OIL CONSULTATION ENDs IN GRAND BASSA COUNTY, CITIZENS WARN AGAINST DUAL CITIZENSHIP HOLDERS BAND FROM MANAGING THE SECTOR BY LAW
A commissioner of District Number one in Grand Bassa County has called on the national legislature to ensure that people with dual citizenship do not manage the country’s oil sector.
According to the Diahnblae statutory District commissioner John Lewis putting such regulation in to place will protect the oil money from being taken out of the country.
Commissioner Lewis said Liberia has a history of placing people with dual citizenship in key revenue generating sectors.
He said these officials usually steal taxpayers’ money and flee the country overnight without any accountability.
Commissioner Lewis warned that millions of dollars will leave the country if the legislature fails to place such a measure in new oil law.
In that last five moths series of discussion have ensue over an act seeking the legalization of dual citizenship crafted by some members of the legislature with one group of citizens strongly condemning the act while another group of Liberians are in support of the proposed act.
Article 22 (a) of the Liberian constitution states ” Every person shall have the right to own property alone as well as in association with others; provided that only Liberian citizens shall have the right to own real
property within the Republic.
At the same time the Grand Bassa consultation was boycotted by the county development superintendent Adonee Greaves including key staff of the Superintendents .
The Situation came to the attention of the gathering when House Speaker Alex Tyler announced in the hall that the Development Superintendent be made to appear before them and explain reasons why he boycotted the process and even him speaker Tyler access to lodging in the guest house for officials of government.
“We are in your county to discuss something that is very important to the growth and well-being of the country, and you are not here, Honorable Senate Pro-Tempt permit me to say when we return to Monrovia the development superintendent will be made appear before us to explain his action because the superintendent is not here and he’s left in charge of the county is ” Speaker averred.
The Superintendent is the head (president) of the county.
The information sparked concern among delegates and journalists over the absence of the Development Superintendent and other officials from the office of the superintendent.
When Contacted, the development superintendent put his absence and the Speaker Tyler not being lodged in the place meant for officials of government to the lack of information to his office.
According to Superintendent Adonee Greaves he only received a call at about nine pm late Wednesday of November 20 by representative Gabriel Smith informing him that Speaker Tyler needed to be lodged.
Superintendent Greaves told reporters that upon receiving call from Representative Smith he immediately contacted Madam Justina Glador the supervisor of the guests house but said her phone was off thereby making it impossible to have speaker Tyler lodged in the county guest house.
In another account to journalists, the Bassa Development Superintendent said prior to the consultation today he did not receive any formal or informal communication from the national legislature.
Contrary to the Superintendent’s explanation of not being communicated to by the legislature commissioners from various districts along with ten delegates were part of the consultation.
Even though the process ended peacefully, citizens in Grand Bassa County put the situation to the Bassa Politics.
Grand Bassa is considered as one of the counties where high degree of politics is; even though the Development Superintendent put the issue raised by Speaker Tyler as people trying to misinform Speaker Tyler.
At the same time in the City Center of Monrovia there continuous to be emerging views and questioning over the nine hundred thousand being used by the legislature for the ongoing consultation on the new oil reform law.
Source: Evelyn Kpadeh/ Women Democracy Radio
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