River Gee County Sen. Conmany B. Wesseh says controversial National Elections Commission (NEC) Chairman – designate Cllr. A. Ndubusi Nwabudike is a crook who has lied to every institution here, including the president, the Legislature, the Supreme Court and the University of Liberia to achieve his targets – degree and jobs.
“My brother, I am telling you, there are too many loopholes that were exploited. This guy is smart. You have to, this gentleman we speaking about, if you look at his grade sheet, you know that he’s a smart guy. And crooks are smart. Thieves are smart. So I mean, this is his life,” Sen. Wesseh said Thursday evening, 2 April.
Appearing on a local FM in Monrovia a day after Mr. Nwabudike’s drowning testimony at a Senate confirming Wednesday, Sen. Wesseh said so many people rise to the top not necessarily because of their integrity and stuff, but because “they do it.”
He dispels suggestion by some folks here that Nwabudike is treated [with thorough scrutiny] because of his Nigerian origin or because he is a naturalized citizen, saying it’s on the basis of credibility.
“The issue is about being beyond reproach, somebody whose character is questionable by everything that he’s done,” Sen. Wesseh clarifies, adding that Liberians have nothing against the nominee.
“He lied about his birth, he lied about his citizenship, he lied about when he became Liberian citizen, he lied about receiving – because there is no evidence, whatever he has produced, is fake. It’s fake! He lied to every institution in Liberia,” Wesseh continues.
According to him, Nwabudike lied when he went to the University of Liberia that he was a Liberian when he was not; he lied to the law school and was given a law degree; and he lied to the Supreme Court of Liberia and was admitted to the Supreme Court Bar.
“He lied to the Liberian Bar Association. He lied to the President of the Republic of Liberia to be appointed to positions reserved for Liberians. He lied to the Legislature that he was a qualified Liberian and therefore he was … given a job … at one of our key integrity institutions the LACC (Liberia Anti – Corruption Commission),” he notes.
Sen. Wesseh details that contrary to law, Nwabudike worked at the Good Governance Commission (GC) without being confirmed by the Liberian Senate.
“He came from there, and again people relaxed the rules, they didn’t check. But mind you, they say … 99 days for what, 99 days for rogue, one day for master,” Sen. Wesseh notes.
As at Thursday evening, 2 April when Sen. Wesseh made the live appearance on the local radio, he made it clear that Nwabudike had not been rejected yet, saying the Senate Committee is going to write a report which the plenary awaits.
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“And if he is wise, and that’s why I said that he should save himself and whatever is left of his character; whatever is left of his family name, if he has any conscience, is to withdraw himself,” Sen. Wesseh warns the nominee.
“He should save the president the embarrassment. He should save the Supreme Court the embarrassment, he should save his friends the embarrassment,” he concludes.
Earlier on Wednesday, the controversial NEC Chairman – designate Nwabudike disgracefully consented to a Senate confirmation hearing that his passport and his records at the University of Liberia (UL) carry different years of birth, amplifying Senators’ anger over lies discovered in his personal data.
Unearthing some of the lies in the nominee’s data, Grand Bassa County Senator Jonathan L. Kaipay discovered that Cllr. Nwabudike who graduated from the Louise Arthur Grimes School of Law at UL has different year of birth for his school records, and another year of birth for his Liberian passport.
Responding to the Senator’s discovery, nominee Nwabudike consented that his passport carries October 2, 1963 while his records at the University of Liberia have October 2, 1965, insisting that he does not have control over what is written about him at UL.
The Nigerian – born who claims Liberian citizenship by naturalization failed flat at the haring to present original documents as evidence that he has actually naturalized, and was also unable to present proof of his denunciation of his Nigerian citizenship.
Even after naturalization, Nigerians do not forfeit their Nigerian citizenship until they make declaration renouncing their Nigerian citizenship, and the president registers such declaration, according to Article 29 of Nigeria’s Constitution.
His failure to present to the Liberian Senate an evidence that he has renounced his Nigerian citizenship and to show proof that his declaration has been registered by the president of Nigeria appear to give the confirmation hearing a suggestion that he may still be enjoying Nigerian citizenship while he carries a Liberian passport.
Prior to his nomination by President George Manneh Weah last month to head the prestigious electoral body, the controversial naturalized Liberian lawyer has headed the Liberia Anti – Corruption Commission (LACC) and the Good Governance Commission (GC), apparently with his citizenship issues undetected by Liberia’s weak system.
Due to the nominee’s conflicting testimonies at the hearing, the Senate Committee’s Chair Senator Milton Teahjay abruptly ended the hearing, saying they could no longer continue the hearing of this NEC nominee.
The self – proclaimed Liberian Cllr. Nwabudik claims to have taken oath in court as a Liberian citizen, but he adds that there is no written document to that.
He presented a photocopy of his certificate to Senators, but he says he does not have an original copy of it. Nwabudike tells the Senators that he is a Liberian citizen because he has voted in Liberian elections on so many occasions.
Following Nwabudike’s drowning testimony at the Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday, River Gee County Senator Conmany B. Wesseh urged the nominee to withdraw from the position in other to save himself from embarrassment and to save the country.
Sen. Wesseh notes that Cllr. Nwabudike has deceived the Supreme Court by serving on the Bar Association, the President of Liberia and the educational system of Liberia by graduating from the law school as a Liberian.
According to Sen. Wesseh, the Nigerian-Liberian national is not honest and he cannot serve in the key position of the country, the National Elections Commission.
Giving a little background of Liberia, Sen. Wesseh says the country has open arms to all the African countries and has allowed them to serve in positions in the country.
Also speaking, Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence says the NEC chair – designate is still a Nigerian because he hasn’t denounced his citizenship in Nigeria and Liberia doesn’t have a dual citizenship.
She adds that by denouncing your citizenship in Nigeria, there are lot of processes, following which a certificate is presented.
But she observes that the nominee has not presented such certificate to the Liberian senate.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Autonomous Agencies and Commissions has submitted to plenary all the other nominated commissioners of NEC, recommending their confirmation in executive session.
But opposition Liberty Party’s caucus in the Senate has rejected the confirmation of commissioner – designate Floyd Sayor who was questioned by senators over his handling of elections in Montserrado County District 13 and 15.
The LNBA says because of the continuing doubts being expressed regarding Cllr. Nwabudike’s citizenship and his responses regarding how he obtained it, the Bar has mandated its Grievance and Ethics Committee to expeditiously conduct an investigation into facts and circumstances surrounding issues raised about his citizenship to verify whether or not he met the requirement of becoming a Liberian citizen.By Winston W. Parley
