Magu: No time was Osinbajo disowned over position against Senate – Presidency

*Says online report misrepresented Attorney-General’s comment

*Respondent describes distortion of Malami’s comment as mischievious

*Advocates sanctions against erring media organisations

…Falana tells Senate where they goof on Osinbajo

*’Why has Senate not insisted on confirming SGF, Perm Secs but EFCC?’

“Time we realise that the west are appearing like super powers and super in all endeavours because their media put their national interest first before their own individual interest.  But here in Nigeria, and I am not sure any other African nation media behave like our do, we join hands in the name of press freedom to destroy our own country through misrepresentations, distortions of people particularly government’s intentions, only for us, not only to begin to seek scholarship and sponsorship to run to those countries built through the cooperation of their media but also, write even at home here to praise the western societies as super nations while denigrating our own country.  If they don’t nurture their own countries, they would be so disastrous that we would not be able to see anything to praise about them.  Just imagine a journalist and his media organisation not understanding simple meaning of a simple comment by a minister as important and sensitive as Attorney-General of the Federation saying ‘the decisions on Presidential nominations are matters for the Presidency and not the Federal Executive Council’, only for the journalist to go ahead and proudly write it as ‘presidency disowns Osinbajo’ and the media outfit allowed that to go online!  For how long will people being looked at will continue to look at other things like some of you media people are doing in this country?  I am still watching even those of you in The DEFENDER and I hope you will be able to change my perception on this,” he said in anger.

The Presidency has faulted an online publication quoting the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, as saying that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo should be held responsible for a statement credited to him by the Senate.

“The endorsement by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo of the continuous stay of Ibrahim Magu as EFCC chairman was not a collective decision,” the online publication had quoted the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami as saying on Wednesday.

However, Mr Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity (Office of the Vice-President), on his twitter handle, frowned at the publication, saying the minister was misrepresented by the Premium Times.

He posted on the twitter handle: “@PremiumTimesng ought to understand a basic fact: Appointments & Nominations are not a matter for Federal Executive Council. They are purely presidential issues.

“The Attorney-General’s point is that decisions on Presidential nominations are matters for the Presidency and not the Federal Executive Council.’’

While briefing State House correspondents alongside the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Attorney General, dismissed the assertion that the FEC had discussed the issue of confirmation of nominations or otherwise by the Senate.

Akande said, “Well the fundamental consideration about the alleged statement is the fact that at no point ever the federal executive council sat down to arrive at the decision in one way or the other as far as the issue of nomination or otherwise is concerned.”

The Senate on Tuesday frowned at a statement credited to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo that the Upper Chamber had no power to confirm certain political appointments being made by the presidency.

The Senate, therefore, in a four-prayer motion, resolved to suspend all confirmation requests from the executive until decisions of the legislature is respected by the presidency.

The decision of the Senate arose from a motion raised by Sen. Sani Yerima, following a letter requesting the confirmation of Lanre Gbajabiamila as Director-General of the National Lottery Commission.

Respondent’s response of anger against press misdoing

In the meantime, a respondent who spoke to The DEFENDER over the revelation of distortion by the online medium (not ours) described media distortion of people particularly government’s intention in reports as dangerous and counter-productive and therefore condemned the attitude in totality while advocating for inclusion in the new constitution amendment the straightening of press law which specifically stipulates stringent penalty without option of fine for any journalist who engages in it, editor who allows it to pass and the media organisation which either publish it in print, online or broadcast it on radio and television.

“Time we realise that the west are appearing like super powers and super in all endeavours because their media put their national interest first before their own individual interest.  But here in Nigeria, and I am not sure any other African nation media behave like our do, we join hands in the name of press freedom to destroy our own country through misrepresentations, distortions of people particularly government’s intentions, only for us, not only to begin to seek scholarship and sponsorship to run to those countries built through the cooperation of their media but also, write even at home here to praise the western societies as super nations while denigrating our own country.  If they don’t nurture their own countries, they would be so disastrous that we would not be able to see anything to praise about them.  Just imagine a journalist and his media organisation not understanding simple meaning of a simple comment by a minister as important and sensitive as Attorney-General of the Federation saying ‘the decisions on Presidential nominations are matters for the Presidency and not the Federal Executive Council’, only for the journalist to go ahead and proudly write it as ‘presidency disowns Osinbajo’ and the media outfit allowed that to go online!  For how long will people being looked at will continue to look at other things like some of you media people are doing in this country?  I am still watching even those of you in The DEFENDER and I hope you will be able to change my perception on this,” he said in anger.

Femi Falana lampoons Senate’s position against Osinbajo

Speaking with a print medium in reaction to the fresh drama at the Senate over the EFCC’s boss, Ibrahim Magu, and the comment by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo that Magu remains the anti-graft body’s boss, Senate confirmation or not, Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) said, “No Senate that knows its onion will insist that Section 2 (3) of the EFCC Act which requires senatorial confirmation of the appointment of its chairman will take precedence over Section 171 of the 1999 Constitution which has empowered the President to appoint or remove the head or acting head of any extra-ministerial officials of the federal government.

“It is trite law that any provision of any law that is inconsistent with the provision of the constitution is null and void to the extent of such inconsistency. The SGF, Head of Service or Permanent Secretaries are all extra-ministerial officials of the government. Why is the senate not insisting on their confirmation?”, the learned silk queried.