Society Gists

The Senate, barring any change in plan will today, begin consideration and subsequently confirm the appointment of the acting chairman of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, as the substantive head of the agency.
Before now, pressure had been on the Senate to confirm Magu. It was alleged that the issue of Magu’s confirmation had become political, with the Senate using it as a bargaining chip for some Senators who were being investigated by the EFCC.
President Muhammadu Buhari had sometime in July, written to the Senate, seeking the screening and confirmation of Magu who was appointed in acting capacity in November 2015, as the substantive chairman of the anti-corruption agency.
The letter was signed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in his capacity then as the acting president following President Buhari’s 10-day medical leave in the United Kingdom.
The letter was read at plenary on Thursday, July 14, 2016, by the Senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki.
Deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary yesterday, put the senators on notice that the Senate would commence consideration and confirmation of the appointment of the EFCC boss.
This move to screen and confirm Magu as the EFCC chief executive is coming five months after the president’s letter seeking his confirmation, fuelling speculation that the Senate was reluctant to act on the letter.
Buhari had appointed Magu acting chair of the EFCC after the removal of Ibrahim Lamorde on November 9, 2015. If eventually he is confirmed by the Senate, he will be the fourth head of the anti-graft agency, after Nuhu Ribadu, Farida Waziri and Lamorde.
Before his appointment as the acting EFCC chair, Magu was the head of Economic Governance Unit of the commission.