Saraki at Aso Rock, briefs Buhari on why Senate won’t accept Magu

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki has briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on reasons why the upper chamber will not accept the re-nomination of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Saraki who met with the President behind closed doors earlier today (Monday) at the presidential villa, however parried questions from reporters on the real reasons for his visit, saying he had come to brief Buhari on the 2017 budget and amendment of the Electoral Act 2010 undertaken last week b y the Senate.

But sources told us that Saraki’s mission was basically on the frosty relationship between the Executive and the Senate, especially on the latter’s vehement insistence that President Buhari’s removes Magu from office as acting chairman and not re-nominate him for the substantive position of head of the anti-graft agency for which the Red Chamber has rejected him twice.

Recall that the Senate had penultimate week turned down the nomination of Magu as EFCC chairman for the second time, after doing just that in December when the President had earlier on requested his confirmation by the lawmakers. The lawmakers had based both decisions on adverse security reports from the Department of State Security (DSS) which said Mr. Magu was integrity-challenged.

Following outbursts from presidency officials, including Prof. Itse Sagay, chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti Corruption (PACAC), that President Buhari would retain Magu in acting capacity in spite his double rejection by the Senate, senators last week declined to confirm the President’s nominees for Resident Electoral Commissions (RECs).

The Senate had also mandated Saraki to take a strong message to Buhari on the Magu issue and demand of him to reign in officials in the Executive, including Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) who had engaged the upper chamber in a running battle over his refusal to adorn service uniforms in appearing before the lawmakers.

Saraki’s visit to the presidential villa this Monday, sources confirmed to us, is in fulfillment of the Senate’s mandate to him and “I can tell you clearly that Magu was one of the issues on the table at the meeting between the senator and the President.”

The source also hinted that the President also used the opportunity of the meeting to get first hand reports from Saraki on the Magu matter and series of other thorny issues impeding a smooth relationship between both arms of government.

But speaking with reporters after the meeting, Saraki tried to play down the essence of the meeting, saying it was a routine interface on policy issues. He said: “As you know this is routine. It’s part of the consultation and collaboration that we observed that has helped in improving the workings together. It’s just a routine and review, most important issue now is the budget.

“We are working on it, just to let the president know how far we have gotten with it. We are on course as you note last week we did ask all the sub committees to submit their reports to appropriation. All that have been done now. It’s now collation and review then hopefully it will be passed very soon.

“As I said this is a routine meeting. There are many things that are important but there are other things that are even more important to do which is the budget. We talked also about the INEC bill that we have passed. I took the president through some of the areas, very important areas because you know the President over many years is somebody that has gone to many elections and seen. So that was something he was really excited about, some of the new amendments like electronic voting, talks about electronic process for collation; those are landmark achievements that we hope that very soon the House will concur and we all come here for the President to assent.

Saraki however described the committee set up by the presidency to interface with the National Assembly on the rejection of Ibrahim Magu amongst other issues as a welcome development, saying “we are all part of one government that is why despite all these, still major decisions are taken. By Tuesday or Wednesday for the first time in the history of the legislature, we are going to lay a report on the PIB for consideration. It has never happened. Don’t let us get distracted by one or two infractions. It’s bound to happen.

“Even America that we are copying even today as we are watching, see what is happening at the Supreme court. These are things that happen on the path of democracy but I can reassure Nigerians that it is just a drop in the ocean. It is not an issue that should stir the whole nation.”