we demand magu confirmation by senate
THE ANTI CORRUPTION WAR: IBRAHIM MAGU SHOULD BE CONFIRMED
Gentlemen of the press; am COMRADE BATURE JOHNSON T. the president of [IAADHR]it has become imperative to hold this event of press conference on issues that are germane on Nigerians.
Unfolding events in the nation prompted our responses. Not too long, the Nigerian senate refused and rejected the confirmation of Mallam Ibrahim Mustapha Magu, as substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC.
Their resolution, the senate says was based on the strength of accusation contained in a security reports by the Department of State Security Service DSS, in which he was accused of corruption.
Mr. President had appointed Ibrahim Magu to the position, thirteen months ago, and he had continued to function effectively in the position.
While he continues with his work, the DSS was said to have commenced and concluded detailed investigative report on him, which instead of submitting to Mr. President, directly submitted it to the Senate.
In the report, several level of accusations and fraudulent involvement were allegedly linked to him, some of which include living in a N20 million per annum apartment, above his status; paying for first-class to fly to Saudi Arabia for Lesser Hajj, and leaking of official secrets.
Since his temporary rejection for confirmation, diverse opinions of Nigerians achieve to rage, mostly against the senate and in support of the confirmation of Magu.
The anti-corruption fight of the Buhari Administration had indeed assume a global approval and respectability on account of giant success recorded in the recovery of several looted funds under the leadership of Magu and also in the prosecution and trial of high profile Nigerians, some of which include past and serving governors and senators.
His rejection is thus understandable act of unpatriotic and faceless cabals in Nigeria who are bent on thwarting the patriotic efforts of the commission as well as the power given to the anti-graft agency to battle economic and financial crime in Nigeria.
His rejections will certainly have a far reaching on Nigeria and its new change agenda, and thus will have far reaching effects on the outputs of commission.
The temporary rejection of Magu had increase the heightened suspicious of Nigeria’s Senate determination to undermine the fight against corruption in Nigeria, and its double standard. The senate president, Senator Bukola Saraki remain in office despite being tried in the Code of Conduct Tribunal, yet he wouldn’t want Magu to be confirmed despite the obvious facts that Magu has never been charged and found guilty as charged in any reputable competent court of law in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Senate has not live up to the expectation of the people. Several bills have been sent to them by the executive, but the bills were not given urgent considerations, they will rather prefer bills that suit their interests and cronies. For example the first executive bill seeking to prohibit money laundering and criminal activities of some unscrupulous Nigerians, and promote national transparency. Sent to them have not been given due consideration, so also the pension bill meant to ameliorate the challenges of Nigerian pensioners. Sadly some of the senators who were either former Governors and Ministers continue to draw a large amount of pension running into millions of Naira from their former states at the expense of Nigerian tax payers, This must not be allowed to continue as it is definitely not sustainable in the face of mounting economic hardship in the land with an increment of indigent poverty that are snuffing life out of ordinary citizen Nigerians. It implies that they may want the EFCC to compromise its tough stance against corruption and give soft landing to many corrupt Nigeria. This will no doubt signal a dangerous trend towards national development.
Rejecting him by the senate will certainly not be good for the new vision of change in the present administration and the senate will not be doing Nigeria good by rejecting Magu’s confirmation.
Rejection his confirmation will not only reverse the giant strides so far recorded with recent fight against corruption, but will go further to undermine the so much needed continuity for effective anti-corruption campaigns. It will equally send wrong and negative signals to the international community that the nation is certainly not serious about fighting corruption.
By ignoring to thoroughly investigate the content of the reports, the senate clearly demonstrated his biases to send Magu packing at all cost, even in the face of lacking credible moral authority and rights to accuse Magu of corruption. The Implications for the rejection of Magu is far reaching for Nigeria. If DSS know all along that Mr. Magu is a serious security risk as being portrayed now, why? Has the body continued for so long to collaborate with Magu - led EFCC, without raising an objection or reporting the matters to the right quarters? It no doubt left Nigerians with a greater worry for the use and abuse of security reports, and Nigerians need to start getting wary of these series of unsubstantiated security reports. For the senate, the effort of the present government to fight corruption has not received commensurate support from the senate, portending dangerous omen for our transitional/ democracy.
For the fight against corruption, it is indeed a setback; because Magu have not been allow to responding and defending himself on all of the allegations against him or legal representation, thus violating his rights to fair hearing, liberty.
We call on all international organization to sustain its support of Magu and EFCC in its agenda to sanitize Nigeria of corruption. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the National Assembly to confirm Magu and to rely on the reports of the Presidential Advisory Committee in confirming Ibrahim Magu as EFCC Chairman. We also call on the senate to rescind its decision on Magu’s rejection and confirm him in expectations of all patriotic Nigerians. Magu has done a commendable job in his acting capacity, ganging up to deny him the opportunity and privilege to serve the nation is to say the least, highly reprehensible and unacceptable.
Corruption and impunity in Nigeria has no doubt held the nation hostage, threatening to derail every element of positive development and good governance. We call on DSS to be extra conscious in discharging its mandate to the nation, so as not to undermine the nation’s transitional/democracy. If we as people fail to win the corruption war, we may be doomed forever and plagued by worse forms of national calamity.
Nigerians deserve a leader that is purposeful, reliable proactive that will be able to address the challenges that we are presently facing. Nigerians need a visionary leaders that will swiftly respond to the burning national issues and address them, what Nigerians need now is an emphatic leaders committed to initiating and implementing qualitative policies that will have direct and positive bearing on the lives of ordinary Nigerians, The Executive have to equally proven to be meeting the urgent needs of Nigerians by urgently address Nigerians of their bases and the reason why? They withdraw the alleged forgery case against the senate leadership and others, while we are saying corruption and breaking of the law has an inseparable link and they are both soul motivators of violence in the society.
We as a people need to rise up holding our leaders accountable for their past misdeeds and present responsibilities in office. Until we do that we will continue to be taken for a ride and erroneously believe that we do not have a stake in Nigeria.
Thanks,
We diligently support responsive leadership,
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COMRADE, BATURE JOHNSON T.
PRESIDENT [IAADHR] international association for advancement and defense of human rights.