I had an interesting conversation with my late father in Harbel one day, and it broke my heart. He told me, “Son, Liberia is a small, beautiful country with a dark secret. No matter how you contribute your sweat and blood to its prosperity, when you die, they will say, that’s a grave of a foreigner.” I was too young and naive to understand what he meant, but later in life, I would experience harassment from immigration officers every time we traveled.
The most hurtful part is that we had to defend and fight to be a citizen of the only country that we have known as our country. Many of you might not understand the pain of defending one’s citizenship until you have experienced it firsthand. We were stopped and briefly detained at Fifteen Gate, in Kakata, Iron Gate, in Gbarnga, and at the Guinean and Ivorian borders. Although we had a valid Liberian document, we were still harassed by unscrupulous immigration officers because of our surname. Even in recent years, senior officials of this government and some members of the opposition called us Senegalese.
While Nwabidike’s case is a little different from ours because of his sharp Nigerian ascent and the questions surrounding his citizenship, there are still some similarities in his situation. Unfortunately, many Liberians are arguing against his nomination, mostly based on his ethnicity. I didn’t see a lot of people steering the debate towards his competence, contributions to national development, or his character. Don't get me wrong. The question of whether he is a citizen is legitimate. However, I will love to know more about the nominee’s character. Is he corrupt? Can he be trusted to serve in that position? Is he patriotic?
The foundation and strength of America lie with her ability to embrace diversity. America has always been a nation of immigrants. There is no other country on Earth that has people of diverse backgrounds spilling their blood to protect and defend its sovereignty like America. A few years ago, I applied for employment with the Secret Service Uniform Division. I was fortunate to be selected to participate in the hiring process. The human resource manager who helped administer the first test was a Nigerian. She still had her Nigerian ascent.
Due to the nondisclosure agreement that I signed, I will not give any detail about the Secret Service hiring process. Subsequently, going through several stages in the process, I discovered that the job was not the best fit for me. I brought the story up because no one ever questioned my citizenship throughout my pursuit of a career in law enforcement. My character and competence were used to determine my eligibility requirements for employment. I know Liberians and people of a different nationality or ethnicity that are serving in high profile positions in the United States.
Sadly, this is not the case in Liberia. Today, we are witnessing something unprecedented in the argument against the nomination of Nwabidike. The opposition and even supporters of President Weah are united against the appointment of a man with a strong Nigerian accent. Let me state for the record that I don't know this man, and I have no intention of defending him. However, I just want your attention to drown to the troubling trend that must change in Liberia.
Liberians do not use violence and brutality against people who are considered ”Damn Foreigners,” like other countries, probably because foreigners control the economy, but there is a culture of xenophobia in Liberia. We still have a racist law barring people of nonnegro descendent from becoming a citizen, and members of the particular tribe are not accepted as a citizen. Liberia needs some of the brightest minds around the world to help in its development. We must avoid focusing on race, ascent, appearance, tribe, and embrace diversity. Liberia must create an environment that accepts anyone who demonstrates patriotism and abides by our laws.
The most hurtful part is that we had to defend and fight to be a citizen of the only country that we have known as our country. Many of you might not understand the pain of defending one’s citizenship until you have experienced it firsthand. We were stopped and briefly detained at Fifteen Gate, in Kakata, Iron Gate, in Gbarnga, and at the Guinean and Ivorian borders. Although we had a valid Liberian document, we were still harassed by unscrupulous immigration officers because of our surname. Even in recent years, senior officials of this government and some members of the opposition called us Senegalese.
While Nwabidike’s case is a little different from ours because of his sharp Nigerian ascent and the questions surrounding his citizenship, there are still some similarities in his situation. Unfortunately, many Liberians are arguing against his nomination, mostly based on his ethnicity. I didn’t see a lot of people steering the debate towards his competence, contributions to national development, or his character. Don't get me wrong. The question of whether he is a citizen is legitimate. However, I will love to know more about the nominee’s character. Is he corrupt? Can he be trusted to serve in that position? Is he patriotic?
The foundation and strength of America lie with her ability to embrace diversity. America has always been a nation of immigrants. There is no other country on Earth that has people of diverse backgrounds spilling their blood to protect and defend its sovereignty like America. A few years ago, I applied for employment with the Secret Service Uniform Division. I was fortunate to be selected to participate in the hiring process. The human resource manager who helped administer the first test was a Nigerian. She still had her Nigerian ascent.
Due to the nondisclosure agreement that I signed, I will not give any detail about the Secret Service hiring process. Subsequently, going through several stages in the process, I discovered that the job was not the best fit for me. I brought the story up because no one ever questioned my citizenship throughout my pursuit of a career in law enforcement. My character and competence were used to determine my eligibility requirements for employment. I know Liberians and people of a different nationality or ethnicity that are serving in high profile positions in the United States.
Sadly, this is not the case in Liberia. Today, we are witnessing something unprecedented in the argument against the nomination of Nwabidike. The opposition and even supporters of President Weah are united against the appointment of a man with a strong Nigerian accent. Let me state for the record that I don't know this man, and I have no intention of defending him. However, I just want your attention to drown to the troubling trend that must change in Liberia.
Liberians do not use violence and brutality against people who are considered ”Damn Foreigners,” like other countries, probably because foreigners control the economy, but there is a culture of xenophobia in Liberia. We still have a racist law barring people of nonnegro descendent from becoming a citizen, and members of the particular tribe are not accepted as a citizen. Liberia needs some of the brightest minds around the world to help in its development. We must avoid focusing on race, ascent, appearance, tribe, and embrace diversity. Liberia must create an environment that accepts anyone who demonstrates patriotism and abides by our laws.
