Failure to confirm Magu as EFCC chair only confirms Senate as chamber of corruption – CACOL

The failure of the Senate to confirm Mr. Ibrahim Magu as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC against popular call for his confirmation has been described by the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, as shameless and disgraceful.

The reason for the refusal was said to have been predicated on some sort of ‘security report’ according to media. But the Executive Chairman of CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, in his reaction to the development condemned the Senate for their failure to confirm Magu, he said, “although we knew it was going be like making a camel pass through the eye of the needle for the acting Chairman to be made substantive, but at least we gave a benefit of doubt because we felt that, even among thieves, there should be honour. We are totally disappointed that the few men of honour, that is if there is any left in that hallowed chamber to have ensured that the ‘voice of reason’ prevailed.”

“Remember, we alerted Nigerians that a Senate headed by Bukola Saraki will never frown at corruption and will in fact acerbate it. Senator Bukola, we reiterate should resign immediately to focus on clearing his name if he has any honour or morality left in him considering the gravity of the charges against him which are unfitting for the revered office of the President Senate and the occupants. This is the reality behind the Senate’s refusal to confirm Magu, we do not need to make pretences about that. Adeniran added.

“A Senate President with a background of oscillating between sitting in the criminal suspects’ box in the Code of Conduct Tribunal as a criminal suspect and sitting as President of the Senate in the hallowed Chambers of the National Assembly as the President of the Senate doubling as the Chairman of the National Assembly, the situation becomes an aberration and makes Saraki a misfit to occupy a seat in the Nigerian Senate in the first place and unfit to continue to occupy the exalted position of the Senate Presidency.

“Like we said the last time the Senate refused to screen Magu, it is because of Magu’s impressionable role as Acting Chairman of EFCC; his boldness in confronting economic and financial crimes regardless of whose ox is gored that the Senate is delaying the confirmation. The reality is that many members have one corruption case or the other to contend with, including the Senate President himself. They know that he will not give in to their antics of bribery and corruption.

“We call on right-thinking Nigerians to demand the immediate confirmation of Mr. Magu, as there are obviously no valid reasons not to do so. We must collectively reject what has somehow become a practice by the Senate; the practice of ‘holding the whole country to ransome’.” Adeniran submitted.