In an alleged bid to crush over bearing influence of the Aso Rock cabals, and save the job of the embattled Acting Chairman of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, and the National Security Adviser, Major Gen. Babagana Monguno, have reached out to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The development came barely a few days after Magu was denied access to the Presidential Villa by Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, which according to some Political Analysts, was disgraceful, as Magu has the constitutional powers to brief the President, directly.
Recall, that the Senate had on Thursday last week, refused to confirm Magu as the EFCC Chairman, as requested by Buhari, due to a security report.
The Department Of States Security Services, DSS, had accused Magu of been corrupt, thereby, failing the integrity test, and would be unfit to drive the anti-graft fight of the government.
It was gathered, that a private meeting between Buhari and Ndume, on Monday, December 19, was part of the efforts to save the EFCC boss.
A reliable source, who was privy to the meeting, revealed that the President was keen on conducting an independent investigation into the allegations against Magu, in the DSS report.
The source stated: “Ndume is very close to the President, and is one of his closest supporters. The Senate Leader’s visit to Buhari was private, but Magu’s issue was raised.
“Ndume made the President to understand that there is a conspiracy against the man, but the truth will always prevail, and evil will never succeed over evil. Somebody must be there to do the job, and it cannot be business as usual.
“Ndume told the President, that the Senate had not rejected Magu. He also told the President that the content of the DSS report was not an indictment, but mere allegations, the reason why the President ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation to conduct an investigation,” the source said.
Concurring with the S=source, Ndume, had in an interview with State House Correspondents, after the meeting with the President on Monday, said there was no truth in the report, that the Senate rejected the nomination of Magu as the EFCC Chairman.
He said what the Senate had done, was to step down Magu’s screening, until issues surrounding the security report concerning him were cleared.
He stated: “Let me say categorically, that the Senate did not reject Ibrahim Magu, as the Chairman (of the EFCC).
“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.”
When reminded that the Senate Spokesperson said the Senate rejected Magu, and would return the nomination to the President, Ndume said the position was not correct.
“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,” Ndume said.
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