Members of the Liberian senate last week voted overwhelmingly to invite Justice Minister, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean, to explain why Nigerian-born Cllr. A. Ndubuisi Nwabudike still serves as Chairman of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission despite failing to substantiate his Liberian citizenship.
The decision followed heated debate by senate plenary Thursday, January 21on why Cllr. Nwabudike still chairs the LACC, a post exclusively reserved for a Liberian citizen.
Nimba County Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, a close political ally of President George Manneh, his colleagues in the Senate and the full plenary of the Liberian Senate to summon President Weah to give reasons why he should not be held in contempt for keeping the Nigerian in the post.
We hope this time around, the senate is serious about this issue that has not only brought the integrity institution to public ridicule, but exposed the weakness of our national system.
River Gee Senator Conmany Wesseh said Cllr. Nwabudike has managed his way criminally through all sectors of the Liberian government including the judiciary, executive and legislative branches and later duped the Liberia National Bar Association into being inducted as a member, having graduated from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia.
How could a man born in Nigeria unto Nigerian parents come to Liberia, obtained fictitious naturalization document including Liberian Passports with inconsistencies in his date of birth, presents himself as a Liberian citizen is appointed by President George Manneh Weah and confirmed by the Liberian before being detected as a con artist? What does it says about the strength of our national system?
Senator Prince Yormie Johnson thinks the only option left is to summon President Weah to answer why he keeps the ‘controversial’ LACC chairman in the post even after Cllr. Nwabudike failed to defend his Liberian nationality during confirming hearing before the Liberian Senate, though this very body had confirmed him to the post.
He argued that since the senate took the decision to reject Cllr. Nwabudike, the President should have mounted courage enough to fire him or make him to resign, but for Mr. Weah to ignore everyone is something the senate should not take lightly.
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The Executive Mansion has persistently countered that Nwabudike’s nationality document has not be challenged in a court of competent jurisdiction to warrant withdrawing his Liberian citizenship despite clamor for his removal.
We believe firmly the Senate has the power to put this Nwabudike saga to rest by applying the law and remaining resolute, for doing so would indicate that truly, senators on Capitol Hill mean what they say.
