Saraki: Magu not rejected because of DSS report

Bukola Saraki, senate president, has said that a report issued by the Department of State Services (DSS) was not behind the senate’s refusal to confirm Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The DSS had questioned the integrity of Magu in a report made available to the senate prior to his confirmation hearing.

But Saraki based the senate’s decision on the result of widespread consultation and “feelers from the people”.

The senate president spoke on the matter in an interview with TVC News in Morocco on the sidelines of the African summit on climate change and food security.

“I don’t think there’s anywhere we said he was rejected because of accusation. We have nominees that come up all the time for different issues,” he said.

“Two weeks ago, we screened the CJN, he passed through. Now the chairman EFCC has not passed through. Someone else will come and pass through. These are constitutional roles. I don’t think we should politicise it.

“Those that have been following up the issue will see that we have bent backwards tremendously to try to create ways by which some of these issues should be addressed. It’s all part of our democracy. There’s still a learning curve.

“There must be consultation. We get feelers from the people. And in a time that there’s biting economy, we have to be very sensitive to some of the issues that we do.”