A legal practitioner, Gordy Uwazurike, says he is not surprised about the Senate’s rejection of Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In his words, “I am not surprised that there is mudslinging between those who sling mud to others. In other words, the head hunters, are now head hunting themselves”.
He explained that it is a life and death struggle, between agencies such as the EFCC and DSS over who has the president’s ear.
The fight against corruption has remained a tough one as even those in the chairmanship position of the EFCC in the past, Nuhu Ribadu, Amina Waziri, have also left in controversial circumstances.
In the case of Magu, Uwazurike believes that “If you are fighting corruption and also relying on media trial to destroy those who you want to go after, one day it will come back to you.
According to him, the only person who was not rushed out of office was Lamorde.
He also believes that the treatment being metted out to Magu, is only a pay back of what he has done to others in the past.
“Magu has a serious problem, the EFCC under him has engaged in massive media trial of people. That method he is using against people is what is being used against him.
Speaking further, he equally questioned the authenticity of the DSS saying that some of the allegations raised against certain persons may not necessarily be based on evidence on ground, so long as the public buys into it.
Referring to the allegations against Magu concerning the 40 million Naira apartment which he currently occupies, the lawyer stated that:
“When they want to go after you, most of the things that are written in the press are rubbish, it is just to present you in court that matters.”
He however described the situation as an embarrassment to President Muhammadu Buhari, asking him to put his house in order as he can’t have two boys working for him (referring to the DSS and EFCC), both going in different directions.
In a statement earlier released by the Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project, (SERAP), it expressed 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.”
