ALCOD Donates Oxygen Cylinders to Fight Covid-19

The All-Liberian Conference on Dual Citizenship (ALCOD) has donated several oxygen cylinders to the Star Base Covid_19 Treatment Unit on the Bushrod Island in Monrovia as part of its way of aiding the fight against the prevailing virus. 

The ten canister life tanks are valued at over $403,000 Liberian dollars. ALCOD has promised to donate more needed medications for Covid-19 treatment centers across the country.  

Oxygen cylinders are essential in the COVID battle because the disease causes respiratory problems for patients coming down with it, and as short breath occurs, oxygen is needed to complement efforts for the survivability of the patient.

The oxygen cylinders were handed to Dr. Ibrahim A. Ajami by Rev. Marcus Sherman and Madam Eliza B. Flahn, representatives of ALCOD.  ALCOD represents the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), European Federation of Liberian Associations (EFLA), Liberian Advocacy for Change (LAFC), Federation of Liberia Communities in Australia (FOLICA), United Liberian Association of Ghana (ULAG), Liberian Association of Canada (LAC), and Conference of Liberian Organizations in Southwestern United States of America (CLOSUSA).  ALCOD is the largest Liberian diaspora organization that has been advocating for dual citizenship in Liberia since 2012. 

Making the presentation to the Liberian health authority, the diasporic Liberian group said it was their way of identifying with their compatriots back home in Liberia during these difficult times of the fight against the deadly Covid_19 virus. 

Dr. Ajami, who received the cylinders, thanked ALCOD for the donation and added that they are going to be used appropriately in the fight against the virus. 

The donation, though, was ALCOD’s first direct intervention in the fight against the Coronavirus disease in Liberia; this is not the first time that those diasporic Liberians had helped their fellow countrymen and women recover from disaster and other confronting issues.  In 2014, they contributed to the fight against the Ebola virus disease outbreak. They also contribute to the revitalization of the nation’s economy by remitting monthly, hundreds of thousands of United States Dollars to their families and loved ones back home.  ALCOD is encouraging more diaspora Liberian organizations to join the effort to fight Covid-19 and save lives.

Mr. Emmanuel Wettee, head of ALCOD, had said earlier that there is no better way to demonstrate allegiance to their ancestral homeland other than sending remittances every day to sustain loved ones, replacing brain drain with brain gain, providing employment opportunities as they are investing in the country and providing humanitarian services to their fellow Liberians. These remittances represent a significant part of the Liberian economy. 

“Many Liberians may not be aware that the country relies heavily on remittances. Diaspora Liberians are lifelines for relatives in Liberia, sending remittances each month in millions of United States dollars.  Remittances to Liberia have averaged nearly US$40 million a month. It reached an all-time high of US$174.90 million in March of 2017. This is an enormous contribution to the struggling economy,” Wettee recalled. 

Wettee also thanked President George Manneh Weah for “Singularly” championing the aspirations of over 500,000 diasporic Liberians. “We remain indebted to him for his bold and measured leadership on dual citizenship for natural born Liberians. It is no gainsaying that we feel strongly bounded by blood to our ancestral homeland and are unequivocal about maintaining our Liberian citizenship.”

Members of ALCOD, who contributed to procuring the oxygen cylinders include Liberian Advocacy for Change, Professor Willie Kamara, Mr. and Mrs. Wilmot Kunney, Mr. and Mrs. Shiwon Kamara, Mr. and Mrs. Alphon Tongor, Full Gospel Church, ULTIMATE TOO, INC, Dr. Vera Tolbert, Eminent Emmanuel S. Wettee, Mohammed Kieta, Siaka Sheriff, Beverly Hill and Abdulla Sillah.