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Heartbreaking news reaching the Public Agenda late Wednesday evening has confirmed that Montserrado County Electoral District #9 Representative, Pelham-Youngblood has fallen to the cold hands of death.

Details to follow in subsequent news.

-MOVEE Describes Nwabudike’s Stay @ LACC

-Entreats Senate’s Autonomous Committee

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The Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) has begun a journey aimed at restoring the integrity of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).

In a communication dated June 30, 2020 to the Chair of the Senate’s Committee on Autonomous Agency, Senator J. Milton Teahjay of Sinoe County, MOVEE entreated the attention of the Committee about what it described as the “illegal occupation” of the Chairmanship of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission by controversial Cllr. A. Ndubusi Nwabudike.

 Cllr. Nwabudike was nominated recently by President George Manneh Weah to serve as Chairperson for the National Election Commission but was denied confirmation by the Senate’s Committee on Autonomous Agency for providing what MOVEE referred to as “contradictory and fraudulent documentation” to acquire Liberian citizenship.

“Prior, he was confirmed to serve as National Chairperson to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission – the country’s foremost anti-graft agency established to fight corruption and promote probity in public service,” MOVEE reminded the Committee in the communication.

The Communication under the signature of the Party’s National Chairman, veteran and vocal Civil Society Activist, Dan Torkama won Saryee, Sr. says “Honorable Chairman and members of the committee, although Cllr. Nwabudike succeeded in smartly dribbling the three branches to have criminally infiltrated every structure of our political and governance system, that cannot serve as justification to have him illegally preside over the LACC which has citizenship requirement to become a Commissioner.”

Saryee contends that Cllr. Nwabudike’s persistence occupation of the LACC chairmanship constitutes an act of “arrogance, defiance to our laws and underscores the systemic weakness of the governance system.”

He laments that it is disturbing that the confirming authority as well as the appointing authority has chosen to remain mute despite widespread public condemnation across diverse spectrum of the Liberian society.

“In view of the foregoing and in consideration of your oversight responsibility, MOVEE requests your intervention to restore the integrity of the LACC. We are of the conviction that your committee is well placed to savage what is fast becoming an unhealthy precedent for our governance system.”

The Party has provided reasons why it thinks Cllr. Nwabudike should be withdrawn from the LACC.

Consistent with Part VI Section 6.3 of the LACC Act, MOVEE says, Cllr. Nwabudike has not been able to demonstrate that he is a Liberian, adding that the same grounds for his withdrawal from the National Election Commission nomination similarly hold ground for the LACC nomination as well.

MOVEE insists that it is only a Liberian with good moral character that can be appointed as commissioner to the LACC.

“Section 6.8 of the LACC Acts states that any of the commissioners shall be removed from office by the president for any gross breach of duty, misconduct in office, or any proven act of corruption. Consistent with Part V Section 5.2(a-m) the Senate’s failure to withdraw the nomination of Cllr. Nwabudikes Chairman to the LACC will ultimately impair the function of the Commission to fight corruption.”

According to MOVEE, in affirmation of Cllr. Nwabudike’s fraudulent acquisition of citizenship to get admitted into the practice of law, the Liberia Bar Association following the corroboration of evidence expelled him, adding that “this further explains why Cllr. Nwabudike should be withdrawn from the LACC.”

“Honorable Chairman and members of the Senate Committee on autonomous agencies, MOVEE requests your timely intervention to save the integrity of the LACC. We recall the eminent role of corruption in our country decade and half civil conflicts which precipitated the establishment of the anti-Corruption Commission. It is our hope that your committee will invite Cllr.Nwabudike to state why he should not be withdrawn or removed as chairman of the LACC.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Autonomous, Sen. Teahjay is yet to comment; when this paper placed number of calls to him by 12:47 and 12:48 P.M, Thursday afternoon, his mobile numbers rank endless without response.  He did not return the calls up to press time.

-Pres. Weah Treading Dangerous Path

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Perhaps, many ordinary Liberians are still finding it difficult to accept as true that President George Manneh Weah would be too quick to begin to ignore the blatant violation of Liberian laws and excruciating hardship, and at the same time ignoring the masses’ screaming.

As The Public Agenda Reports, Pres. Weah was overwhelmingly elected by the popular people’s mandate and promised to lead efforts aimed at building the “New and better Liberia” which is envisaged by the people.

