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Ibrahim Magu: The Rise and Fall Of The “almighty” EFCC Boss

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4 years ago

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After five years as the public face of the federal government’s anti-graft crusade, the suspension and arrest of Ibrahim Magu, acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who is being investigated for corruption is a major blight on the toga of President Muhammadu Buhari’s war on corruption that reinforces the public perception that the whole anti-graft war is just a smokescreen to harass and intimidate perceived opponents of the regime. Notwithstanding his offense, the public drama in which a combined team of policemen and officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) invaded the office of the EFCC to arrest Magu; whisked him off manu militari to face a presidential panel investigating allegations of corruption against him is shameful and most embarrassing to Nigerians. It is a debasement of Nigerian democracy and a sad manifestation of the rule of force over the rule of law. Although the Presidency touted the incident as an affirmation that no one under the Buhari administration is above the law, such brigandage lowers the country’s image before the comity of nations. This is the tragedy of Nigeria.

After over 20 years of democracy, there should be no more room for such conduct. The situation could have been handled more professionally without portraying the DSS as a Gestapo organization. This must never be allowed to repeat itself. Magu has been reportedly detained at the Police Force Criminal Investigation Department in Area 10, Abuja, on the orders of the presidential panel, which continue to question him over “weighty” allegations of misconduct. This is an insult to the Nigerian people carried too far, which does little credit to the image of President Buhari, whose promise of a new dawn in democratic governance and respect for the rule of law formed the plank of his political covenant with the people prior to his electoral mandate in 2015.

To begin with, a person of Magu’s status ought to be treated with dignity and respect in a democratic dispensation. The cavalier manner, in which he was arrested from his office after Buhari had recently applauded his services to the country and personally assented to Magu’s plan to auction over 400 luxury cars forfeited by internet fraudsters, was most undeserving. Without prejudice to any investigation, it is worth noting that it is not within the remit of the presidential panel to probe acts of corruption by public officials. The arrest and detention of Magu certainly need to be justified, but such justification cannot be in violation of due process and the right of presumption of innocence until proven guilty, which Magu is entitled to as a Nigerian citizen. That the presidential panel is treating Magu as if he is a convicted felon is most unfortunate. What if Magu ends up being exonerated?

Besides, a presidential panel is not a court of law and has no authority to order Magu to be detained without bail. In fact, Magu has the right to bail while the investigation is conducted. To subject him to questioning and remanding him in detention even when no competent authority or jurisdiction has established that he is a flight risk; are clear violations of Magu’s fundamental rights, and respect for the dignity of his person and personal liberty as guaranteed by Sections 31 and 35 of the Constitution. Such barefaced violation of the right to privacy and dignity cannot be in the best interest of democracy; it is lawlessness. The president on whose authority the panel is acting must guard against repeating such lawlessness and acting in a manner suggesting a disdain for due process. As for Magu, he should be released immediately or charged in court.

For the avoidance of doubt, the official narrative that the panel is probing allegations of corruption against Magu following a damning memo by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN) is laughable and defies logic. Nigerians have not forgotten the brazen show of megalomania, when as acting President, Yemi Osinbajo sent a letter to the Senate re-nominating Magu as EFCC chairman, after the Senate had rejected his candidacy, citing a DSS security report with the same corruption allegations, which the same AGF, Malami, later claimed to have investigated and cleared Magu of any wrongdoing. ‎

Without equivocation, Nigerians were deeply concerned about the wide-reaching implications of the president acting like defense attorney and holding brief for a man indicted for corruption by the legislative arm of government after the Senate deemed Magu unfit to hold public office. In civilized democracies, Magu himself, seeing that the matter was getting out of hand could have voluntarily withdrawn his nomination. This would certainly have fetched him accolades and leave Nigerians to fight the battle for him in the court of public opinion. But thanks to Buhari’s nonchalance, Magu stayed on for five years. In all, maintaining Magu as acting EFCC chair only authenticated impunity. With Buhari’s total backing, Magu wage a political vendetta and witch-hunt against Buhari’s perceived opponents, including loyalists of the Goodluck Jonathan administration. In the process, Magu stepped on many toes and made many enemies. The list is long and endless.

