Senate Give Condition For Magu’s Reconsideration

Senate Give Condition For Magu’s Reconsideration

The Senate has said it may reconsider its refusal to confirm the appointment of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, if President Muhammadu Buhari provides the necessary explanation for it to do so.

It said the explanations to be made by President Muhammadu Buhari, who had nominated Magu, would determine whether the nominee would be considered or not.

The lawmakers had on Thursday rejected Magu’s nomination by the President as the substantive chairman of the anti-graft agency  based on a “security report” on him.

A security report by the Department of State Services, in which Magu was accused of various corruption-related offences, had caused the Senate to reject his nomination.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, on Friday told one of our correspondents that the lawmakers had taken their decision on the matter and it was left for Buhari to take the next step.

He said, “This is not an issue that is ambiguous and I will not take issue with anybody. What we have said is very straightforward and unambiguous. It is not our responsibility or in our power to tell Mr. President what to do.

“It is his prerogative and for every action taken, there must be a basis. Let him take any action but, of course, he will base his action on explanations. If that happens, we will take his explanations based on their face value and see. Until then, our decision is very simple. It is unambiguous; that is what we said from the beginning and that is what we stand by.”

Meanwhile, the Senate on Friday said the rejection of Magu would be communicated to the Presidency by next week.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, in a separate interview with one of our correspondents, said the communication would undergo legislative process before getting to the President.

He said, “Allow us to do our job. This thing (rejection) just happened yesterday (Thursday). There is a procedure for the communication. We took the decision yesterday. Is the letter not going to be written? Is that the only issue that they (Presidency) have to deal with?

“This thing happened yesterday and who should do the communication? Is it not the clerk? Between yesterday and today, are there not so many things to be done? Is that the only thing we have ahead of us?

“We have taken our decision and the procedure for communicating it is there. Allow it to happen. Wait till next week and see whether it will be communicated (to the Presidency) or not.”