SERAP, ABA differ on Magu

Mr. Ibrahim Magu, Chairmen, EFCC

News

By Toye Faleye

The Socio-Economic Right Accountability Project (SERAP) and African Bar Association (ABA) have expressed divergent views over non-confirmation of the Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr Ibrahim Magu.

According to the Executive Director of SERAP, Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni: “That the Senate refused to confirm Magu’s appointment as the substantive chairman of EFCC does not mean he cannot continue in his acting capacity as the chairman of the commission,” adding that the Senate saying Magu had failed the integrity test was political.

But according to the President of the African Bar Association, Mr Hannabal Nwafor, Nigeria should move forward if the Senate would not confirm Magu. He says there are many qualified Nigerians who could handle the position well than him. He says the President should move ahead and choose another person of integrity.

For the umpteenth time, the Senate of the Federal Republic had rejected the nomination of Magu, the latest being when he was said not to possess the integrity required of the coveted position.

The Senate capitalised on the damning report by the State Security Service (SSS) that Magu lacks the integrity to lead the country’s anti-corruption agency.

Magu was rejected Wednesday last week after the appearance before the Senate for his confirmation hearing when Dino Melaye raised the SSS report dated March 14.

Magu’s undoing was said to be his inability to answer some questions from the senior lawmakers. Some questions that were said to have baffled him bothered on why Magu was prosecuting people on the pages of newspapers, why nobody in the Central Bank, who released fund to former Security Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Sambo Dasuki, was not prosecuted, and the failure to expantiate on his activities on human rights and findings and activities of the EFCC on the Paris Club.

It will be recalled that the SSS had earlier submitted two contradictory reports on Magu, one approving his confirmation and the other asking that he be rejected.

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