President Muhammadu Buhari would reportedly insist on his choice of Ibrahim Magu as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to The Nation, Buhari is studying the reasons given by the Senate for the rejection of Magu, and that he would make his position known to the upper chamber in the coming week.
The report said Buhari prefers and trusts Magu to oversee the affairs of the anti-graft agency and that he is not convinced that the man is not fit for the job.
The source said: “Personally, the President prefers Magu and he is standing by him. As at this week, the position of the President has not changed.
“There is no doubt that the President’s advisers have recommended the retention of Magu and he is likely to heed their advice.
“As I am talking to you, there is no fresh security report or any updated information which can make Buhari to turn against Magu. So, he is likely to stand by his letter to the Senate.
“At personal level, Buhari has confided in his key aides that he wants Magu in charge of EFCC.”
The Senate first rejected Magu’s nomination after a damning report against him by the Department of State Service (DSS), declaring him unfit for the job on grounds of corruption.
Following his second rejection by the Red Chamber, the DSS reportedly forwarded more detailed report and documents against Magu to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Details of the documents, which was leaked to the media on Friday, March 24 – see here – purportedly proves the acting EFCC chairman is not fit to retain his job.
Magu, however, has responded to the new report in a counter memo to the AGF, declaring the allegations false in its entirety.
Magu said: “Sir, it is important to situate my relationship with Commodore Mohammed Umar (rtd), in proper perspective.
“Our paths crossed when we became members of the Presidential Committee on the investigation on arms procurement. He was instrumental in getting some of the information that helped the committee to make significant breakthrough in its assignment.
“Beyond that, the relationship between Umar and myself is one of professional acquaintance, devoid of issues of conflict of interest. So, it comes to me with shock, the imputation by the DSS that we have a “mutually beneficial relationship”.
“This appears suggestive that Mohammed and I were involved in activities that could be said to be untoward. I certainly have no knowledge of such activities.
“The claim that EFCC documents, including EFCC letters addressed to the Vice President and being investigation reports on the activities of Emmanuel Kachikwu and his brother Dumebi Kachikwu, were found in his home during a search by the DSS came to me as a surprise.
“If that is correct, he should be made to disclose how he came by such documents. I never discussed my official duties with him let alone give him documents pertaining to investigations being conducted by the Commission.
“Interestingly, Mohammed was detained for several months by the DSS. In all those months, did he claim that I mandated him to commit any crime or that I was an accomplice to any crime? If there is any such claim, I will wholeheartedly like to be confronted with the allegation.
“It is interesting to note that when Mohammed was eventually charged to court, the charges against him were money laundering and illegal possession of firearms, and nothing related to my purported “shady” relationship with him.”
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1 Comment
Is there no better person than Magu for the job in the whole country? Why should a President apparently busy fighting corruption stand by a person accused of corruption to help him fight against the same phenomenon – even if the accusation is not correct? We are also aware that the President has waved off without any hesitation the accusations of corruption against characters that panels have found to be corrupt because they are either members of or sympathetic with his political party, while his party continues to warmly embrace those charged with corruption by EFCC but who decide to defect to his party to escape prosecution. Is the President fighting corruption or using the exercise to settle some scores?