Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has described the refusal of the Nigerian Senate to confirm Ibrahim Magu as the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) as a ridicule of the office of the president and President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to the fight against corruption.
The Senate has twice declined to confirm Magu as EFCC boss, basing its decisions on a status report by the Department of States Service that indicted Magu as “a liability to the anti-corruption fight of the present administration.”
But Falana said Wednesday that the DSS undermined the office of the president and described the screening of Magu as illegal, noting that some of the senators who voted against his confirmation were under EFCC investigation.
“The rejection of the nomination of Mr Ibrahim Magu as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)…by the Senate on the basis of a security report compiled by the State Security Service is the height of official ridicule of the office of the President,” he said.
“It is high time the State Security Service was restrained by President Buhari from sabotaging the fight against corruption by the federal government
“With respect to the Senate the confirmation hearing hurriedly conducted today is illegal in every material particular. The participation of many senators who are either under investigation or being prosecuted by the EFCC has vitiated the entire proceedings of the Senate on the ground of conflict of interest.
“It is also a contravention of the Rules of the Senate which stipulates that matters which are sub-judice shall not be discussed by the Senate.
Regardless of Senate’s refusal, however, Falana said President Buhari still has the right to re-present Magu;s name to the senate for confirmation or allow him to continue to act as the EFCC boss pursuant to pursuant to section 171 of the Constitution.
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