Information minister Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo has told journalists at the government’s weekly press briefing last Thursday that Nasser Ayoub has the right to demand for his citizenship rights.<\/p>\n
Kargbo who was responding to a question posed to him by \u00a0a journalist on the government’s position \u00a0on the controversial\u00a0 citizenship debate said,\u00a0 \u201cI listened to his claims, he has the right to demand for his citizenship. All I can say is that this is already part of the draft of the reviewed constitution and you know that when a constitution is reviewed there are certain entrenched clauses which require a referendum,\u2019\u2019 he said whilst adding that \u201cthe new position of government as to what will determine an individual to be a citizen of Sierra Leone is already incorporated into the draft.<\/p>\n
If the draft goes out in the form of a referendum then automatically the citizenship law will be changed.\u00a0 So what I can tell Mr. Ayoub is that…\u00a0 may he please wait until after the review because we cannot change the laws now.<\/p>\n
The Information minister said in as much as Ayoub may have a point, he is also urging him to work within the law.\u00a0 \u201cHe may have the right but I want him to work within the law.\u00a0 I would do the same if I had a child in the United States or England who is denied his or her citizenship\u201d.”<\/p>\n
Most Sierra Leoneans and civil society groups have settled that a review of the country\u2019s constitution on what should determine a citizen is long overdue.<\/p>\n
The Human Rights Commission, the latest body, described the laws as archaic and urged the authorities to take a second look at it.\u00a0 Ayoub claims he has suffered discrimination since birth simply because of his skin colour.\u00a0 The proprietor of\u00a0 Hotel Africanus and Free Radio threatens to go on a hunger strike if he does not get his full citizenship right.\u00a0 It is not yet clear as we go to press if Mr. Ayoub has gone on his planned hunger strike.<\/p>\n
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