Confirmation of Magu: FEC Disown Osinbajo

Thu, Jul 6, 2017 | By publisher


Politics

THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday said it cannot defend the statement of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on the confirmation of nominations made by the executive, especially that of Ibrahim Magu, Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Osinbajo had told journalists that he was in support of Ibrahim Magu, suggesting that he never needed Senate screening to be confirmed as chairman of EFCC.

The Senate had rejected Magu on two different occasions based on the report of the Department of State Services (DSS).

“It is up to the Senate to make their judgment, and it is up to us to say what we want to do. If our candidate is rejected, we can represent him.

No law says we can’t represent him. And again, there is the other argument, whether or not we need to present him for confirmation and that’s a compelling argument from Femi Falana,” he said.

Osinbajo expressed support for the view of Femi Falana, a lawyer, who said Buhari does not need the confirmation of the Senate to retain Magu.

Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, said FEC never discussed the continued stay and possible re-nomination of Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the anti-graft agency.

He noted that the issue also came up for discussion at the cabinet meeting, but that since the cabinet was not particularly connected or reached a consensus to maintain a particular position, it cannot begin to defend what it did not decide on.

On the face-off between the Senate and the acting president, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed that the usual mechanisms for resolving conflicts between the various arms of government were now meeting to explore how their differences can be amended.

It would be recalled that the upper legislative chamber vowed to stand down all requests for confirmation into executive positions in the Federal Government following statements by the acting president challenging the Senate’s capacity to confirm certain nominees of the executive.

The legislators had related their grievances specifically to Osinbajo’s statement regarding the continuous stay in office of Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mohammed said that the issue between the two arms of government was being resolved by a mechanism that is already on ground working.

“Clearly it came up. The fact of the matter is that we have a very excellent mechanism for resolving whatever issues is between us and the National Assembly. That is being addressed.

“Whatever may be the problem between the executive and the National Assembly we have an excellent mechanism for resolving it. I don’t think we need to go to specific statements as to what was said by A or B, we believe that government is not one arm, but both the legislative, executive and judiciary arms, whatever might be the problem we are resolving it and we are addressing it”, he said refusing to give details of steps taken to resolve the impasse between the two arms of government.

Meanwhile, following a ruling by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday, which ordered the Federal Government to publish names of people who allegedly looted the treasury, government is seriously considering whether to toe the line of the court any time soon.

Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, gave this indication on Wednesday after the FEC meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

Malami confirmed that government will act in accordance with the court decision as far as it will not amount to impeding on judicial processes.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had on May 29, 2016 vowed to make public the names of individuals who looted the treasury dry, but he later reneged on the decision, releasing only the amount recovered from some of the looters.

Malami also explained that going by recent failures in prosecuting some corrupt individuals, FEC has approved a new anti-corruption strategy which is intended to strengthen enforcement of extant laws and sanction for offenders.

“The anti-corruption strategy that has now been approved by the FEC would strengthen enforcement and sanctions on corruption cases.

Arising from this understanding, ministries, department, agencies, legislature, judiciary, civil society group and religious bodies have all come together at a forum and developed a National Anti-Corruption Strategy which is intended to be a guide or a roadmap for the enhancement and sanctions, processes associated with anti-corruption”, he said.

Continuing, he said, “That policy has now been developed by all these components and was today presented to FEC for approval.

“FEC approved the strategy and the roadmap is now that of implementation of the strategy towards the direction of collective buy-in as it relates to enforcement and sanctions relating to anti-corruption crusade and drive”.

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the Federal Government to “immediately release to Nigerians information about the names of high-ranking public officials from whom public funds were recovered and the circumstances under which the funds were recovered, as well as the exact amount of funds recovered from each public official.”

The judgment was delivered by Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari following a Freedom of Information suit number FHC/CS/964/2016 brought by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

The suit followed disclosure last year by the Federal Government of funds recovered from some high-ranking public officials and private individuals.

In her judgment, Justice Shagari agreed with SERAP that “the Federal Government has legally binding obligations to tell Nigerians the names of all suspected looters of the public treasury past and present.”

Joined as defendants in the suit are Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information, and the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

It would be recalled that the Ministry of Information last year published details of the recoveries, which showed that the Federal Government successfully retrieved total cash amount of N78,325,354,631.82, $185,119,584.61, £3,508,355.46 and €11, 250 between May 29, 2015 and May 25, 2016.

Also released were recoveries under interim forfeiture, which were a combination of cash and assets, during the same period: N126,563,481,095.43, $9,090,243,920.15, £2,484,447.55 and €303,399.17. Anticipated repatriation from foreign countries totalled: $321,316,726.1, £6,900,000 and €11,826.11. The ministry also announced that 239 non-cash recoveries were made during the one-year period. The non-cash recoveries are farmlands, plots of land, uncompleted buildings, completed buildings, vehicles etc.

Also, FEC approved N900 million for engineering and infrastructure design in different parts of the Federal Capital Territory.

A breakdown of the contracts show that approval was given for Ring Road Four, which passes through Kubwa Express, Airport Road, Southern Expressway and the Wasa district at a cost of N242 million.

Approval was also given for engineering design for Kabo district to provide housing infrastructure at a cost of N184 million and inter-sector sewage line, schedule 10 at the cost of N241 million to connect the central sewage system in the new Abuja City; water treatment and connecting pipelines to the Abuja Water Master Plan at a cost of N233 million was also approved.

Council also before the commencement of the closed door session of the cabinet meeting observed a minute silence in honour of a one-time cabinet member and diplomat, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama-Sule. – Independent

– July 6, 2017 @ 8:05 GMT /

 

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