Magu: Senators blast Sagay over remark

Senators yesterday tongue lashed chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on anticorruption, Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) over his remarks on the decision of the Senate to suspend consideration of REC nominees.

Sagay was reported to have described call by the Senate to President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu in two weeks, “as childish and irresponsible”.

Raising a point of order, the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi) said Sagay should be invited to the Senate to name Senators who have questionable characters.

“This Senate is under obligation to invite Sagay to come and name the questionable people that fill this Senate, it is very important at this stage of our political development. It is very important.

“If due diligence has been done in respect of who the person and personality of Sagay is, I am absolutely sure that he will not have been appointed in that position. But let me say in due respect that I Bala Ibn Na’Allah am not a person of questionable integrity. Let me equally say that no senator is person of questionable integrity,” he said.

Contributing, the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North) said it behoves every presidential aides to behave responsibly to encourage and sustain the very cordial relationship between the National Assembly and the administration.

“We are elected people just like the president is an elected president. The Nigerian public has every right to criticise us, call us to order where we erred, proffer suggestions and way out where they think we need that. But I take special and serious exception when a presidential aide instead of trying to bring people together, would speak in this manner, “he said.

Senate President Bukola Saraki referred the matter to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions with four weeks timeframe.