Senate Leader, Ali Ndume on Monday said that the Senate did not reject the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ndume, who spoke with State House Correspondents shortly after he met President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa explained that security report from the Directorate of State Security (DSS) which bordered on allegations of corruption prevented the Senate from going ahead with the confirmation.
It would be recalled that the Senate had last Thursday suspended the confirmation of Magu as the EFCC Chairman.
Ndume said, the Senate did not reject Magu, when we stated his confirmation for that Thursday, we could not go ahead because we have a letter from the DSS that we could not ignore and which could not allow us to continue with the confirmation”
The Senate Leader explained that until there was clarifications on the report of the DSS, it would be difficult for the Senate to continue with the confirmation of Magu.
However, Ndume declined to disclose when the Senate would reconsider the confirmation of Magu.
“No, no no. Let me say categorically that the Senate did not reject Ibrahim Magu as the chairman. What happened was that when we selected his confirmation for Thursday, then we had an issue or a letter from the Department of State Security (DSS) that could not allow us to continue with the confirmation without further clarifications.
So, we now concluded that since we have a letter that we cannot ignore we cannot do the confirmation. So, it was not that we sat down to take a decision that we have rejected Ibrahim Magu. So, i want to that to come out clearly.
“We specifically asked chairman media to issue a statement. What we said was that on that Thursday the Senate could not go ahead with the confirmation of Mr. Ibrahim Magu and that we are in possession of a letter from the Department of State Service which requires clarification from Mr. President, who is the head of the government. That was what happened.” Ndume said.
When reminded that the Senate spokesperson said the Senate rejected Magu, he further said ;I hope we are not arguing. I listened and I still listened because of this controversy that can come out. I’m part of the persons that wrote the short press statement which states that the Senate cannot continue with the confirmation. It is different from saying that the Senate has rejected. In fact we have referred the other four to the committee.
On the call for sack of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation ( SGF) Engr Babachir David Lawal, He said “it’s not an order we are giving. The Senate resolution is a recommendation, it’s not a law. What the Senate considered is 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.
He explained that the committee issued an interim report and the interim report indicted the SGF, the consequences of that indictment is what they recommended but the Senate has not finished their investigation.
“I hear coming from the SGF that he has not been given a fair hearing, so the hearing has not finished. We can give him a ample of time to go before the committee and clear himself,” he stated.
