Senate dismisses media reports on Magu

By Ismaila Chafe

Senate Leader Ali Ndume on Monday in Abuja dismissed media reports that the Senate had rejected the nomination of Ibrahim Magu as acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ndume, who spoke after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, said the confirmation of Magu was only suspended pending clarification from the presidency.

‘’What we said is that the Senate on that Thursday could not go ahead with the confirmation of Mr Ibrahim Magu because we are in possession of a letter from the Department of State Service which requires clarification from Mr President, who is the principal or the head of the government.

‘’That was what happened, anyway. Because of this controversy that can come out. I’m one of those that wrote the short press statement which states that the Senate cannot continue with the confirmation.

‘’So, the other four members have been referred to the committee and the committee will resume its work immediately after the break,’’ he said.

On the Senate resolution for the removal of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, Ndume said the resolution was not an order but a recommendation to the president.

‘’What the Senate considered is still work in progress because it was an interim report.

“It is the same public that are interested and worried to know what have we done as a Senate about those allegations.

“The committee issued an interim report and the interim report seemed to indict the SGF.

“The consequences of such indictment is what they recommended,” he said.

According to him, the SGF has ample time to go before the Senate Committee to clear the allegations against him.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the Senate on Wednesday passed a resolution calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, over alleged corrupt practices.

The Senate’s resolution followed presentation of the report on mounting humanitarian crisis in the North-East by the Senator Shehu Sani-led ad hoc committee.

Lawal’s company, Global Vision Ltd., is one of the companies indicted by the committee for allegedly benefiting from inflated and phantom contracts.

In a reaction to the Senate’s calls for him to resign, Lawal described the calls as “nonsense’’ and an attempt to rubbish his person.

NAN also reports that President Buhari on Sunday ordered the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to commence investigation of all government officials allegedly accused of wrong-doing.

Malam Garba Shehu, the president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, made this known in his facebook page on Sunday.

He said that the president  has vowed to prosecute any government official found wanting in the discharge of his/her responsibility.