By Taiye Odewale
Abuja
After several months of refusal to confirm Ibrahim Mustapha Magu as the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following a security report by the Department of State Services (DSS), the Senate will today screen the embattled acting chairman of the anti-graft agency for the position.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, announced this to senators yesterday during plenary.
The upper legislative chamber had, three months ago, refused to screen Magu as the substantive chairman of the EFCC, claiming that its action was based on a security report by the DSS under the incumbent Director-General, Lawal Daura.
The Senate, however, gave approval for the screening of the four members of the EFCC board whose names were sent alongside Magu by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for confirmation in July, last year, while President Muhammadu Buhari was away on medical vacation.
The DSS security report, among others, had alleged that Magu was occupying a N20 million per year accommodation, rented for him by someone under EFCC investigation; “lives a flamboyant lifestyle and flouted the President’s order against public officers flying first class when he went on pilgrimage.”
Spokesman of the Senate, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, told journalists after about three hours closed-door meeting by the senators on Magu’s confirmation, insisted that the rejection of the acting EFCC chairman “stands based on the security report.”
He said: “The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to inform the general public that based on security reports available to the Senate; the Senate cannot proceed and confirm the nomination of Ibrahim Magu Mustapha as Executive Chairman of EFCC. Accordingly, the Senate hereby rejects the said nomination and has returned the said nomination to Mr. President for further action.”
It would be recalled that the 14-paragraph DSS report signed by Folashade Bello on behalf of the Director- General was read on the floor of the upper legislative chamber by the Senate President.
The report was dated October 3, 2017, addressed to the Acting Clerk of the Senate and titled, “Re: Request for Security Vetting your letter NASS/CS/SA/01/16/08/1, dated September 21, 2016, requesting for the vetting of the Chairman and members of the EFCC.
It read: “Investigating the Chairman nominee; Ibrahim Magu revealed that in August 2008, following a search at his residence during the tenure of Farida Waziri, AIG, retd, as a Commissioner, some sensitive EFCC documents which were not supposed to be at his disposal were with him.
“He was subsequently redeployed to the Police after days of detention and later suspended from the Force. In December 2010, the Police Service Commission found Magu guilty of action prejudicial to State Security, withholding of EFCC files, sabotage, unauthorized removal of EFCC files, and acts unbecoming of a Police officer and awarded him severe reprimand as punishment.
“Notwithstanding, sequel to the appointment of Ibrahim Lamorde as Chairman of EFCC in 2011, he made the return of Magu to the EFCC a top priority. Both men had worked together at the Commission when Lamorde served as Head of Operations of the agency; Magu remained a top official of the Commission until he was appointed to succeed Lamorde.”
However, President Buhari later set up a panel led by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to probe the allegations against the acting EFCC chairman, the outcome of which made him to re-submit Magu’s name to the Senate in a letter dated January 17, 2017.
