Liberia’s anti-corruption boss resigns over citizenship scandal

The chairman of Liberia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), Ndubusi Nwabudike, resigned last week following allegations that he falsified his citizenship records. Anti-corruption enforcement and the LACC specifically are expected to remain weak due to (a) institutional constraints and (b) limited political will.

Significance - who you know matters most

President George Weah first chose Nwabudike to head the electoral commission in March 2020. He then re-nominated him for the LACC position despite Senate findings that the Nigerian-born lawyer appeared to have gained Liberian citizenship illegally. In June, the Liberian Bar Association expelled him after its own investigation.

The saga should be understood as one of a number of efforts by the president to put associates in key positions despite concerns about their reputation. In 2018 for example, the Senate rejected his nominee for justice minister Charles Gibson because Gibson had once been suspended by the Supreme Court for alleged corruption. Weah again picked him as labour minister in October 2020.

Meanwhile, the LACC has suffered from reputational and political concerns that go beyond those around Nwabudike’s legitimacy. His predecessor James Verdier was accused of corruption by his own deputy. In that time, Verdier was also tied in disputes with the Weah administration. He claimed LACC was being poorly funded and government officials were refusing to declare their assets.

The LACC law weakens its impact and autonomy. For instance, the law does not permit the commission to directly prosecute cases. It is first required to recommend prosecutions to the justice ministry and only act further if the ministry does not do so within three months.

Outlook - reforma non grata

Neither Weah nor parliament has demonstrated substantial commitment to amend the LACC law, even though its limitations are recognized by both and proposals have been discussed for years. On that note, the justice ministry will remain chiefly responsible for tackling corruption but its work will continue to be opaque and influenced by politics. A recent example is the 2019 prosecution of ex-president Sirleaf Johnson’s son, Charles Sirleaf, and others for their role in a missing money scandal at the central bank. The justice ministry later dropped charges against him and three others in unclear circumstances.

—

Photo credit: President George Weah by Mahmoud Kochlef

—

Songhai Advisory is an African-owned and managed firm delivering local knowledge supporting transformative and sustainable economic outcomes in the region. We would love to hear from you! questions@songhaidvisory.com