President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to investigate the involvement of any top government officials accused of any wrong-doing, assuring that they will be prosecuted if found guilty.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a two-paragraphs statement released late last night, said the action followed numerous media report accusing some officials in the Buhari’s administration of being corrupt.
The Senate’s ad-hoc committee on the humanitarian crisis in the North East had last week accused the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, of handing out fraudulent contracts to his company in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the North East.
The Senate had also declined to confirm Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying the action was based on security report.
Magu has been acting as EFCC Chairman in the past one year and President Buhari requested the Senate to confirm him last July. But the Senate declined last week citing a report by the Directorate of State Services (DSS) on the integrity of the acting EFCC chair.
The statement read: “The attention of the presidency has been drawn to a number of reports in the media, in which various accusations of corruption have been levelled against some top officials in the administration.
“In that regard, President Buhari has instructed the Attorney General of the Federation to investigate the involvement of any top government officials accused of any wrong-doing. If any of them are liable they will not escape prosecution.”
In a related development, the Senate will this week formally present its report on the rejection of the confirmation of Magu to the Presidency
This is coming at a time when the Socio-Economic Rights Accountability (SERAP) has petitioned the United Nations, saying the Senate’s decision was politically motivated.
Daily Sun gathered that the Senate will this week forward its resolution to President Buhari for further action. But unlike the customary practice where the Senate sends its resolutions to the SGF, it was gathered that the Red Chamber has resolved to by-pass him and send it to President Buhari directly.
Sources told Daily Sun that Senate President Bukola Saraki may personally hand over last Thursday’s outcome to Buhari this week.
He is also expected to submit the resolution of the Senate indicting the SGF over alleged fraud at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.
SERAP, on its part, said the DSS report, which the lawmakers cited as the reason for rejecting Magu, was politically motivated.
SERAP has petitioned Mr. Michel Forst, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders over alleged “intimidation, harassment and unfair treatment of Mr. Magu, by the Senate apparently working with other agencies of government to use a purported security report,” saying the report was baseless and politically motivated.
SERAP said: “By relying on a report they knew or ought to know is baseless and politically motivated to reject Mr Magu’s appointment as chairman of the EFCC, the Senate has flagrantly violated his right to a fair hearing, and is implicitly working to weaken, intimidate, harass and ultimately undermine the independence and freedom of action of the EFCC in its efforts to combat high-profile official corruption.”
The organisation urged Mr. Forst to “urgently intervene in this matter to stop further intimidation and harassment of a prominent anti-corruption campaigner and human rights defender.”
In the petition dated December 16, 2016 and signed by Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the group said: “SERAP believes that the action by the Senate and other agencies of government apparently working with them undermines and violates Nigeria’s international obligation to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the human rights of the citizens, which inevitably creates a duty for the government to establish efficient and independent anti-corruption mechanisms.”
“The report also incorrectly stated Mr. Magu currently occupies a residence rented for N40 million at N20 million per annum and paid for by allegedly corrupt person. But SERAP’s finding shows that the property was, in fact, paid for by the Federal Capital Development Administration.
“SERAP thus believes that the purported rejection by the Senate of Nigeria of Magu’s appointment as the chairman of EFCC is politically motivated and in bad faith and part of a persistent move by the National Assembly of Nigeria, including the Senate and the House of Representatives and other agencies of government apparently working with them to undermine the ongoing fight against corruption which Mr Magu is leading, and invariably, the independence and freedom of action of anti-corruption agencies including the EFCC.”
“SERAP is deeply concerned by intimidation, harassment and politically motivated allegations against one of the most efficient, focused, consistent and hardworking anti-corruption campaigners in our country. These politically motivated allegations are not only to victimise him as the head of EFCC but also to harass, intimidate and frustrate the work of other anti-corruption and human rights campaigners and institutions in the country.”
“SERAP considers Magu to be a human rights defender within the provisions of the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1998 (UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders).”
“SERAP urges you to urgently assert your mandates to put pressure on the Senate of Nigeria and other agencies of government apparently working with them to end continuing harassment and intimidation of Mr. Magu by immediately withdrawing any politically motivated allegations against him. We also urge you to send a strong message to the Senate of Nigeria and other agencies of government that the campaign of intimidation and harassment against human rights and anti-corruption campaigners is unacceptable, and will not be tolerated.”
Also, a lawyer and Executive Director of Movement for Popular Democracy (MPD), Mr. Theo Nwaigbo, has described as bogus lies the news being circulated in social media Magu.
Nwaigbo gave the verdict in Lagos while reacting to the magi’s rejection.
“It is a shame that desperate corrupt politician could resort to peddling wicked lies against such a decent officer,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes would soon release a report of its fact-finding mission to regional offices of the EFCC.
It was gathered that the report may unveil EFCC’s rights abuses of inmates in the cells.
The committee, as part of its oversight functions, had last month visited Lagos, Enugu and Port Harcourt offices of EFCC.
The visits, which were unannounced, took the officials by surprise. During the visits, the committee made shocking discoveries, particularly in the area of human rights abuses.
The committee, led by Senator Utazi, expressed dismay at the poor sanitary condition of the cells of EFCC. In Lagos State, the situation was different. There was a ceiling fan servicing over 15 inmates.
But the situation in Enugu and Port Harcourt cells raised serious concerns. In Enugu, the cells, for instance, have no ventilation. There are no ceiling or standing fans in the cells. The condition of the toilet and bathroom, which are located inside the cells, with no doors, also got negative reactions from the lawmakers who were on the entourage.
Inmates, who could not stand the excruciating heat during the visit, were seen using their worn out underwear as hand fan. Lawmakers hurriedly left the cells when they could no longer stand the heat. The mattresses in the cells were worn out and old. There were no pillows or bedspreads.
In Port Harcourt, the situation was not different. Lawmakers noted that it was overcrowded. Like Enugu cells, it was not ventilated and lawmakers complained bitterly about the offensive odour which emanated from the cells during the visit.
Senators Dino Melaye and Hamman Misau, who could not stand the stench, left the cells, while Utazi hurriedly concluded his interrogation of the inmates and left.
At the Port Harcourt cell, the male and female wards are located in the same building, only separated by a slim fence which can be bypassed by inmates. Senator Utazi, who expressed displeasure, mandated the regional head of EFCC, Mr. Ishaq Salihu, to properly separate the cells.
In Enugu and Port Harcourt offices, there are no equipped medical facilities. There are no standby medical doctors or nurses to attend to inmates during emergencies. The regional head said nurses attached to the clinics, are not permanently domiciled in the offices, but only come around when the need arises.
Speaking after the visit, Utazi told Daily Sun: “We will soon release the report of our findings. If we are just in our offices in the National Assembly and invite EFCC officials to come and visit us, they will give us what we want to see.
“But the way we are doing this oversight, without any notice is better. We are here to see things for ourselves. If we had told them we were coming, they would have rolled out the drums to welcome us.”
Spokesman of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, did not pick or return his telephone calls.
