Itse Sagay, the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, has warned the Nigerian Senate that it will regret its decision to “threaten” President Muhammadu Buhari over tainted chairman of an anti-graft agency, Ibrahim Magu.
The warning comes after the National Assembly on Tuesday, March 28, 2017 suspended action on the confirmation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominees for resident electoral commissioners, RECs.
Prof. Sagay who described the move by the Nigerian senate as “childish and irresponsible” noted that the stance of the Senate is in protest against the president and his decision to retain Ibrahim Magu as the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
“That action is childish and irresponsible. Do they think Buhari is a man that can easily be threatened? My God! How can people of such character occupy the highest legislative office in the country? Nigeria is finished,” Sagay is quoted as saying.
“It is a great mistake and they will regret it.”
Backing the president to appoint more people into offices he deems fit, Sagay added: “Where the Senate is required to approve a person for a particular position and they refuse to do it, the person could continue to act depending on the nature of the appointment.
“However, if the nominee is coming from another sector, just like in the case of the RECs, it means they cannot act. However, people below that rank in INEC can continue to act as RECs all over the country as it has been done.”
He added: “What this action means is that the Senate is being occupied by the most unserious set of Nigerians in history. Nigeria is currently at its lowest level because we have people who have no sense of responsibility, who have no feeling and are there for just vanity and are ready to bring down the country in order to feel important, it is the worst case of abuse ever.
“Let them do what they want, they will regret it.”
Magu Must Go – Senate
The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, March 15, 2017 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.
