Alberta reinstates Madu after being cleared of misconduct
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Kaycee Madu, the positive side of Nigeria in Canada, has been reinstated as a Minister in Alberta Province to be in charge of Labour and Immigration after his suspension on 17 January as Minister of Justice and Solicitor General.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney asked him to “step back” last month pending investigation of his telephone call to Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee over a traffic offence ticket. But he has been cleared of misconduct.
Madu, 47, was pulled over on 10 March 2021 for being on the phone while driving and fined $300 for flouting traffic and safety regulations. He then called McFee and discussed the ticket with him.
The report of the investigation was received on 15 February by the clerk of the Executive Council.
Madu was cleared of misconduct on 25 February and transferred to the Ministry of Labour and Immigration.
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Leading Alberta Immigration Scheme
Kenney said Madu will now lead “important reforms to the Alberta advantage immigration programme.”
“The report concludes that Minister Madu did not interfere in the administration of justice but that the phone call could create a reasonable perception of interference,” Kenney said in a statement.
“It is clear from the report that his motivation in making the call was not to reverse the ticket but to raise broader concerns, particularly related to racial profiling.
“Nevertheless, as Ms. Kent [the investigator] concludes, ‘being angry, wanting assurances that he was not racially profiled are all understandable reactions, given the context of the phone call.
“It does not absolve the Minister from responsibility, but it is an explanation that deserves recognition.’
“Given her findings, and the unique role of the office of the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, I have concluded that it would be appropriate for Minister Madu to step aside from that position.
“I also look forward to Minister Madu’s continued contribution to important work of government as Minister of Labour and Immigration, where he will lead important reforms to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Programme and continued implementation of the Fairness for Newcomers Action Plan to help break down barriers to the economic success of immigrants.
“He will help to deliver on the Alberta Work Initiative, a key part of Budget 2022’s plan to connect unemployed Albertans with available jobs through expanded training programmes.”
Madu is replaced as Justice Minister and Solicitor General by Tyler Shandro.
Kenney said Shandro is an experienced lawyer who has served on the National Parole Board, the Municipal Government Board, the Criminal Injuries Review Board, the University of Calgary Senate, the Calgary Parking Authority and the Calgary Police Commission.
Brief biography
Kaycee, a nickname for Kelechi, graduated in law from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in 2001 after which he attended Law Schol and was called to the Bar in Nigeria.
He met his wife Emem at UNILAG where she too studied law but a year his junior. They both emigrated to Edmonton, Canada in 2005 and later became Canadians by naturalisation.
Madu did postgraduate studies at the University of Alberta.
He worked for Alberta Hospital, Legal Aid Alberta and the Government of Alberta in a number of different roles.
He is a member of the United Conservative Party (UCP).
He was elected a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing Edmonton South-West on 16 April 2019.
Madu served as Minister of Municipal Affairs from 30 April 2019 to 25 August 2020 along with his job as a lawmaker.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs is the third largest in Alberta with over $3.7 billion portfolio.
He was appointed Minister of Justice and Solicitor General on 25 August 2020. He was placed on a leave of absence from 17 January 2022 to 25 February 2022 due to the traffic incident.
Traffic incident
Madu was stopped on 10 March 2021 by the Edmonton Police Service and issued a traffic ticket for using his cellphone while driving in a school zone, according to CBC News
He called McFee raising concerns about the context of the stop, discussing people of colour being stopped by police and tension with the Lethbridge Police Service.
The incident was revealed on 17 January 2022 and prompted calls for Madu’s resignation.
Madu was placed on a leave of absence later in the day by Kenney pending the conclusion of a probe into his conduct. Interim Energy minister Sonya Savage assumed his position in an acting capacity.
An investigation into the matter by retired Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Adèle Kent found that Madu had not interfered in the administration of justice, but “attempted to” with his phone call to the chief of police.
“Minister Madu did contact me via the telephone concerned about a ticket. But just to be very, very clear, he never asked to get out of the ticket,” McFee told CBC News in December 2021.
McFee said he did not know exactly what was on the ticket. And the investigation cleared Madu of wrongdoing.
