Ebun Francis
The last may not have heard of the widely publicised refusal of the Senate to confirm the nomination of Mr Ibrahim Magu as EFCC chairman as the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, Monday said the upper chamber did not reject Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Ndume made the disclosure to newsmen at the State House, Abuja shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
It will be recalled that last Thursday, the Senate through its spokesperson, Abdullahi Sabi, announced that Mr. Magu’s nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari as EFCC chairman had been rejected based on a report by the department of state security which indicted Magu. The senate rejection of Magu did not go down well with a large majority of Nigerians who saw the rejection as an attempt by a cabal to frustrate the fight against corruption.
Mr. Ndume on Monday, however contradicted that position, stressing that the Senate had not rejected Mr. Magu’s nomination.
“We did not reject Ibrahim Magu as EFCC Chairman,” he said.
Rather, what the Senate did, according to him was to step down Mr. Magu’s confirmation hearing until issues raised in the report on him by the State Security Service, SSS, are resolved.
Senator Ndume said the Senate would now seek understanding with Mr. Buhari on whether to proceed with the confirmation.
