Opponents of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu have lost a major battle.
The Federal Government yesterday reaffirmed its support for
Magu, rejecting the Senate’s threat to shun confirmation of nominees if the
EFCC chief remains.
Its rejection of Magu’s confirmation, the Senate said,
should be respected. Besides, the Senate said Acting President Yemi Osinbajo
should apologise to it for his comment that it lacked the power to confirm
certain categories of public officers.
But Prof. Osinbajo, who spoke in Kaduna during the
inauguration of the EFCC zonal office, described Magu as the man for the job.
He was represented by Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Osinbajo said: “We have every confidence in Magu to fight
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.
”Mr Chairman, two weeks ago, I discussed the EFCC and your
appointment with President Muhammadu Buhari and he told me he has every
confidence in you and every confidence in the commission and the work that you
have been doing, and as long as he is president you remain the chairman of the
EFCC,’’ he said.
El-Rufai also told the gathering that the Acting President
was also solidly behind Magu.
“Last night, I spoke with the Acting President, Prof. Yemi
Osinbajo, who reconfirmed the position of the President and told me that as
long as he remained the Acting President or Vice President, Ibrahim Magu would
remain the chairman of the EFCC.
“That is the only message from the President; so those
thinking that corruption is winning this war, Magu would remain their nightmare
for the next two years or six years as the case may be.’’
The governor said his administration donated the office to
the EFCC to demonstrate its “zero tolerance for bad behaviour by public office
holders, contractors, businesses and citizens.
“We applaud the leadership of the EFCC for taking the
significant step to establish a state office in Kaduna.
“I assure you that you can continue to count on us in Kaduna
to support the commission in every facet of its activities.
“We have set aside land for your training school awaiting
the submission of your application.
“We have also set aside land to build your staff housing
estate, if you so require.”
El-Rufai said the state was the first to adopt the Federal
Government’s policy on Single Treasury Account (TSA).
The governor explained that as a result of that, over N25
billion was realised by the government after it closed about 470 accounts with
commercial banks.
He said the anti-graft agency had assisted the state
government in recovering over N400 million from corrupt public officials
Magu said looters should be sent to the Sambisa Forest to
purge them of their looting instincts. He called for public support for the
agency in the fight against corruption.
Magu said Nigerians should do what is expected of them to
reclaim their common wealth stolen by a few corrupt individuals.
“If we can pause and trace the root cause of the problem
that confronts us as a nation, we will discover they are all linked to
corruption.
“Corruption is the cause of the recession that has pushed
our people deeper into poverty and the insurgency that has visited death,
displacement and untold hardship on Nigerians in the Northeast.
“This is the reason I have suggested that we set up prison for
the corrupt in the Sambisa forest, where they can be kept away and have the
sobriety to be truly reformed,” Magu said.
The EFCC chief added: ”In this case, the judiciary has
direct influence to help in the fight against corruption.
“But concerted efforts are being made by some big Nigerians
to neutralise the fight against corruption.
“We must change the narrative by fighting back those that do
not want the fight to succeed.
“I remain committed to the fight against corruption, and I
commend the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, for encouraging EFCC
to establish a zonal office in Kaduna.
“We must, therefore, join hands together to kill corruption
before corruption kille us.”
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