Amend Dual Citizenship Law**Nii Akapeh urges Parliment, Wednesday, October 20, 2010, pg 12
The Asafoatse of the Osu Mankralo Stool, Nii Akapeh, has called on Parliament to amend aspects of the Dual Citizenship Law that prevents Ghanaians living abroad from returning home to contribute their quota to national development.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Joyce Bamford-Addo
Nii Akapeh, who just returned from the United States on a trip there to celebrate the Homowo festival at the invitation of the Ga-Dangme Foundation, told the Daily Graphic that “a number of Ghanaians with US citizenship wanted to come back home but because they had American citizenship, they did not think the current law favoured them.
The Dual Citizenship Act came into effect in 2003 and sought among other things to provide for dual citizenship and grants the "right of abode" to Diasporan Africans.
Under the law, a Ghanaian may decide to acquire the citizenship of another nation in addition to his citizenship, and thereby become a dual citizen, if the citizenship laws of that nation will permit him/her to retain his/her existing citizenship.
The legislation replaced the Ghana Nationality Act 1971 (Act 361).
Nii Akapeh said a major complaint made by hundreds of Ghanaians who turned up for the festival was that even though the issue had been raised on different forums whenever the country’s politicians visited the US, nothing was heard afterwards, when those politicians returned to Ghana.
“They believe that being a traditional leader, I will be able to pass the message on to Parliament so they could expedite action on the amendment of the law.”
He said he was making efforts to meet the Member of Parliament for the Korley Klottey Constituency, Nii Armah Ashittey, “so he could lead me to Parliament to formally lay the request before the august body.”
“The government belongs to all of us and we all have representatives in Parliament. I see no reason why such an important message is given to me and I should not let our Parliamentarians know about it.”
Touching on his involvement in the festival in the US, he said the event was well-attended and helped to showcase the customs and traditions associated with the Homowo.
Sharing his thoughts on the chieftaincy institution in Ghana, he said even though strife and factionalism had characterised the institution, there were a number of chiefs across the country that were doing very well.
Nii Akapeh said the chieftaincy institution was in its present state because successive governments had marginalised chiefs in the running of the affairs of the country adding that though it was good to embrace Western democracy, it could only make meaningful impact on the African setting if it was blended with African traditional forms of governance.
“We need formal institutions where traditional leaders can also go and speak their mind on issues of national concern, “ he said.
“The regional and national houses of chiefs concern themselves with only chieftaincy matters, but we need a forum to voice our concerns to the executive or Parliament”, he added.
He condemned some human rights activities which he described as “selling our collective birthrights for foreign cultures with its negative socio-cultural effects.”
As far as he is concerned, the diversity of culture bestowed on the country symbolised peace, unity, identity, conflict resolution, and worship, stressing that its adulteration with western stereotype lifestyles would only erode the revered values and dignity of Ghanaians.
He appealed to the country’s politicians to put national interest above partisan politics and conduct themselves in ways that would not compromise national unity.
“Our politicians must go beyond using chiefs to reach the electorates and then forgetting about them when they are given the mandate.
He added that “nepotism, cronyism and corruption do not make a nation prosper, but only truth, honesty and hard work can do.”
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Joyce Bamford-Addo
Nii Akapeh, who just returned from the United States on a trip there to celebrate the Homowo festival at the invitation of the Ga-Dangme Foundation, told the Daily Graphic that “a number of Ghanaians with US citizenship wanted to come back home but because they had American citizenship, they did not think the current law favoured them.
The Dual Citizenship Act came into effect in 2003 and sought among other things to provide for dual citizenship and grants the "right of abode" to Diasporan Africans.
Under the law, a Ghanaian may decide to acquire the citizenship of another nation in addition to his citizenship, and thereby become a dual citizen, if the citizenship laws of that nation will permit him/her to retain his/her existing citizenship.
The legislation replaced the Ghana Nationality Act 1971 (Act 361).
Nii Akapeh said a major complaint made by hundreds of Ghanaians who turned up for the festival was that even though the issue had been raised on different forums whenever the country’s politicians visited the US, nothing was heard afterwards, when those politicians returned to Ghana.
“They believe that being a traditional leader, I will be able to pass the message on to Parliament so they could expedite action on the amendment of the law.”
He said he was making efforts to meet the Member of Parliament for the Korley Klottey Constituency, Nii Armah Ashittey, “so he could lead me to Parliament to formally lay the request before the august body.”
“The government belongs to all of us and we all have representatives in Parliament. I see no reason why such an important message is given to me and I should not let our Parliamentarians know about it.”
Touching on his involvement in the festival in the US, he said the event was well-attended and helped to showcase the customs and traditions associated with the Homowo.
Sharing his thoughts on the chieftaincy institution in Ghana, he said even though strife and factionalism had characterised the institution, there were a number of chiefs across the country that were doing very well.
Nii Akapeh said the chieftaincy institution was in its present state because successive governments had marginalised chiefs in the running of the affairs of the country adding that though it was good to embrace Western democracy, it could only make meaningful impact on the African setting if it was blended with African traditional forms of governance.
“We need formal institutions where traditional leaders can also go and speak their mind on issues of national concern, “ he said.
“The regional and national houses of chiefs concern themselves with only chieftaincy matters, but we need a forum to voice our concerns to the executive or Parliament”, he added.
He condemned some human rights activities which he described as “selling our collective birthrights for foreign cultures with its negative socio-cultural effects.”
As far as he is concerned, the diversity of culture bestowed on the country symbolised peace, unity, identity, conflict resolution, and worship, stressing that its adulteration with western stereotype lifestyles would only erode the revered values and dignity of Ghanaians.
He appealed to the country’s politicians to put national interest above partisan politics and conduct themselves in ways that would not compromise national unity.
“Our politicians must go beyond using chiefs to reach the electorates and then forgetting about them when they are given the mandate.
He added that “nepotism, cronyism and corruption do not make a nation prosper, but only truth, honesty and hard work can do.”
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