Days after the Nigerian Senate rejected his nomination, Ibrahim Magu, the erstwhile acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC, has been invited by two leading anti-corruption organizations, the Transparency International and Global Witness to speak at an international conference on money laundering and assets recovery on March 21, 2017 in London, a statement by the EFCC says.
“Magu is expected to deliver a paper on the topic, “Give Us Our Money Back – Nigeria’s Fight Against Corruption: A Critical Conversation”,” Wilson Uwujaren said in an e-mailed statement to The Trent on Friday, March 17, 2017.
“The invitation from the Global Witness and Transparency International is in recognition of the invaluable role the Magu-led EFCC has played in his more than one year in office in recovery of stolen funds.
“It also coincidentally comes a few days after members of the Nigerian Senate chose to overlook the strides achieved by Magu, and instead refused his re-nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari as the substantive chairman of the EFCC.
“The international conference, which is coming on the heels of the 2016 London Anti-Corruption Summit, will focus on the progress of Nigeria’s asset recovery and anti-corruption efforts. It will also feature a panel discussions for “critical exchange of views” between officials and non-government experts from Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
“A few international personalities have been invited along with Magu to participate in the conference. Among those from Nigeria are Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information; Prof. Itse Sagay, Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC; its secretary, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye and Olanrewaju Suraju of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda,” the statement ended.
Magu Has Been Effectively Sacked – Senate Says
The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday said that its rejection of Ibrahim Magu as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, means that he has lost his acting capacity.
This means that Mr. Magu must immediately vacate the office and President Muhammadu Buhari needs to appoint a new person to lead the anti-graft agency.
Abdulahi Sabi, the spokesperson for the Senate made this disclosure after the plenary session on Wednesday which say the rejection of the controversial EFCC acting chairman on grounds of abuse of human rights and corruption report by the country’s secret police.
Sabi said some senators who were backing Magu’s confirmation backed out because of his poor performance during plenary. He was asked 9 questions and he failed to answer them satisfactorily.
He insisted that the report of the State Security Services, the SSS, also called DSS, nailed the anti-graft boss because he failed the integrity test.
“The rejection of Magu by the Senate signifies that he cannot continue in acting capacity,” Senator Sabi said.
This is the second time the Senate is rejecting Magu as the boss of the power anti-graft agency. In December 2016, his appointment was rejected by the upper legislative chamber based on a report by the State Security Services, SSS, also known as DSS.
The same report was reaffirmed by the DSS in a letter to the Senate on March 14, 2017.
The confirmation of Ibrahim Magu was sent to a vote and majority of the senators, a bi-partisan crowd, rejected his appointment on account of human rights abuses and corruption allegations against Magu.
