MONROVIA – The chairman of the Senate committee on autonomous agencies, Senator Henry Yallah, says the nationality of the Chairman-designate of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, Cllr. A. Ndubuisi Nwabudike, is a major concern stalling his confirmation to the post.
But the man who is believed to be from a Nigerian origin maintains that he is a Liberian and that his nationality cannot be queried.
“Not only do I have a Liberian nationality but my nationality cannot be queried and my patriotism and allegiance is not in doubt,” he told members of the committee when he appeared for the confirmation hearing.
Cllr. Nwabudike told the Committee that he would “focus his energy on enhancing the efficiency and impact of LACC in the fight against corruption”.
He indicated that he is developing an Anti-Corruption Road Map Strategy which is aligned with the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity Development, the major development agenda of the government. He also assured that he will focus on the long term strategic development plan of LACC which is structured upon three pillars: compliance, investigation and enforcement as well as prosecution.
He argued that although the Commission has had a few rough patches over the years, but its staff are thoroughly dedicated to combating corruption. There have been concerns that the LACC has been essentially dormant in recent years.
At the tail-end of former Chairman Cllr. James Verdier’s regime at the LACC, there were accusations and counter-accusations about fraud and improprieties between Chairman Verdier and Vice Chairman Augustine Toe.
This has prompted the LACC Chairman designate – though not confirmed yet – to request comprehensive auditing of the Commission’s records before he assumes responsibilities if confirmed by the Senate.
I have no involvement
Responding to question about his involvement into a Nigerian vessel that came to Liberia in 2003, Cllr. Nwabudike denied media reports linking him to controversy surrounding the sinking of the M/V Pots Express – a Nigerian vessel that came to Liberia back in 2003 and sank five years later.
Four Nigerians, who were crewmen on the vessel, recently claimed that they were left stranded in Liberia after a prolonged litigation followed by the sinking of the vessel. The crewmen accused several others including Cllr. Nwabudike of abandoning them thereby causing them to become stranded for more than a decade. But the LACC nominee has strongly denied these allegations, telling FrontPageAfrica that he was never a lawyer in the case as being alleged.
“I was never representing any party in that case – I was never a counsel of record in that case, so I had no interest whatsoever. I don’t see how none existing interest will conflict with any other interest. Please investigate the records in our entire judicial system and produce any document that associates me with that matter.”
He recalled that in 2007, while attending a short term certificate training program at the University of Northern Ireland in Maynooth, as an employee of United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), he was contacted on the phone and asked by a workmate to recommend a lawyer to represent the owner of that vessel. He then suggested the late Eminent Cllr. T.C Gould.
“What happened to the vessel is that the crew wanted to sell the vessel, they started using the vessel illegally and those who were the owners decided to go to court,” he explained during a previous interview with FPA, while denying any “ethically or personally” wrongdoing regarding the vessel saga.
“In the human nature, I have not done anything that impeaches on my integrity as a person; my integrity as a person is not in doubt. It’s not in question and my record speaks for itself.”