Why Senate declined Magu’s confirmation as EFCC boss

The power tussle between members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s kitchen cabinet has been blamed for the Senate’s rejection of the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
BusinessDay reliably gathered that the security report upon which Magu was rejected, was authored by Lawal Daura, director-general, Department of State Services (DSS), in disregard to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, the political head of all security agencies in Nigeria.
This is the first time the nomination of chairman of the anti-graft agency has been rejected since the establishment of the body in 2003.
Announcing the rejection at Thursday’s plenary after a closed-door meeting that lasted for over two hours, Senate President Bukola Saraki referred the screening of the other four nominated executive members of the Commission to the Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, chaired by Chukwuka Utazi, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator.
Those expected to appear before the panel include: Nda Moses, Lawan Mamman, Galadanci Imam and Adeleke Rafiu.
Confirming the development, Senate spokesperson Aliyu Sabi, told newsmen immediately after the closed-door session that Magu’s confirmation was rejected due to security report.
“The Senate wishes to inform the public that based on available security report, the Senate cannot proceed with the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the EFCC.
“The nomination of Ibrahim Magu is hereby rejected and has been returned to the President for further action,” the lawmaker told journalists.
Magu became acting chairman of the Commission since November 2015, after President Buhari sacked his predecessor, Ibrahim Lamorde.
But it was only in July 2016 that the then acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, sent in a letter to the Senate requesting that Magu be confirmed as chairman of the anti-graft agency.
Unlike him, his predecessor, Lamorde was confirmed as the EFCC chair within 34 days at the Senate. Former President Goodluck Jonathan nominated him on January 12, 2012, and he got the confirmation of the lawmakers on February 15, same year.
BusinessDay gathered that Magu, who was at the Senate on Thursday for his screening, accompanied by his aides and officials of the Commission, was allowed into the chamber midway into the closed-door session but followed through the back door.
A lawmaker, who witnessed the two-hour closed-door session, said Magu’s rejection was across party lines, adding that both PDP and APC senators vehemently opposed his confirmation.
According to him, lawmakers expressed concern that the acting EFCC boss was selective in his anti-corruption war, hence the need to cut him down to size.
It was also revealed that some vested interests in the Presidency had been mounting pressure on legislators of the upper legislative chamber to reject the EFCC boss.
“Some members of the kitchen cabinet are no longer comfortable with the corruption fight of the acting EFCC chairman. For instance, some kitchen cabinet members are peeved that the Commission under Magu is prosecuting some of their cronies with the backing of the President.
“These people feel the best way to cut him down to size is to pressurise the Senate to reject him and put someone who is willing to do their bidding,” the source that pleaded anonymity, told BusinessDay.
Also, the cold war between the Commission and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, came to the fore two weeks ago during a live television programme, Sunrise Daily on Channels Television, when the EFCC chairman declined to answer whether his anti-corruption crusade had the backing of the AGF.
Another source also revealed that some members of the cabinet were already shopping for a replacement for Magu, saying, “Some of them are already looking for a replacement, an elderly person from the President’s village in Daura, Katsina State.”
However, another National Assembly source disagreed, insisting that the President would re-present Magu’s name to the Senate.
Investigations also revealed that the fact that the Commission was probing former governors did not also help matters, as some governors-turned-senators were in the Commission’s radar.
Those who are being investigated include Senate President Bukola Saraki; Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio; chairman, Senate Committee on Public Procurement, Joshua Dariye; chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations Danjuma Goje, among others.
BusinessDay also gathered that the security report, upon which the confirmation of the EFCC boss was rejected, contained corruption allegations involving ownership of property, violation of financial rules and regulations as well as colluding with corrupt individuals.
It was also gathered that Saraki had been keeping the three-page report, tagged “Status report on Magu” close to his chest since he received it.
In a twist of events, some senators have asked the Senate President to formally release the security report.
One of the federal lawmakers expressed concern over the non-release of the report, saying: “Why and what is he holding the report for?
“People are alleging that we are trying to frustrate the corruption fight of this administration but it is not so. Let him release it now,” the ranking senator said.
Political commentators are waiting to see President Buhari’s next move; whether he would nominate Magu again or nominate another individual.
This would become clearer when the Senate resumes plenary on January 10, 2017, when the President is expected to forward his nomination.
As at the time of filing this report, the President was attending an official event in Lagos.
One of his media aides, Garba Shehu, declined response to inquiries, saying he could only react after the President had been briefed on the whole development.

 

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja