According to one of today's papers the CA Committees in Dodoma are currently discussing the much-masticated issue of dual citizenship. They are busy making an issue of a non-issue. It is a non-issue because we are not wiser than the myriad countries that don't see any problem with it. Instead, they see a lot of benefits accruing from their dual citizenship policy.
A few days ago the President touched on this subject, but he sounded circumspect and non-committal. The bone of contention is whether a person with two citizenships can at the same time be regarded as patriotic. Can he serve two masters?, the argument goes.
Most of our decision makers who have been raising this uzalendo issue are themselves not wazalendo. How can an individual who has bled this country dry claim to be more patriotic than an honest professional who lives in London but remits money regularly to his extended family in Tanzania?
As a result of neglecting our diaspora, we have been denying ourselves the investments they would be making in our economy. Instead they are investing where they are accepted. That's why remittances from diaspora in Kenya and Uganda are far greater than what we receive in Tanzania from our diaspora.
India has created a Ministry for its diaspora. In fact the fabulous success in her IT industry has to do with her systematic luring home of her nationals from Silicon Valley and Europe. Italy and France have even reserved parliamentary seats for their diasporas.
Tuache unafiki na kijicho katika mjadala huu. Ndugu zetu walioko nje ni ndugu zetu hata kama wana uraia wa nchi nyingine. Tusisite hata kidogo kuwapa au kuwarudishia uraia wa nchi hii. Wengi walichukua uraia wa kule wanakoishi ili kuboresha maisha yao ya kule, na wala si kwa sababu ya kutoipenda Tanzania. Hivyo kuwaona kama wasaliti ni jambo la kusikitisha.
Jioni Njema!
ELK
1 comment:
Hii ni hoja yenye mashiko. Hongera mtoa hoja.
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