Senators are set to clash with the Vice President, Professor
Yemi Osinbajo, over his position on the acting Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, Daily Trust on Sunday
gathered.
Osinbajo, a few days ago threw his weight behind Magu and
suggested that he (Magu) does not need Senate confirmation, to head the agency.
A cross section of senators who spoke to Daily Trust on
Sunday, said the comment of the Vice President would further worsen the feud
between the executive and the legislature.
President Muhammadu Buhari had weeks ago constituted a
mediation committee chaired by Osinbajo to address the stand-off between the
two arms of government.
Magu has been rejected twice by the Senate over a report by
the Department of State Services (DSS).
In an interview, a senator said even though Magu is
presented 1,000 times for confirmation, they will reject him.
“It is funny that the Vice President is saying this. As a
professor of law, he should know this and two, as the chairman of the
peace committee, he shouldn’t have said this.
“His utterances will negatively affect the peace committee
because one of the issues creating the feud is the confirmation of Magu. We are
saying he should be replaced and he is saying, we are wrong. Let me tell you
that even if Magu is presented for confirmation 1,000 times, we will reject him
because he lacks the capacity to occupy that office,” he said.
Another senator who also spoke said the comment by the vice
president angered many of them.
“I was not surprised when my attention was drawn to the
report credited to the Vice President because from day one he has been in the
forefront of the crusade for Magu’s confirmation. In fact, aside from
sending Magu’s name for confirmation, all the campaigns for it have been from
his office. We know this.
“As you know refusal of the executive to implement our
resolutions is the bane of our relationship. Now he is saying this. How will he
succeed? Will there be EFCC without an Act?”
Another senator, who also did not want to be named said the
Vice President should invite the APC caucus, rather than antagonising them.
“We have three categories of people in the Senate. We have
those who are against Magu, those who are for him and those who are neutral. By
his statement, Osinbajo has spoilt the slim chance of Magu at the Senate and
the peace committee he chairs,” he said.
Meanwhile, our reporter reliably gathered that the
leadership of the Senate would review the resolution on the rejection of Magu
on the 24th of this month.
A source close to the leadership said, “the meeting will be
held on Monday 24th of this month outside the National Assembly. A decision
would be taken on it and other issues including the 2017 budget. The following
day on Tuesday, the issue would be tabled before senators at an executive
session before plenary.”
Our correspondents report that the lawmakers are resuming
from their Easter break on Tuesday, the 25th of this month. The two-week
ultimatum given to President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Magu has elapsed.
The senators, on the 28th of last month stood down the
confirmation of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) over Magu. They said the RECs would
not be screened unless Magu was replaced.
Efforts to get the spokesperson of the Senate, Senator Aliyu
Sabi Abdullahi, to comment on the matter were not successful as his mobile
phones were switched off when our reporter called him.
By Ismail Mudashir
