IF THE LIBERIA National Bar Association (LNBA) led by the no-nonsense human rights lawyer, Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe, can conclude after investigation that Cllr. A. Nbuisi Nwabudike is a fraudster, what more evidence does President George Manneh Weah need to kick him out as head of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission.
IT IS BECOME more that crystal clear that this Nigerian lawyer by virtue of the requirements as stated in Act that created the LACC does not deserve the privilege to serve as a corruption fighter.
FIRST OF ALL, Section 6.2 of the LACC Act states that “The five (5) Commissioners shall be nominated by the President. The President may consult the civil society pursuant to the partnership between Government and said civil society in the fight against corruption. Upon being confirmed by the Liberian Senate, the Commissioners shall subsequently be appointed and commissioned to their respective offices by the President.”
THE CRAFTERS of the Act were very cognizant of the role of the civil society in shaping the democratic growth and social justice in a nation. The President must note that several integrity civil society organizations began calling for his removal from the LACC after his disgraceful flop at the Senate.
SECTION 6.3 of the Act says, “Each member of the Commission shall be a Liberian citizen of not less than thirty (30) years of age, of good moral character in the community, and with proven records in anticorruption advocacy or professional training and/or experience in law, law enforcement, accounting, auditing or a related field. The membership of the Commission shall also be drawn to reflect the broad spectrum of society; provided further that no two Commissioners shall have the same County of origin and all five (5) shall not be of the same gender.”
MR. PRESIDENT, Cllr. Nwabudike has violated every line of this section. Frist of all, it is established that he’s not a Liberian citizen. Second, it is established that he forged documents or fraudulent obtained documents – that’s lack of moral.
MR. PRESIDENT, we cannot have an individual who has been proven to be entrenched in fraudulent activities leading the fight against corruption in the country.
MR. PRESIDENT, Section 6.8 of the LACC Act says “A Commissioner shall hold office during good behavior. A Commissioner shall be removed from office by the President for any gross breach of duty, misconduct in office, or any proven act of corruption.” Is it not glaring enough that Cllr. Nwabudike does not match up?
KEEPING NWABUDIKE at the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission would be another form of hypocrisy in the fight against corruption. It would also be an endorsement of fraud from the level of the Presidency. This is not the image we want for our country. Let the right thing be done, no matter which head falls.
MR. PRESIDENT, take a look at your Cllr. Nwabudike’s fraud as discovered by the LNBA:
ON APRIL 3, 2020, the Liberian Immigration Service wrote a letter informing the Grievance and Ethics Committee that it did not have any record on Cllr. Nwabudike legal residency status or naturalization in Liberia;
ON APRIL 6, 2020, the Committee obtained a clerk certificate from the Clerk of the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Assizes “B” Temple of Justice, informing it that it had no record about Cllr. Nwabudike’s residency or naturalization status;
FROM DOCUMENTS obtained from the Senate Confirmation hearings of Cllr. Nwabudike and the pleadings in the record of the Civil Law Court on a petition for declaratory judgment filed by him, the Grievance and Ethics Committee found the following inconsistent information:
A PURPORTED certificate of naturalization presented to the Liberian Senate by Cllr. Nwabudike showed that he was issued same by Criminal Court “B” at the Temple of Justice on May 13, 1982, when in fact that court was called the People’s Criminal Court “B” during the regime of the People’s Redemption Council (PRC), thereby creating more doubt;
A PERUSAL OF HIS various passports showed his birth dates as October 19, 1960, October 2, 1963, October 2, 1965 and October 2, 1969;
HIS 2004 LIBERIAN Passport carries his date of birth as October 2, 1963 and his name as A. Nkwuka Ndubuisi Nwabudike, instead of the name that appears on the roster of the Liberian National Bar Association and Supreme Court Bar which is A. Ndubuisi Nwabudike;
HIS LIBERIAN NATIONAL Identification card carries his date of birth as October 2, 1969 and his name as A. Ndubuisi Nkwuka Nwabudike; and
HIS APPLICATION for marriage certificate dated January 22, 1992, filled by himself in handwriting carries his name as A. Ndubuisi Nwabudike, his date of birth as October 19, 1960 and his nationality as Nigerian;
IN VIEW OF THE information received from the Liberia Immigration Service and First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Assizes “B” that there is no record to support Cllr. Nwabudike’s claim of Liberian citizenship, the existence of information showing gross inconsistency in his dates of birth and names, as well as, the fact that in his application to the Marriage Registry, he declared in his own handwriting in 1992 that he was a Nigerian Citizen, the only valid, logical and common sense conclusion that could be reached by the Grievance and Ethics Committee was that he became a member of the Liberian National Bar Association through fraudulent means. It is a well-settled common law principle that fraud vitiates everything.
UPON YOUR OATH of office, Mr. President, you made two cardinal promises that were dear to the hearts of Liberians. You promised that Liberians will not be spectators in their own country. Now, why have a Nigerian heading an integrity institution like the LACC when the signs are sparkling on the wall?
MR. PRESIDENT, you also stated during your inaugural speech, “I further believe that the overwhelming mandate I received from the Liberian people is a mandate to end corruption in public service. I promise to deliver on this mandate.”
LIBERIA AS A NATION is what it is today because of the hypocritical nature in which we have always fought corruption. This country, a once promising star on the continent, came to a standstill through a senseless war because of corruption and the hypocrisy in the fight thereof. Many innocent people lost their lives. Women, children suffered untold atrocities. Innocent people endured some of the worst atrocities the human brain can imagine all due to the hypocritical nature in which corruption was being fought.
KEEPING NWABUDIKE at the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission would be another form of hypocrisy in the fight against corruption. It would also be an endorsement of fraud from the level of the Presidency. This is not the image we want for our country. Let the right thing be done, no matter which head falls.
A HINT TO THE WISE.