terms of making sure that the processes of genuine democracy, national healing, reconciliation, reconstruction, and rehabilitation are carried out successfully. 6. But on the contrary, this is not how those on the ground see or perceive their fellow Liberians who live abroad. Rather, they see proponents of dual citizenship as a threat to their existence. They feel that if Liberians abroad are permitted to assimilate into the Liberian political and economic infrastructure based on the legalization of dual citizenship in Liberia, their fears are that: a. the huge sums of money those in government (Executive, Judiciary, and Legislative) make without doing anything tangible to justify their inclusion will be curtailed; b. that Liberian warlords and economic criminals will be prosecuted and held accountable for the consequences of their actions and that genuine rule of law will be reinstated; c. whereas as well those on the ground take great pleasure and advantage of the prevailing chaos and lawlessness in Liberia to enrich themselves and to suppress the masses and conspicuously deprive them of the basic necessities of life, such as: 1. the lack of safe pipe-borne drinking water; 2. lack of electricity, 3. lack of well-equipped hospitals and schools; 4. lack of paved and safe highways; 5. the lack of good agricultural programs that will empower Liberians to become self-sufficient in food production and export of cash crops, goods and services in order to improve its money economy, and so forth. Joseph Fayiah Borbor McCabe: “Therefore, I hope that you broaden the scope of your argument in favor of dual citizenship by considering the following underlying mode of unanswered thoughts. For instance, if Liberia passes a dual citizenship bill, are proponents of dual citizenship willing to pay double taxation on the money they earned in the adopted country to the home country? If the answer is yes, then, we need to work out a logistical process as to how these taxes will be administered and collected.” Rabbi Gbaba: As dual citizens of Liberia those granted this status will be obliged under oath to meet their obligations as citizens of Liberia. They will not be an exception to the rule. Instead, they will be equally protected and prosecuted under the laws of Liberia as any other Liberian in terms of paying taxes or in terms of seeking a better livelihood in Liberia; but, in the event where those with dual citizenship commit crimes in Liberia and escape to their second countries Liberia will have the power under international laws to have them extradited in order for the culprits to face the law and transparent justice in Liberia. Therefore, I strongly think it is appropriate for those with dual citizenship to pay taxes in Liberia as they do annually in the United States and in other countries where they are naturalized, and this may bring added revenues into the coffers of Liberia, especially in terms of hard and much needed foreign currencies. Joseph Fayiah Borbor McCabe: “Also, if the so purposes of advocating for a dual citizenship bill in Liberia is for Liberians aboard to contribute their technical know-how along with the synergies that will follow to Liberia, why haven’t this experiment or phenomenon been tested, which could be used as one of the premises to the dual citizenship-proponents’ argument?” One Bad Apple Spoils the Whole Bunch! Rabbi Gbaba: Sir, you know there is a saying that “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch”. I want to believe that it was the initial intent of Mrs. Sirleaf to include Liberians abroad in the reconstruction process of Liberia when she invited those she thought had the expertise to help her rebuild Liberia. Unfortunately, what Mrs. Sirleaf did not do was to set up a mechanism through which there would be absolute checks and balances among the three main branches of government (Executive, Legislative, Judiciary) in terms of establishing a national system void of “who know you”, nepotism, and a revenge system for children and dependents of “the April 22, 1980 Group” (those whose parents were executed on the poles on South Beach in Monrovia by the People’s Redemption Council with the advice and consent of the so-called progressives who wanted to lead the PRC into the direction of Maoism/Communism. These so-called ‘progressives’ are mute today and they are serving as ‘advisors’ to Mrs. Sirleaf and are also planning to torpedo her from power). Hence, from the vicious manner in which Mrs. Sirleaf has handled the affairs of state with respect to the deliberate denial of the people of Liberia of basic necessities, it is clear that Mrs. Sirleaf’s underlying purpose or motive is to settle scores with the Liberian people, especially the Native people of Liberia. As a consequence Mrs. Sirleaf lost focus of the mandate to implement the ECOWAS Peace Plan in order to reinstitute rule of law in Liberia because she is too busy settling scores, revenging instead of reconciling and making amends with the people whose loved ones were massacred as a result of the financial and moral supports she provided for the rebel incursion in Liberia since December 24, 1989 up to October 16, 2014 and so on. Rabbi Gbaba, Sr., Ed. D. October 16, 2014 (To be continued)
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 00:34:15 +0000
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