Eminent Emmanuel S Wettee, originally from the Republic of Liberia, came to Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, December 31, 1991. He worked for the State of Ohio for 30 years and retired officially on December 31, 2022. Eminent Wettee currently teaches Computer-related classes at the Columbus State Community College, having been teaching since 1997. From his early years, Wettee’s leadership was evident, consistently elected to student council roles. Forced to relocate to the United States in 1991 due to Liberia’s civil crisis, he continued his advocacy and community service, leading Liberian organizations in Ohio, mentoring students as an Adjunct Faculty at Columbus State Community College, and championing immigration protections for Liberians under TPS and DED during his tenure as the 23rd President of ULAA.

His most notable achievement came as Chairman of the All-Liberian Conference on Dual Citizenship (ALCOD), where his tireless lobbying under the theme “Once a Liberian Always a Liberian” culminated in the passage of Liberia’s dual citizenship law in 2022. For his steadfast advocacy, he has been honored with multiple leadership awards and, in 2025, was admitted into the Humane Order of African Redemption as Knight Commander by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. Eminent Emmanuel S Wettee spoke with Deba Uwadiae, publisher, New Americans magazine on the path to the Humane Order of African Redemption as Knight Commander.

National Honor

When the Republic of Liberia is celebrating Independence Day, they always honor Liberians or people who have made a difference in the country. This year, on July 24th, I was one of those they honored. I was honored with the Humane Order of African Redemption, with the rank of Knight Commander, by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. That is the highest Honor that the Republic of Liberia can give to anyone. This is for the work that my team and I have done.

Advocacy

We advocated for Liberians in the United States for the extension of the Temporary Protected Status, TPS in 2007, and with the direction that Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) be provided to every Liberian on TPS whose status was due to expire, to be given work authorization and traveling documents. Years later, those advocacies paid off again when Liberians were qualified. We also advocated for dual citizenship in Liberia, and we were granted. Based on all those things that we have achieved, we were honored by the President and people of Liberia on July 24th, 2025.

Dual Citizenship

Since 1973/1974, a law has been in place that says if you are born outside Liberia or naturalized in another country that you are not a citizen of Liberia. In 2012, Liberians from around the globe, Europe, Australia, Africa, America and Canada, met in Washington DC, where we developed a comprehensive plan on how to address the issue of dual citizenship in Liberia. On July 22, 2021, that demand was granted and signed into law by the President.

Before the law was passed, it was only the men in Liberia who could pass on citizenship to their children. If a Liberian woman gave birth to a child by a different nationality, that child cannot be a Liberian. Another interesting part of the constitution was that only a Liberian can own a parcel of land in the country. So, if you come from this side, whether America, Australia, if you are naturalized, you are no longer a Liberian, and so you can no longer own a parcel of land. Most people go through a third party to own a parcel of land. If you have issues with the third party, it can be friends or family, they will tell you, according to our law, you are not a Liberian, and you have no right to the property.

Diasporan

At that time, every time we go home, we’re not welcome. We decided it was about time that we all pulled forces and our resources together and advocated that this law be changed. We in the diaspora are the ones that are helping and supporting our people, and no one is more Liberian than we are, and we too are not more Liberian than those at home. We are all Liberians.  If we do not change the law we cannot own land, our children born in America, Europe, Australia and Canada are not Liberians. If they intend to go to the land of their fathers, they are not Liberians. All these things factored in, we decided to change the law. Since 2012, we have been advocating for the change of the law, and now we have it. We now have dual citizenship. Any child that is born by a Liberian, in respective of the pigmentation, can now be a Liberian, including a child born by a Liberian woman. Also, when it comes to voting, we can vote, but you’ll have to travel to Liberia to vote.

Visas

Before now, you’ll apply for visas to travel to Liberia. But now you have many options if you want to travel to Liberia. You can choose to travel with a Liberian passport, or you can have visas on arrival. It is good to have a Liberian passport. It allows you to visit some other African countries.

Passport

The process is to go to the website or any Liberian Embassy or consulate in any part of the world to apply for your passport. One of the key requirements is your birthday certificate to show that you were born in Liberia or that your parents or grandparents are from Liberia. There are other provisions as well. The good thing is that once you are a Liberian, you are always a Liberian.

News

I got a telephone call from the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Consul Gregory; she called me and told me that “you have been nominated and expected to receive a national honor.” Just the fact that the President and the people of Liberia recognized the work we did in the diaspora, for me, this award is for everybody. It demonstrates the efforts and what we are doing for our people. Liberians in the diaspora are very happy. They are all excited about what we have achieved. If we continue to work together, we can accomplish more.

LICI

The Liberians In Columbus Inc., LICI is making a great impact in Columbus. We are a shining star in the community. To every diasporan, this is home to us. We should respect the law, work hard, live honestly and move on. From my own experience, if you work hard, you will be rewarded. Columbus is a very good place. It is our home. I appreciate the people of the state of Ohio for giving me the opportunity to work in the government and retire honorably. I want to thank all the people of Liberia in America for their support.

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