IPNews-Monrovia: The authoritative Independent Probe as reliably gathered that the Chairman, Liberia Anti corruption Commission-LACC, Cllr. Austin Ndubuisi Nwabudike has officially resigned as Commissioner of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission-LACC.

According to highly placed sources, at the LACC, Cllr. Nwabudike, resigned today minutes after a meeting with President George Manneh Weah.

LACC sources tell IPNews that Cllr. Austin Ndubuisi Nwabudike is scheduled to hold a major Press conference Monday, February 1, 2021, to publically resign.

The report on the resignation of Cllr. Austin Ndubuisi Nwabudike, come a day following the besieged of the LACC offices by students of the Student Unification Party–SUP, calling for his unconditional resignation.

Also on Thursday, January 28, 2021, the Liberian Senate passed a unanimous decision calling on President George Weah, to replace Cllr. Austin Ndubuisi Nwabudike.

Reliable sources tell IPNews that the Liberian Senate after a executive session Thrusdays, January, 28, 2021, wrote President George Weah, advising him to call on the embattled Chairman of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), Cllr. A. Ndubuisi Nwabudike, to resign.

Sources within the Senate stated that the communication to the Liberian leader called on him to ensure the embattled Chairman of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), Cllr. A. Ndubuisi Nwabudike, to resign.

“In confidence, I can confirm that he will resign between now and tomorrow. We have had tensed discussion with the executive and have reached a compromise,” a source said.

Also, IPNews has gathered from sources at the LACC that Cllr. Nwabudike during a meeting announced that he would be departing soon, but did not give a specific time, until today (Saturday, January 30, 2021) when he confirmed to closed associates that he has resigned, with a planned official pronouncement on next Monday.

It may be recalled Cllr. Nwabudike’s nationality came into questioning during a Senate confirmation hearing when he was nominated Chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC) though he was still serving a tenure position at the LACC.

Over the last two months since Plenary of the Liberian Senate mandated its Committee on Judiciary to investigate a concern raised by Senator Abraham Darius Dillon over the “Illegal stay” of Cllr. Nwabudike as chairman of the LACC.

The Senate plenary further mandated to the committee was to investigate the controversy surrounding his citizenship but the committee chaired by Senator Varney Sherman of Grand Cape Mount County worked at a very slow pace.

On many occasions when the Judiciary Committee was asked to report its findings and recommendations to the Senate plenary, there was always an excuse about lack of attendance for meeting by committee members.

The Senate Judiciary Committee members include; Senator Sherman (UP-Grand Cape Mount County) Chair, Senator Morris Saytumah (UP-Bomi County) Co-chair and Steve Zargo (LP-Lofa County) amongst others.

Senator Dillon, in his communication to the Plenary stated that Part IV Section 6.3 of the Act creating the LACC requires that only citizens of Liberia are eligible to serve as Commissioner of the anti-graft institution, and Cllr. Nwabudike, as Chairman does not meet the criteria.

He claims to be a naturalized Liberia born to Nigerian parents in Nigeria. The authenticity of his naturalization documents, also came into questioning as his Liberian passports contained several dates of birth.

The Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) delisted him as a member after an investigation conducted by them proved that he allegedly forged his naturalization documents. The Bar called on the President to terminate his chairmanship of the LACC on grounds that the Act establishing the entity states that only Liberian citizens can serve on the Board.

Even while the NEC nominee was facing unprecedented grilling in the Senate Committee, the opposition bloc known as the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Nobel Laureate, Leymah Gbowee and former Liberian Ambassador to the UN Mr. Lewis Brown called on the President to withdraw the nomination which had turned “toxic”.

In a published open letter addressed to President Weah, former Foreign Minister Madam Olubanke-King Akerele opposed the nomination of Cllr Nwabudike “…Thus the imperatives of being a Liberian born to hold such a position that determines election results should prove paramount, even if the law does not spell it out explicitly as such.”

Additionally, a coalition of civil society organizations under the banner, Liberia CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition-LCACC, has planned a “sit-in” protest aimed at demanding the voluntary resignation of Cllr. Austin Ndubuisi Nwabudike. Cllr. Nwabudike is the present head of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission-LACC.

In a letter to the US Ambassador, Mr. Michael A. McCarthy, LCACC, which is an umbrella organization established to consolidate and coordinate civil society organizations and anti-corruption activists in the fight against corruption in Liberia, told the US diplomat that they were informing and notifying his country’s government through its Embassy near Monrovia, about their pending February 1, 2021 Anti-Corruption March & Sit-In Action at the Headquarters of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission.

According to Mr. James Koryor, Executive Director of the LCACC, their demand for the immediate resignation of Mr. Nwabudike as Executive Chairperson of the LACC is to restore integrity, credibility and dignity to that institution. He added: “Our action is in keeping with Article 17 of the Liberian Constitution.”

“Your Excellency, Mr. Ambassador, the presence of Mr. Ndubuisi Nwabudike at the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission as head, does not only undermine the fight against corruption in Liberia, but is a gross violation of Part VI Section 6.3 of the Act establishing the LACC. Due to fraud and other misconduct, Mr. Ndubuisi Nwabudike was recently expelled from the Liberian National Bar Association for his woeful failure to defend and prove his citizenship both before the Liberian Senate and the Grievance and Ethics Committee of the Liberian National Bar Association,” the civil society group’s letter to the US Amb., further stated.

The LCACC further charged that “regrettably, under the leadership of Mr. Ndubuisi Nwabudike the LACC has failed, neglected and willfully refused to publish and or release a comprehensive report into the full scale investigation, matters, and issues emanating from the General Auditing Commission’s (GAC) Audit Report dated May 2019, entitled “On Applying the Agreed Upon Procedures of the US$25M Mop-up Exercise conducted by the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) as mandated by the Technical Economic Management (TEMT).”

“More disappointingly, institution like the LACC established by law to prevent, investigate and prosecute acts of corruption to give our development partners confidence, is the one promoting impunity and shielding corrupt public officials all because of its Executive Chairman, Mr. Ndubuisi Nwabudike.

“In view of the above, the Liberia CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition writes to affirm and assure the US Embassy and other development partners, that the February 1, 2021 Anti-Corruption March & Sit-In Action will be very peaceful and in conformity with the Liberian Laws. There is no time more crucial than now. Mr. Ndubuisi Nwabudike must vacate the LACC to restore its lost credibility and integrity.”

The LCACC was launched in 2019 with support from USAID through the Legal Professional Development & Anti-Corruption Program (LPAC).