Former Defence Minister, Lt Gen Theophilus Danjuma (retd) recently visited Buhari. The billionaire oil mogul was seething with rage and anger that the check he issued to purchase an aircraft bounced! Danjuma was informed by his bankers that the order to withhold payment came from Magu! Aso Villa sources said Buhari bent over backward to convince Danjuma that he knew nothing about the incident but the sources also pointed out that Magu read the president’s mind and picked up the signal to finger Danjuma when Buhari dropped Danjuma’s protégé, Ibe Kachikwu from his cabinet. A few weeks before that incident, the Minna home of former military Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar was raided and ransacked by EFCC operatives. Buhari also got to know only after the event had happened.

While neither Danjuma nor Abdulsalami is above the law, the instruments of state power should never be used to harass and ridicule citizens. Besides, a man who would take on the high and mighty, including members of the president’s immediate family, must be above board both in his private thinking and public action. Magu failed on both counts: in the past five years, Magu has made many conflicting claims about hundreds of billions of recovered looted funds and assets but subsequent auctions for recovered assets, resulted in choice properties being doled out to his cronies. Since in Abuja, like Washington DC, everything leaks and everyone knows which skeleton is in which cupboard (including who is sleeping with whose spouse), it didn’t take long for Buhari to become inundated with petitions how Magu and his cronies were re-looting the recovered looted funds.

Surprisingly, on November 22, 2017, Buhari appointed a three-member committee to audit all assets recovered by agencies of the federal government from May 29, 2015. Headed by Olufemi Lijadu, who later became chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the panel was given four months to complete their assignment but ended up spending ten months. But even before they submitted their report, then Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, noticed discrepancies from the figures that were emerging and sent Magu a memo seeking clarification on the recoveries “based on the information available to the Office of Accountant-General of the Federation.” According to Adeosun, the attention of her ministry had been drawn to “recovery figures in media reports by the EFCC that do not reconcile with the records of the ministry” asking Magu to “clarify where this cash recoveries have been deposited and provide accompanying evidence.” Magu ignored the memo.

Meanwhile, the AGF to whose office Magu should ordinarily report (but doesn’t out of sheer arrogance) bided his time before writing a damning memo to Buhari regarding the report on recovered assets, which became the basis for Magu’s suspension and arrest. All that notwithstanding, Buhari’s volte-face after keeping Magu in office for five years is the hypocrisy that reduces the presidency to one that will go to any length to pander to the ego-tripping of the president’s men, even at the risk of compromising Buhari’s own integrity. It needs also to be stated that at the topmost management of the public, respect is mutual and reciprocal for the smooth running of the state. Such mutuality is dictated by the decorum exercised by authorities in the discharge of their duties. The government should treat the office of people like Magu with some dignity. They should be treated at their exit, in the same manner, they were treated when they held office. Magu’s office invasion and arrest fell short of this required decorum, for it diminishes the office of the EFCC chairman and debases the ethos and values of Nigeria’s preeminent anti-graft agency. By elimination, it is an index of what Nigeria does not value.

Against a man who prosecuted Buhari’s war on corruption with such messianic zeal, the barbaric arrest was nothing more than whimsical and disdainful impunity, which left much to be desired about the cantankerous temperament of the president himself. Like Nuhu Ribadu, Magu’s ongoing ordeal to the detriment of his office merely advertises the culture of impunity that holds the nation up to public ridicule and does little credit to the President’s image as a statesman. But far more than anything else it engendered, the indecorous public humiliation of Magu remains a national embarrassment and an imprudent display of statecraft.

 

Source: Huhuonline.

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Society

How Four-Year-Old Boy Died During Feeding In Former Presidential Aide, Senator Joy Emodi’s Abuja School

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22 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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A four-year-old pupil, identified as Miguel Ovoke, has reportedly died at BrickHall School in Abuja during feeding hours.

We learnt that the school located at Cadastral Zone B11, Kaura in Abuja, is owned by Senator Joy Emodi, who was a member of the 5th and 6th Senate before serving as Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly Matters.

She is the founder and Chairman of the school, we learnt.

During her time in the Senate, she was appointed Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education.

It was learnt that Ovoke who died on Wednesday.

