Magu spits fire after his second rejection by Saraki’s Senate, says anti-corruption struggle is fight to finish

He ceases to be EFCC acting chair – Saraki

How many in Saraki’s Senate have expectation of good – Ezekwesili

*We haven’t heard the last of reason Saraki’s Senate fear of Magu’

Ezekwesili said the presidency should explain to citizens why President Buhari who is privy to the DSS report on Magu re-nominated him to Senate…The former minister also lashed out at the Senate saying “I don’t know what percentage of citizens still have any expectation of good from the Senate of Bukola Saraki. That is all the feedback they deserve.”

The Senate Wednesday rejected the renomination of Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

But Magu said his “non confirmation won’t stop the fight against corruption.” His reaction came as he stepped out of the senate and headed for his office.

However, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said at the close of the hearing that Magu had ceased to be the acting chairman of the anti-graft agency from that moment.

He added that President Buhari should present the name of another candidate for the position.

Some of The DEFENDER’s respondents who chose to be anonymous have however said Nigerians should calm down as the last has not been heard about why the so much jitters for EFCC under Ibrahim Mustapha Magu by the Bukola Saraki-led Senate of the Federal Republic.

In the meantime, the presidency has declined comment on the issue when asked Wednesday about the President’s next move now that Magu had been rejected twice by the Senate.

Magu’s first comment on stepping out was made to members of some rights groups that gathered outside to receive him after leaving the upper chamber.

“My priority is to fight corruption. My confirmation has not changed anything. I will work until the last day whether confirmation or no confirmation.

“The greatest violation against human right is crime against the society and the humanity. But everybody has a duty and responsibility to fight corruption. I also have a responsibility. I assure you that we will fight to finish,” he also said.

Magu said he was not threatened by the allegations from the Department of State Service (DSS).

“The same report is coming back and this time around, it is signed by somebody which I doubt the genuineness of that report.

“What we are doing is to recover what has got lost before and protect the future of our children. So, if we don’t work today against corruption, the future of our children is not guaranteed. We must all wake up, wherever you find yourself, fight corruption and anytime you discover that I am corrupt, please expose me,” said Magu.

In rejecting Magu, the Senate relied on a “damaging and indicting” report of the DSS.

“My priority is to fight corruption. My confirmation has not changed anything. I will work until the last day whether confirmation or no confirmation.  The greatest violation against human right is crime against the society and the humanity. But everybody has a duty and responsibility to fight corruption. I also have a responsibility. I assure you that we will fight to finish,” Magu said.

President Muhammadu Buhari re-nominated him on January 24, saying he was cleared of the allegations after an investigation by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami.

But the DSS wrote another letter dated Tuesday, Mar 14, which had the same content as the previous one it presented in October.

Trouble started for Magu when senators began to ask questions pertaining his stewardship at EFCC since 2015 and the allegations that his hands were deeply rooted in corruption.

Fourteen senators, including Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, asked Magu various questions, but the tone changed as soon as Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi), brought up the DSS letter in the discussion. It was signed by one F. O. Adams on behalf of the Director General of the service, Lawal Daura and received Tuesday at 5:02.pm.

Thereafter, the comments centred on the report and the integrity issues it raised against Magu.

DSS not fair to me – Magu

Responding, Magu said the DSS had released two reports about him and that while one report made sweeping allegations against him, the second one cleared him.

“This paper is the same paper; the document that was here before that time verbatim, I have read it. There were two reports submitted to this chamber submitted by the same law enforcement agency. Two different reports submitted the same day about the same people; that go to tell you the credibility of such an institution.

“The DSS report raised, there is right of fair hearing. Up to this time, the DSS hasn’t invited me to hear from me. It’s a constitutional issue. They’re not fair to me,” he said.

On his relationship with the ex-air force officer, Mohammed Umar, Magu said he never knew the man until when they met at the presidential panel investigating arms procurement, as members of the panel.

He said the house he was staying in was not rented for him by Umar but by the FCDA and that it belonged to late Dora Akunyili.

“I don’t even know when my rent will expire. I was actually comfortable in Karu if not for the pressure from people in authority that say I must relocate or they will deal with me,” he said.

Saraki thereafter put the matter to a voice vote to which majority of the senators shouted “nay.” Consequently, Saraki ruled that “the nays have it.”

Ndume protests

After the ruling on the matter, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno) raised a point of order, saying the issue of the two letters by the DSS was not addressed but the Senate president ruled him out of order.

He then said: “We have concluded on this matter. I believe that our decision and confirmation process speak for itself… The decision taken today is that we have not confirmed Ibrahim Magu as EFCC chairman and as such, it goes to show that it requires for the President to nominate another candidate and in the interim, somebody else will have to carry out that exercise.”

The DSS report

The DSS letter reads: “The security report being requested for on Ibrahim Magu Mustapha, the nominee for the Executive Chairmanship position of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has already been submitted to the Senate via this Services’ letter No. SV.114/2 of 3rd October, 2016 containing fourteen paragraphs.”

Content of the DSS report said Magu is unfit to head the anti-corruption agency.

…It is a national disgrace – Ezekwesili

Former Minister of Education Dr Oby Ezekwesili has accused the administration of President MuhammaduBuhari of digging the anti-corruption war into a credibility hole.

Ezekwesili was reacting, via her twitter handle @obyezeks, to the second rejection of Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

She said between the Presidency of Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate of Bukola Saraki “whatever game is being played with the EFCC is a national disgrace.”

Ezekwesili said the presidency should explain to citizens why President Buhari who is privy to the DSS report on Magu re-nominated him to Senate.

The former minister also lashed out at the Senate saying “I don’t know what percentage of citizens still have any expectation of good from the Senate of Bukola Saraki. That is all the feedback they deserve.”

She said “a government that campaigned on anti-corruption is making a mockery of its war. Pitiful”

The Senate had based their decision to reject Magu who was re-nominated by the president on another report by the DSS.

In a letter re-nominating Magu, the president had said that a report by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice had cleared the anti-graft czar.