Ndume in hustle to save EFCC boss Magu’s job

Seems Senate Majority Leader Ali Ndume, is very much determined to ensure Mr Ibrahim Magu remains the boss at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The lawmaker has been initiating moves to ensure that the police officer retains his job as the nation’s anti graft czar.

Recall that Ripples Nigeria had exclusively reported that Magu, anxious that the Senate would not confirm his appointment as the EFCC chairman, had recruited Ndume to help lobby and sway other senators in his favour.

The plan however seemed to have hit a brick wall as senators dropped Magu, and returned the letter from President Muhammadu Buhari seeking the confirmation of Magu to the presidency.

They based their actions on a security report purportedly from the Department of State Security Services (DSS).

The moves by Ndume to convince senators to approve the confirmation of Magu, had reportedly led to a shouting match between himself and a colleague, Dino Melaye from Kogi state.

However, regardless of the fact that Ndume’s initial moves could not save Magu, the Senate Majority Leader has not given up on the project to have Magu confirmed EFCC Chairman.

He paid a visit to the president on Monday -a move regarded by many as another push to save Magu’s job.

Ndume told State House correspondents after the meeting that Magu was not rejected by the Senate, but merely wanted further clarification on the DSS letter.

He said, “Let me say categorically that the Senate did not reject Ibrahim Magu as the chairman.

“What happened was that we slated his confirmation for Thursday. Then, we had an issue of a letter from the Department of State Services that could not allow us to continue with the confirmation without further clarifications.

“So, we then 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. I want that to come out clearly.”

Read also: SERAP defends Magu, says allegations baseless, political, wants UN intervention

Ndume who was made to understand that the Senate spokesperson said the Senate rejected Magu and would return the nomination letter to the President, argued that the position was incorrect.

He said, “I was part of the persons that wrote the short press statement which stated that the Senate cannot continue with the confirmation. It is different from saying that the Senate has rejected him. In fact, we have referred the other four nominees to the committee.”

Meanwhile, it has also been gathered that the Department of State Services (DSS) had sent another letter to the Senate, asking that Magu be given a benefit of doubt, and a chance to fair hearing.

Sources say the DSS while indicting Magu in the first letter, had in the second letter asked that considering his achievements while in acting capacity, Magu should be considered for the job as a substantive chairman of the EFCC.

Reports indicate that the two letters were actually sent to the Senate same day through two different channels, which was considered unusual, and has thrown up dusts among Senators, some of whom allege foul play.

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