According to the death certificate of the pupil dated April 24, 2024, issued by Excel Specialist Hospital, Abuja, which was sighted by The PUNCH, Ovoke was brought to the hospital by his teachers around 11 am in an unconscious state.

The medical report, signed by Dr. Akinwande Ajayi, on behalf of the medical director, indicated that he was brought in, “on account of aspiration on meat while feeding at school.”

Upon examination, the medical team found that the boy’s pupils were fixed and dilated, with a nonreactive response to light.

His peripheral pulses were said to be “impalpable, blood pressure was unrecordable, and there was no cardiopulmonary activity or respiratory excursions, silent chest.”

Efforts made by the hospital to resuscitate him failed.

When contacted, Josephine Adeh, the FCT Police Command Public Relations Officer told SaharaReporters that she had not been briefed about the incident.

“I have not been briefed about the incident, I will get back to you when I have anything on the matter,” she said.

Sahara Reporters!

 

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Society

An Icon of Service: NATCOM boss, Otunba Adejare Adegbenro’s Leadership Legacy

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2 days ago

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April 24, 2024

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In the intricate mosaic of Nigeria’s societal fabric, Otunba Adejare Adegbenro stands as a beacon of commitment, resilience, and service.

 

Born on March 6th, 1973, in Lagos, he draws from a lineage steeped in political legacy, being the grandson of the late Premier of Western Region, Alhaji Daudu Sooroye Adegbenro. Raised in a family that values service to the community, Otunba Adegbenro has carved his path as a distinguished figure in Nigerian society.

 

The culmination of his familial heritage and dedication to community service was marked by his installation as the first Otunba Laje of Owu Kingdom in Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria.

 

This historic event, which took place on January 20th, 2018, under the auspices of His Royal Majesty Oba Olusanya Dosunmu II, traditional ruler of Owu kingdom, reinforced Otunba Adegbenro’s deep-rooted ties to his cultural heritage and commitment to uplifting his people.

 

Beyond his traditional titles, his influence extends globally, with his appointment as High Commissioner by the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), where he spearheads foreign special missions aimed at preventing illegal migration and human trafficking. This appointment is a testament of his reputation as a renowned security expert and industrialist, whose expertise transcends national borders.

 

In his role as the acting Director-General of the National Commission against the Proliferation of Arms, Light Weapons, and Pipeline Vandalism (NATCOM), Otunba Adegbenro has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to combating threats to national security. His vast experience in security consultancy and supply of security gadgets has positioned him as a pivotal figure in Nigeria’s security landscape.

 

However, Otunba Laje of Owu Kingdom’s contributions extend beyond the realm of security.

 

Through his foundation, the Otunba Adejare Adegbenro Foundation (OAAF), he channels his resources towards uplifting the less privileged in society. With initiatives ranging from the provision of boreholes to communities lacking access to clean water, to scholarships for deserving students, he exemplifies the spirit of philanthropy and communal solidarity.

 

Reflecting on his journey, Otunba Adegbenro once acknowledged the challenges he has faced, from navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship to confronting societal stereotypes.

 

Yet, through it all, he remains resolute in his commitment to service and upliftment. His philosophy, rooted in faith and compassion, drives him to make a tangible difference in the lives of others, regardless of obstacles encountered along the way.

 

Otunba Adejare Adegbenro stands as a testament to the power of leadership, resilience, and unwavering dedication to the common good. In him, Nigerians find not only a visionary leader but a compassionate steward of progress, whose impact reverberates far beyond the shores of his homeland.

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Society

Real Reasons WPG, Parent Company Of Eko Electricity Distribution Company, EKEDC, Sacks Ex-MD/CEO, Tinuade Sanda With Immediate Effect

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2 days ago

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April 24, 2024

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West Power & Gas Limited, the parent company of Eko Electricity Distribution Plc (EKEDP) has sacked the immediate former MD/CEO of the electricity distribution company, Ms Tinuade Sanda.

Sanda’s appointment with WPG Ltd was terminated in a letter signed by the company chairman, Charles Momoh and dated April 17, 2024.

The letter titled, ‘Termination Of Contract Of Employment,’ said Ms Sanda’s termination of employment takes effect from the date on the letter.

