Presidency, Senate to clash over Magu again
The Presidency and the Senate are set to clash again over the confirmation of acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu,
has gathered.
Daily Trust
According to sources, some senators have vowed to reject the confirmation of Magu as substantive chairman of the anti-graft agency after the Presidency renominated him for confirmation.
Magu’s confirmation was rejected by the Senate in December 2016, after acting as EFCC chairman for over one year.
The Senate had rejected Magu’s confirmation citing allegations of corruption against him, contained in a Department of State Services (DSS) report.
Some senators, it was gathered, insist that the allegations in the DSS report have not been vacated and the investigation carried out by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami that cleared Magu has not been made public.
Sources who don’t not want to be mentioned, said resending Magu’s name would again pitch the Presidency against the Senate, noting that both President Buhari and acting President Yemi Osinbajo are determined to have Magu lead the anti-corruption campaign.
Other objectors to Magu’s confirmation may be a number of former state Governors and politicians now in the Senate, who were at one time interrogated by the EFCC for corruption.
Contacted, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said the Senate would take a position on Magu after the consideration of the 2017 budget.
Meanwhile, an anti corruption crusader, Rasheed Oyewumi has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to disqualify Senate President Bukola Saraki and other ranking senators from being part of the screening of Magu.
He said Senators Godswill Akpabio, Jonah Jang, Aliyu Wammakko, Stella Odua, Theodore Orji and Rabiu Kwankwaso cannot be fair if allowed to participate in the screening of Magu.
Other are: Senators Ahmed Sani, Danjuma Goje, Joshua Dariye and Abdullahi Adamu. Also joined in the suit are the Clerk to the National Assembly, the Senate, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Magu.
According to Oyewumi, Saraki and others are threatened by the leadership of Magu as EFCC chairman.
He asked the court to determine whether the Senate President and other senators will not violate the provisions of Section 56, 172 of paragraphý 1 and 9 of the fifth schedule to the 1999 Constitution if they jointly or severally participate in or vote during the screening or deliberation on the nomination of Magu for the position of EFCC.
No date has been fixed for the hearing.