Rejection of Magu Stands, Senate Tells Osinbajo

• War against corruption must be won, EFCC boss insists

By Benneth Oghifo in Lagos and Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Sabi Abdullahi, yesterday declared that the rejection of the nomination of Ibrahim Magu as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) still stands and would not be reviewed.

On the same day, and apparently responding to the backing he got from Acting President Yemi Osinbajo earlier in the week, the acting chairman of the EFCC restated his determination to strengthen the fight against corruption in the country, while speaking at a function in Kano State. 

The Senate spokesman, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), was clearly reacting to the statement credited to Osinbajo that Magu would remain as EFCC chairman under the Buhari administration.

He said: “The senate has already made its resolution, and our resolutions are official statements, and most times, based on how we communicate, we don’t go to press immediately because somebody has made a statement; we usually discuss issues.

“You know before we made that resolution, the issue was debated. It is not because the executive has said something, we will react to it.  We discuss issues first.

“That is what makes up an institution. Nobody in the Senate is expressing his individual opinion. We are expressing the opinion of the Senate, its stand and its position. We have given it a resolution. For now, that is what subsists, and until we get a response, otherwise officially, we are not going back.”

The lawmaker called on all arms of government to respect the rule of law for the deepening of the democracy in the country.

“Let us work in the interest of Nigerians. We have made a point, a point which is clear. He was brought to us for confirmation, and on the basis of damning reports from the DSS, we rejected him twice. It is left for Nigerians to see and we have done our part,” he said. 

War against corruption must be won, EFCC boss insists

The acting chairman of the EFCC yesterday restated his determination to strengthen the fight against corruption in the country. 

Magu who spoke in Kano at an interactive session with civil organizations held at EFCC Zonal office, said corruption must be fought to a conclusive end. 

“There is no way corruption will continue in this country. We have president and the Vice President that are serious on war against corruption. This is the only period in the history of Nigeria that we have a government that is serious about the war against corruption.” 

Magu said the war against corruption was for the survival of the country “and our main goal is to ensure that we have a corrupt free society.” 

“Corruption has also caused deterioration in the quality of infrastructure, healthcare delivery and education among others. So it is our duty to ensure we fight the scourge of it. 

“We can do it because we have the advantage of the number to push them out. Fighting corruption in the country is compulsory in order for us to have better society,” he said. 

During the interactive session, a member of Kano-based civil society group, Miss Maryam Ibrahim challenged the EFCC to investigate the allegation of corruption against even NGOs.