Professor Stephen Kweku Asare, a D&D Fellow in Public Law and Justice at CDD-Ghana, has decried some individuals opposing the appointment of Ghanaians with dual citizenship to crucial governmental positions as based on mere speculations.
According to him, such people do not base their arguments on empirical realities.
He further explained that such wrong arguments formed the basis for which dual citizens are prohibited from occupying certain key positions in Ghana’s public service.
Prof Asare cited some misleading arguments by some as “they have divided loyalties’, ‘they’ll be confused if there is a war between Ghana and Nigeria as to who to fight for’, ‘they can chop our money and run away’, ‘they want to eat their cake and have it’…”
That notwithstanding, he explained that “when you interrogate these things, you find that they are entirely speculative and are not grounded in any empirical reality”.
“As far as I know, no dual citizen has ever betrayed Ghana or been involved in overthrowing the Republic of Ghana”.
Prof Asare
Dual citizenship versus mono Ghanaians
Justifying his stance, Prof Asare explained that the country could as well prevent mono citizens in the country if they insist on exempting its dual citizens from holding public office.
“In fact, any time the Republic was overthrown, it was done by some mono Ghanaians. And even though mono Ghanaians have overthrown the Constitution or the Republic, it will be unfair then to say because one or two or three or ten mono Ghanaians have overthrown the Constitution, let us now be suspicious of all mono Ghanaians and exclude them from holding these many offices that are enumerated”.
Prof Asare
Prof Asare described the the issue of a dual citizen escaping the country after embezzling public funds as implausible.
To rectify such challenge, he revealed that there are extradition laws to ensure that such individuals are repatriated to face the law.
“In fact yesterday, I read an update from the Justice Department in the US where Ghana helped them to extradite a Ghanaian who had violated the US law and so there are extradition laws that deal with such cases”.
Prof Asare
Modifications to laws regarding dual citizenship
On his part, Justice Srem-Sai, a lecturer at the GIMPA Law School, has warned that any modification of the laws regarding dual citizenship in the country must be undertaken carefully.
According to him, there will be repercussion to deal with if existing law limiting citizens from holding some positions in government are totally scrapped.
“Let us appreciate that allegiance is not an irrelevant concept. Let us understand that there are real consequences that may lead to an international row between states. So, we need to address each and every one of these issues in amending the law.
“But, if we have to deny the relevance of allegiance, if we have to deny the relevance of citizenship and reduce all the concepts as if they don’t matter anymore and that they are archaic, then we will end up making a very big mistake”.
Justice Srem-Sai
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