NGC Media Team: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 27 October 2021:
Upon entering the political space in Sierra Leone, Hon. Alhaji Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella promised to ensure that all Sierra Leoneans living in the Diaspora will have the opportunity to run for Parliamentary and Presidential offices in the country, vote and be voted for.
After several fighting and advocating, the Bio led administration has finally succumb and see the need for Sierra Leoneans living in the Diaspora to be voted for as MPs in the country.
Today, the President, Julius Maada Bio has announced that his “Government has just approved and authorized the Attorney General to lay in Parliament a proposed amendment to the Constitution of Sierra Leone that will allow dual citizens to be qualified to be elected as Members of Parliament.”
This has been the clarion call of Dr. Yumkella since he entered the Sierra Leone political arena.
Thankfully, Dr. Yumkella’s dream of ensuring our brothers and sisters holding dual citizenship can be elected as MPs, is about to be realised.
I am glad and over joy for this gentleman” KKY” to gave back on to his past reflections, mainly how he was treated in 2018, at the time he decided to run for president , by the then APC gov’t led by EBK. Sierra Leone is not suppose to be call amongst the poorest countries in the world, but we are number one(1) in according to the list. This country depends on “donors”, I am totally confidence that, the APCs are happy with you right now, because of your joint coalition with the President not to discriminate against the “DIASPORANS”, thank you so much. Since you and the president Bio launched this bona-fide initiative in favor of diasporans, APC now in trouble.
KKY was forced to strip himself out of US Citizenship, the Koroma led Government did everything within their power, and it happened. Our brothers and sisters living outside the country without them we are next to nothing. Diasporas are our back bones, excluding them from our politics is unheard of. Now I am happy that, if my brother graduated and returns back home, he has a place in the gov’t. If I was a good adviser to him, I could have tell him not to denounce his citizenship, I wish Chief Sam Sumana still retaining his US Citizenship.
This is just like when an illiterate is praising educated person, does he worth it? no, but if a Prof. praises another Prof, of his/her education, that worth it better. Dr. KKY, thank you so much for this move, remember, come back to SLPP…..
After several confrontations and advocating, long delayed justice has taken place.
Yes this is a step in the right direction. In other for our country to progress in the long and winding road of democracy, we have to recognise where we are going wrong, and make the necessary changes for us to truly say, the government that is elected every five years, is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. And our elected leaders reflect the true choices of the peoples. The reasons why many Sierra Leoneans left their home country is not a matter of choice, but necessity due to the failures of our political classes, to make good of the promises they made during our campaign for independence.The first duty of any government is to provide security, protec life and property, and respect the lives and rights of every individual within the boundaries of that state . And all citizens are treated equally before the law. And Sierra Leone as a nation state have failed its people. Here is a country that is blessed with everything under the sun including human and natural resources, and a tropical climate that never disappoint, but due to rampant corruption, tribalism, regionalism, nepotism, cronyism and whatever in between, sixty years on we are still depends on international financial institutions to meet our budgetary needs.
The price of household items have astronomically hit the roof. A tanked economy and run away inflation, that have helped depreciate the value of our currency the Leone against the dollar. And for many families that are lucky to have their relatives abroad, their only saviour’s are the diaspora community. It is the Diaspora community that is keeping our allying economy alive. Sometimes it feels like the diaspora community do more to advance our countrys economy than some of our elected members of Parliament. So it is only right that this apartheid laws against the diaspora are remove from our statue books. Majority of African countries, have laws in place, that allows their diaspora communities to take part in their national elections. So is it a crime for a Sierra Leonean national to acquire a dual nationality? . More like the Sierra Leonean living abroad have the double whammy of being punished twice.
Your country failed to provide you your security, then you leave for an other country. Then your country strippe you of your birth rights. Yet your government is happy to take taxes from you when ever you make that phone call back home or you send money through money transfer. Please lets give the devil its due.
“Changes come in one of two ways, either out of desperation or inspiration”. It could be noted that that when Hon. Dr. Yumkela was desperate to lead the SLPP into the 2018 presidential race the one thing that held him aback was dual citizenship among others. His ambition and mised opportunity led him to keep advocating about the duality process of the political arena. Perhaps, the complexity of dual citizenship rights has the tendency to lock and unlock opportunities once enjoyed by politicians under our constitution. However, this inspiration came about when my president, your president, our president first made his intentions know through his manifesto thereby promised to address that issue if elected as president. With this development unfolding now, including other promises he had once highlighted in his manifesto, I say credence need to be given to him. Looking at such a leader we have in Sierra Leone my president, your president, our president. Dr. Julius Maada Bio deserve a chance to rule this country for another term.
The argument surrounding the intent of Dr. Yumkela to establish a dual citizenship law is that his party was born out of the ruling SLPP party now. Meaning, the birth of this idea came from that angle. Secondly, Hon Dr. Yumkela has once served the opposition APC party too before forming his own opposition C4C party. Hope of optimisim to galvanizing large support from the diaspora voters become his goal since a good number of diaspora voters were getting disgusted with the way these two old parties have ruled Sierra Leone since independence. However, with the dynamics of modern politics this dream will only be realized when another leader other than my president, your president our president Dr. Julius Maada Bio leaves office. His leadership style and managerial skills make him an enviable subject to win landslide victory in any upcoming presidential election. He is that type of leader that promises and deliver.
Within his tenure of office, we have witnessed so many developments in a transparent form than any other leader Sierra Leone has ever produced. He is a peacemaker, courageous and very focused leader. He wants Sierra Leone to join the rest of the world in advancement . All other previous leaders and those longing to lead the country have good and better intentions for the country, but he has the best for now.