“But whether Pres. Weah is still committed to this promise or not, it is anyone’s guess”, a staunch partisan of the ruling CDC who preferred not to be named in print told the Public Agenda Tuesday afternoon in Monrovia. 

Delivering his inaugural address in January 2018 before a record crowd, the Liberian leader declared, “I promise to do everything in my power to be the agent of positive change. But I cannot do it alone.” But now, it appears the President is caught between the forces; the masses and the closest advisors, who perhaps, cannot see or hear what the masses are seeing and hearing or reading on the walls. 

But many ordinary Liberians believe that nothing significant has changed since his ascendency to state power; excruciating hardship has overwhelmed the masses; the crying is everywhere; in some cases, busy commodities are unaffordable.   

Cognizant of the fact that he was elected by the masses unquestionably, Pres. Weah added, during the inaugural address, “on this day of inauguration, as we begin to build upon the foundation of this New Liberia, I, George forky klon jlaleh gbah kugbeh Tarpeh Manneh Weah, your new President, must first give thanks and praises to the Almighty God for the blessings he has bestowed on our country. And I say “my people thank you, yaaaaaaaaa” for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading the effort to build this New and better Liberia.”

However, critics say, the blatant violation of Liberian laws cannot be accommodated in the efforts to “build this new and better Liberia.”  According to some, the “illegal occupation” of the Chairmanship of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission by controversial Cllr. A. NdubusiNwabudike is violation of the laws of the land which should be tolerated.

Cllr. Nwabudike was nominated by the President to serve as Chairperson for the National Election Commission but was denied confirmation by the Senate’s Committee on Autonomous Agency for providing what others referred to as “contradictory and fraudulent documentation” to acquire Liberian citizenship.

“Prior, he was confirmed to serve as National Chairperson to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission – the country’s foremost anti-graft agency established to fight corruption and promote probity in public service.”

It is believed that Cllr. Nwabudike succeeded in smartly dribbling the three branches of the Liberian Government to have illegally infiltrated every structure of the country’s political and governance system “but that cannot serve as justification to have him illegally preside over the LACC which has citizenship requirement to become a Commissioner,” MOVEE’s National Chair, Dan T. Saryee said in his Communication to the Liberian Senate.

Saryee contends that Cllr. Nwabudike’s persistence occupation of the LACC chairmanship constitutes an act of “arrogance, defiance to our laws and underscores the systemic weakness of the governance system.”

He laments that it is disturbing that the confirming authority as well as the appointing authority has chosen to remain mute despite widespread public condemnation across diverse spectrum of the Liberian society.

“In view of the foregoing and in consideration of your oversight responsibility, MOVEE requests your intervention to restore the integrity of the LACC. We are of the conviction that your committee is well placed to savage what is fast becoming an unhealthy precedent for our governance system,” Saryee noted in his communication to the Liberian Senate.

Perhaps, the legal advisors of the Liberian leader have not drawn his attention to the laws which have reportedly been violated. But according to Saryee’s communication, consistent with Part VI Section 6.3 of the LACC Act, Cllr. Nwabudike has not been able to demonstrate that he is a Liberian, adding that the same grounds for which he was withdrew from the National Election Commission nomination, the same reasons are active for his LACC’s nomination.

MOVEE insists that it is only a Liberian with good moral character that can be appointed as commissioner to the LACC.

“Section 6.8 of the LACC Acts states that any of the commissioners shall be removed from office by the president for any gross breach of duty, misconduct in office, or any proven act of corruption. Consistent with Part V Section 5.2(a-m) the Senate’s failure to withdraw the nomination of Cllr. Nwabudike s Chairman to the LACC will ultimately impair the function of the Commission to fight corruption.”

According to MOVEE, in affirmation of Cllr. Nwabudike’s fraudulent acquisition of citizenship to get admitted into the practice of law, the Liberia Bar Association following the corroboration of evidence expelled him, adding that “this further explains why Cllr. Nwabudike  should be withdrawn from the LACC.”

Some political pundits believe that it is not safe to ignore the voices of the people who elected you, particularly when the environment is becoming politically volatile for the ruling CDC, something one of them said was a dangerous path the President is treading.