On Tuesday, been 7th of July, President Muhammadu Buhari shocked millions of Nigerian both home and abroad as he approved for the arrest of the acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu for interrogation.
Magu appeared last week Monday before a panel of inquiry probing the validity or otherwise of allegations of gross misconduct leveled against him. The panel is led by Justice Ayo Salami, retired president of the Court of Appeal.
Recall that the panel began sitting three weeks ago but was only able to force Magu to appear before it Monday.
Magu’s travail followed a memo by Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), in which the suspended anti-graft czar was accused of grave malfeasance.
Magu was alleged to have mishandled the recovered loot and was selling seized assets to friends and associates. It was also alleged to have refused to subject himself to the supervision of the office of the Attorney General of the federation.
In order not to leave the position of Chairman of the agency vacant as corruption kept roaring it ugly head across board, with its effect left not unnoticed, President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Mohammed Umar for immediate replacement of the embattled acting chairman of the agency.
He was until his appointment the director of operation at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to some group, it was believed that Magu arrest is nothing rather a political game engaged by many political characters. Whatever the case might be, you cannot downtrend the statement of the chairman of investigative panel on corruption because Ibrahim Magu has on many instances stepped on toes, a situation that is presumably inevitable when occupying such delicate position. It is obvious that you cannot do such work with high pedigree without been witch-hunted, morally maimed and image laundered. However, this is not to say that the writer is maintaining a vindictive disposition for the embattled chairman.
The aphrosim that says “if your master engage you in a gory errands use your wisdom” was largely far from been adopted by Ibrahim Magu in the discharge of his duties. Now, the storm is trolling and trailing the servant while the master help amplify the echo.
APC key actors has used Magu for their own political interest by chasing their opponent (PDP) in order to achieve their goal of winning 2019 election. Now, that they have achieve their aims, they have to discard him.
Magu was used and dumped. He deserves little or no sympathy.
It should be recalled that last year, former All Progressive Congress (APC) national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomole said that “if you have corruption issues, and you cross to our party, your corruption case would be forgiven.” Oshiomole has rationalized Magu to the status of demi-god. Every body was afraid of Magu. Now, he has been demystified by those who hardly maintained a corrupt-free profile. Who else is afraid of Ibrahim Magu?
The agency was established by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo to tackle the scourge of corruption that was ravaging the economy, but APC stewards turned it to a stooge and adopted it as an arsenal to dehumanize and oppress their perceived opponents.
The question many Nigerians are asking is; If the agency that was established with the mandate of tackling corruption has in itself become extremely corrupt, would there be hope for Nigeria?
– Abubakar Yunusa writes from Abuja.
