Foreigners mainly Burkinabee and Ivoirian Nationals have reportedly infiltrated Liberia’s electoral process having discovered dozens of their names on the voter roll during the recently held exhibition across the country.
The discovery was made at various registration centers across Grand Gedeh County and has been confirmed by the National Elections Commission(NEC) but claimed that investigation is ongoing in the incident.
But the youth leader of Gbarzon Statutory District, Grand Gedeh County, who also confirmed the report stated that those names discovered on the voter roll possessed resident permits and National Identification Cards issued by the National Identification Registry (NIR) of Liberia therefore they should not be bother or arrested rather should be considered as Liberians.
The NEC Magistrate in Grand Gedeh, Alfred Togba, confirmed the report but said no final decision has been made as investigation is continuing relating to over 17 names of Burkinabee and Ivoirian Nationals that were discovered on the voter roll at center 15041 in B’hai, Toe Town Township, Gbarzon Statutory District.
Also, another staffer of NEC, Jackie Saydee confirmed the incident but stated that state security mainly the Immigration in the county has taken seized of the matter and are investigating.
However, some senatorial and representative aspirants in the county who stand accused of masterminding the registration of these foreigners are yet to confirm or deny their involvement but are claiming that those people are not aliens’ rather Liberian returnees from Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast respectively.
Some Grand Gedeans are reported to have hired the services of those Burkinabee and Ivoirians to work on their farmlands in various villages and towns near the borderline with the Cote d’Ivoire.
Whatever might be the case, this is not the first report of aliens infiltrating the country’s electoral process during these electioneering period.
In recent time, there has been a report coming from Grand Cape Mount County where it was reported that some Sierra Leonean Nationals were arrested for being in possession of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) card.
This was raised by local pro-democracy group in the county expressing concern with NEC’s local office but until now, it is not yet known whether or not any arrest was made.
Therefore, the situation in Grand Gedeh County of aliens infiltrating the electoral process is exempted and should not be a strange matter because for years now since the regime of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Burkinabee and Ivoirian nationals have taken over various farmlands in villages and towns in the county near the border with the Ivory Coast.
