SENATE FLEX MUSCLE REJECT BUHARI’S NOMINEE FOR EFCC BOSS

The Nigerian Senate on thursday rejected the nomination of Ibrahim
Magu as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC).
The upper chamber rejected President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination
based on the security report sent by the Department of State Service
(DSS).
Daily Trust reports that the DSS has advised the Senate against
confirming Magu.
Aliyu Abdullahi, the Senate’s spokesperson, on Thursday, December 15,
revealed this after the Senators met behind closed doors discussing
the matter of Magu’s confirmation,.
He said: “The Senate wish to inform the public that based on available
security report, the Senate cannot proceed with confirmation of
Ibrahim Magu as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission.
“The nomination of Ibrahim Magu is hereby rejected and has been
returned to the President for further action.”
However, the Senate confirmed the nomination of the other 4 members of
the EFCC and referred them for further security screening.
The plans to screen the acting chairman of EFCC had earlier caused
confusion  at the Nigerian Senate.
It was gathered that the usual pre-session meeting of the principal
officers, which holds at the Senate President’s office, was rowdy as
senators were said to have engaged themselves in a shouting match.
A source who witnessed the clash said the Leader of the Senate,
Senator Ali Ndume and Senator Dino Melaye, who was alleged to be
against Magu’s confirmation, specifically engaged themselves at the
meeting.
The screening of the EFCC boss and four other member-nominees of the
commission was earlier moved from Thursday, December 8 after about
five months of their nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari.
It was reported earlier that some forces within the Presidency are
said to be against Magu’s emergence as the EFCC’s chairman and the
Department of State Service (DSS) is also said to be a collaborator in
the scheme to edge out the anti-corruption czar through a damning
security report it has sent to the Senate against Magu.