It reads, “We refer to your contract of employment dated April 1, 2022, signed between you and WPG Limited [the “Contract”].

“We hereby advise you that your services are no longer required and accordingly your employment with WPG Ltd is hereby terminated effective April 17, 2024, in accordance with clause 10.2 of the Contract.

“WPG Ltd is obligated to pay you three months salary in lieu of notice and hereby advise you that the due amounts have been credited to your account.

“You are requested to kindly return all company’s properties (whether WPG or EKEDP) in your possession which will include but not limited to laptops, identity card, and status car upon your receipt of this letter.”

“We wish you all the best in your future endeavours,” it added.

On March 26, Society Reporters reported that Ms Sanda had been suspended by EKEDP and directed to return to WPG, from where she had been seconded to the electricity company.

The suspension was in line with a directive of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to the EKEDP board to suspend with immediate effect all the workers of WPG Limited working with the company.

WPG is a limited liability company incorporated under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which has a stake in EKEDP. The consortium of local businesses acquired a 60% stake and controlling interest in EKEDP (Eko Disco).

We gathered that the directive might be connected with the recent petition by some concerned staff members of EKEDP to the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima; Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for intervention in the alleged endemic corruption in the management of the electricity distribution firm.

Although the company had dismissed the allegation, describing it as unfounded, the accusers continued to push for external investigation.

Society Reporters reported on March 18, that the Board of Directors and Management of the electricity distribution company had cleared all the staff members accused of corruption and other fraudulent practices.

The Board in a statement signed by its Chairman, Dere Otubu, titled “Eko Disco Management Cleared In ‘Ghost Worker’ Investigation,” said that the investigation into the ‘ghost workers’ allegations had been concluded and findings indicated that the allegations of fraud, negligence, or conspiracy against some members of staff were unfounded.

However, in compliance with the directive of NERC, the Board Chairman, Otubu, directed Ms Sanda to leave her position as MD/CEO of EKEDP, as she was also seconded from WPG.

But reacting to the report, Director and Chairman, Legal and Regulatory Committee, Mr. Babor Egeregor, faulted the Board Chairman’s letter suspending the MD/CEO and others on secondment, insisting that Ms Sanda remained the CEO of EKEDP.

Indeed, we learnt that following the directive, the MD/CEO, Chief Legal Officer, Chief Finance Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Auditor and Compliance Officer and others on secondment at the company handed over their handover notes to their subordinates as directed.

A copy of the letter addressed to the MD/CEO signed by the board chairman, dated March 25, 2024 and obtained by us, is titled: ‘Implementation Of NERC Directive On Seconded Staff.’

The letter read, “We have received a NERC directive dated March 21, 2024, which instructed Eko Electricity Distribution Plc inter alia, as follows: ‘EKEDC is hereby directed to ensure that all staff working for the utility are employed by the utility directly, bound by applicable service conditions that are applicable to the employees of the utility and paid through the utilities payroll.’

“The Disco is obligated to obey these directives due to the powers of NERC as stipulated in the Electricity Act 2023. In compliance with the above directive, all seconded staff from WPG Ltd are being released by Eko Electricity Distribution Plc and returned to WPG Ltd.

“You are hereby relieved of your role, office, and position at Eko Electricity Distribution Plc effective immediately and returned to WPG Ltd your Employer.

“You are further directed to hand over to the highest ranking staff of Eko Electricity Distribution Plc under you.

“We hereby record our appreciation of your valuable services and contribution to the growth and successes achieved by Eko Electricity Distribution Plc over the years as a seconded staff from WPG.”

A source told this platform that those affected were discovered to have been operating with a ‘double standard’ on the job.

The Director of IT department, JP Attueyi, a WPG staff member also seconded to EKEDC, swiftly handed over to the most senior person in his department.

In his handover note, addressed to the IT Department and Temitope Odufuwa, dated March 25, Attueyi said it was in compliance with the directive of the chairman.

It partly read: “As you may be aware, I am a WPG staff seconded to EKEDC – WPG owns EKEDC. Today I got an email from the EKEDC Chairman saying that all WPG staff have been recalled back to the parent company effective immediately. As such, I will be handing over to Tope to run the IT department.”

“Please give him the necessary support as we navigate this period,” he wrote.

 

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