Why Buhari Must Retain Magu at EFCC
Phrank Shaibu makes a strong case for the retention of Ibrahim Magu as head of Nigeria’s flagship antigraft agency
Love him or hate him, one argument that cannot be contested is the fact that Ibrahim Magu, the Ag. Chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has taken the anti corruption fight in Nigeria to hitherto uncharted levels where many people thought could never be attained or that no one would have the courage to go in the war against corruption.
Deconstructing corruption fight in Nigeria is a binding moral duty for common good and it requires seeing beyond political affiliations, standpoint, preference or ideology.
In Nigeria, Ibrahim Mustapha Magu, is the scourge of corrupt Nigerians, no matter your status or engagement and this has become worthy of public analysis and historic documentation whether aligned to the ruling party or not.
Infact, l had taken a long break from commenting on public discourse that will conflict with my political opposition status but if truth be told, the fight against corruption is for a better Nigeria and it is a collective pursuit that deserves objective periodic review on how those charged with such responsibilities are conducting the affairs of government agencies they manage. Thus, my decision to research on the EFCC and its affairs is a call to duty as public analyst and it changes nothing about my political attachment and roles played as political campaign spokesperson.
Specifically, about four years ago, on the 9th of November 2015, President Mohammadu Buhari sacked the then EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde and promptly replaced him with Ibrahim Mustapha Magu, the next day, November 10.
Under Magu, the mention of EFCC became the beginning of the endgame for corrupt public and private officers including individuals who had carried on for years as though they were above the law.
Ibrahim Mustapha Magu, the poster boy of the anti corruption crusade which has become the signature policy engagement of the President Mohammadu Buhari administration and has attracted both continental and global commendations for tackling what has been described across international platforms, as the number one factor militating against the growth and development of African Nations and economies.
The man Ibrahim Magu, prior to his appointment, then an assistant commissioner of police was one of the early recruits into the anti-graft agency in the dizzying days of its pioneer chairman Malam Nuhu Ribadu.
In 2015, Magu before becoming the EFCC boss was a member of the committee set up by the Buhari administration to probe the procurement of arms in the Armed Forces from 2007 to 2015 which eventually uncovered a cesspool of corruption that shocked the nation and still continues to reverberate with new and astonishing revelations.
Most likely, given Magu’s perceived incorruptible posture, he was made the head of the sensitive Economic Governance Unit (EGU), which handled investigations of senior public officials and as head of the EGU, spearheaded some of the investigations that included the alleged involvement of former Senate President Bukola Saraki in the collapse of Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria; and James Ibori, former Governor of Delta State, who at that time was serving jail term in United Kingdom for money laundering.
Magu, also played a major role in the investigation and eventual jailing of former Managing Director of the Bank of the North, Shettima Mohammed Bulama, said to be his own brother in law.
It was widely believed that after Ribadu was removed as EFCC boss in controversial circumstances by former President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Magu was also targeted for redeployment by new EFCC boss, Farida Waziri, who took over in 2008 and was said to be uncomfortable with his presence over issues surrounding loyalty.