Nobody can remove Magu, says Osinbajo

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo says nobody can remove Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

He said this in Kaduna on Thursday while commissioning a zonal office of the EFCC.

Represented by Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna,  the acting president described Magu as a “nightmare for corrupt people”.

El-Rufai also revealed the outcome of a conversation on Magu which he had with President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Mr chairman, two weeks ago, I discussed the EFCC and your appointment with President Muhammadu Buhari and he told me he has confidence in you and 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.

“Last night, I spoke with the Acting President 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.”

Making personal remarks, el-Rufai said over N500 million had been recovered from corrupt officials of the past government and some contractors in Kaduna.

He added that those officials would be handed over to the EFCC for prosecution.

El-Rufai said because of the zero tolerance his administration has for corruption, the anti-graft agency EFCC encouraged him to establish a zonal office in Kaduna.

The governor promised to allocate a piece of land to the commission for construction of its training school and staff quarters.

There is a brewing crisis between the legislature and executive over Magu’s position.

On Tuesday, the upper legislative chamber resolved to suspend the confirmation of nominees sent by the executive over Osinbajo’s support for Magu.

Ahmad Yerima, senator representing Zamfara west, had moved a motion to stop the confirmation of Lanre Gbajabiamila as the director-general of Nigeria Lottery Commission.

He wondered why Osinbajo would send a nominee to the senate after he said the upper legislative chamber did not have the power of confirmation.

Yerima was making reference to a statement made by Osinbajo when he spoke with select media organisations, including TheCable, in April.

Osinbajo had expressed support for the view of Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, that the executive did not need to send the name of Magu to the senate for confirmation.

“There is an argument, whether or not we need to present him (Magu) for confirmation and that’s a compelling argument from Femi Falana,” Osinbajo had said.

“His (Falana) argument is that under the constitution, section 171, and if you look at that section, it talks about the appointments that the president can make. They include appointments of ministers, ambassadors and heads of agencies such as the EFCC. In that same section 171, the constitution rightly said that certain appointments must go to the senate such as ministerial and ambassadorial appointments. Those of heads of agencies like the EFCC do not have to go to the senate. That’s what the constitution says. But the EFCC act, which of course as you know is inferior, says that EFCC chairman should go to the senate for confirmation.

“I am sure that even a pocket book lawyer knows that when a legislation conflicts with constitution, it’s the constitution that prevails. I agree with Mr Falana that there was no need in the first place to have sent Magu’s name to the senate.”

The senate rejected Magu on two different occasions.