‘We’ll address clamour for restructuring soon’
By AbdulRaheem Aodu, Kaduna and Chizoba Ogbeche, Abuja
Th e simmering feud between the Nigerian Senate and the Presidency appears far from over, as Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, insisted that nobody can remove the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu. Having twice rejected Magu’s nomination as the EFCC chair, the Senate had called for his replacement. But their calls are continually being ignored by the Presidency, which reiterates its trust in Magu for the tough task.
Th e latest comment, however, negates Wednesday’s peace overture from the Presidency, that it was ready to smoothen the rough edges in the executive/legislature’s relationship. Th e tide, however, changed when Osinbajo spoke at the commissioning of the Kaduna EFCC zonal offi ce, in Kaduna. Represented by the Governor Nasir El-Rufai, the Acting President said the Presidency has every confi dence in Magu to fi ght corruption to a standstill. According to the governor, the Acting President had discussed with President Mahammadu Buhari the Magu issue, and that the President said, as long as he remains the nation’s number one citizen, Magu will not vacate offi ce. “We have every confi dence in Magu to fi ght corruption to a standstill.
He will remain the EFCC chairman as long as I remain the Acting President and as well as Muhammadu Buhari remains the President. “It is our belief that Magu will continue to remain a nightmare for corrupt people for years to come,” Osinbajo was quoted to have said this in his message. In his own welcome address, Governor El-Rufai said his administration had silently recovered over N500 million from those he described as corrupt past government offi cials and contractors, without anybody knowing.
He added that those corrupt offi cials will be handed over to the EFCC in due course for prosecution. Th e governor said he encouraged the establishment of EFCC zonal offi ce in Kaduna because of the state’s zero tolerance for fi nancial malfeasance, promising the Commission a piece of land for its training school as well as staff accommodation. “Th e Commission can continue to count on us for our support for EFCC. We have set aside a land in Kaduna for your training school,” El-Rufai added. At another forum, Acting President Osinbajo has assured that the federal government would soon address the clamour by Nigerians for the country’s restructuring. Osinbajo made the disclosure yesterday, at the public presentation of a book titled: Nigeria: “Th e Restructuring Controversy” written by Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), IGP Mike Okiro (retd), in Abuja. Represented by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, the acting president said all the debates around restructuring were being noted by the federal government.
He said: “We are looking at all contributions made by Nigerians across the country. Very soon, we will come out with policies to address the call for restructuring of the country.” Th e acting president, who said the book was timely given the clamour for restructuring of the nation, however, warned that the federal government would not tolerate any act, capable of causing disaff ection among the various ethnic groups in the country. He urged Nigerians to be committed and loyal to the unity of the country, stressing that separation was not the answer to the country’s challenges. “It is in our interest as a nation to continue to dialogue for the unity and peace of the country.
Equity, fairness and justice can only be achieved under a peaceful atmosphere. We must not do those things that will turn us against each other,” he counselled. In his remarks, Chairman of the occasion and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), said that peaceful co-existence among the various ethnic groups had been bastardised, just as the culture of hard work had been eroded because of selfi sh interest and over-dependence on petroleum. Abubakar, who was represented by former Minister of Information and PresidentGeneral of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Mr. Nnia Nwodo, advised the federal government to adopt modern technology to move the nation forward, as petroleum was no longer lucrative and was becoming worthless in the international market.
In his remark, author of the book and former IGP Okiro, said the book was his contribution to the robust debate for a better Nigeria, noting that he decided to gather eminent Nigerians under one roof to brainstorm on the way forward. Th e former police chief urged Nigerians to sacrifi ce in order to move the country forward, noting that: “presently, our country demands from all citizens a strong display of true patriotism in whatever we are doing or saying.” Book Reviewer, who is also the Chairman, Editorial Board of the Nation Newspapers, Sam Omatseye, said the book was about cry for justice and a denial of the cry for justice. According to him, the book was about believe and those who hated believing. In attendance were fi ve former IGPs, traditional rulers, and National Assembly members, among others