Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister-designate James Gyakye Quayson has called on Parliament to expedite the passage of the Dual Citizenship Amendment Bill.
He made these comments during his vetting before the Appointments Committee.
According to him, the current dual citizenship law prevents Ghanaians with dual nationality from holding political office, thereby limiting their ability to contribute to national development.
Addressing the panel on July 25, the Assin North legislator explained that he would urge both his minister and Parliament to fully support the bill.
He explained that this move will ensure that “our children, our grandchildren, can come back and bring the expertise and the income and the resources.”
“I personally know a lot of my counterparts who are heavily invested but just afraid to leave everything and come, because if they come, they’ve lost their investments. If they know they can have both ways, they’ll bring these investments.
“Not everyone is coming for politics. There are investors out there, are scientists, there are IT experts, professors, and all. So answer to your question is, my brother, I work tirelessly along with my minister and also with the House to see how we can pass this dual amendment bill that will eradicate the challenges.”
During the 2020 general election, James Gyakye Quayson’s bid to represent Assin North in Parliament under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was challenged by the then-ruling NPP due to his dual citizenship status, as he was still a Canadian citizen when he filed his nomination papers in October 2020.
Despite the controversy, Quayson won the 2020 election as MP for Assin North. However, a resident, Michael Ankomah-Nimfah, filed a lawsuit arguing that Quayson was ineligible due to his unresolved Canadian citizenship at the time of nomination.
Despite a subsequent court ruling to render Mr Quayson disqualified, a by-election was held in June 2023, which Quayson won again.
He was sworn in for a second term in July 2023.
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