Magu: EFCC chair and Banana peels

By Tunde Abatan
Since it’s creation by former President Olusegun in 2004 purposely to fight official corruption often referred to as acts of economic sabotage in high and low places,the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) has gone through several transformation. The transformation are not only in terms of its brief which is basically to fight acts of economic sabotage like money sundering,stealing of public funds and other acts considered as against the nations moral and economic fibre, it has also carried with it the image of successive public officials who have had to preside over its activities.
In their various activities in office from its founding chairman, Malam Nuhu Ribadu,a trained lawyer and investigative police officer,to the outgoing czar,Ibrahim Magu also a police officer seconded from the intelligence and fraud unit of the police,their tenure have s always been marred by one controversy or the other.
Such controversy are not only limited to their style of pursuing the anti corruption war under the four different regimes which they operated but also in their various individual failings more so when their role made them step on powerful toes of big business men,highly influential and powerful civil servants and elected public office holders who had come to accept the fact that the fear of EFCC is the beginning of wisdom.
When he was appointed as the pioneer chairman of the body by President Obasanjo,his breezy,brave and often daring style endeared him to Nigerians who have yet to see public officers face trial for corruption. Ribadu who obviously had the support of his boss ruffled not few feathers such that even his then boss in the police Tafa Balogun was brought down from his high office to answer charges. He was brought to court like common thief’s.
But by the time Obasanjo left power in 2007,the tenure of Ribadu who have earned himself more enemies in a very corrupt system succumbed to the banana peels and was removed from office in 2008 under untidy circumstances.
Next to occupy the not too enviable seat was another police and intelligence Czar,Farida Waziri who was in 2008 appointed by former President Good luck Jonathan to continue from where Ribadu stopped.
With I’ll health which dogged Yaradua’s short tenure Waziri tried to carve a niche for herself when she was appointed in December 2008.she remained in the saddle for three years only to be removed also in curious circumstances in 2011 by
President Jonathan who replaced her with his choice .this time Lamorde broke a jinx as he was brought within the rank of the EFCC.
Lamorde was in the seat till the end of the tenure of President Jonathan who was succeeded by President Muhammad Buhari in 2015.
It is noteworthy that all the three previous chairmen of EFCC have their appointments confirmed by the National assembly as required by law of any officer in such position.
However,not unlike the previous holders, the appointment of Ibrahim Magu who was shown the way out of the newly completed multimillion EFCC edifice generated much controversy from the first day of pronouncement.
It was such that twice his name was presented by the Presidency to the National Assembly and twice he was rejected by the Senate.End of scene 1 Act 1.
Secondly,the Presidency also refused to send a replacement inspire of insistence of the Senator Bukola Saraki insistence that Magus name be replaced.
Hence, for the four years tenure of Buhari,Magu remained acting Chairman running the agency with the support of the Presidency which was not keen on replacing him.
However, barely one year into the tenure of President Buharis second term,Magu the clean shaving boss of the EFCC who made news of recouping over N100 billion of stolen money and secured several convictions is himself embroiled in a controversy of funds divergent . it is curious because such allegations emanated from Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami,who himself have not had it easy with allegations of helping lawyers who handled repatriation of stolen funds to get fat remunerations from government. He denied severally.
But then,the ocean seems too fast for Magu who was allegedly stewed in an alleged petition involving diversion of unspecified sum of money from re overed loot.
While tongues continue to wag,the presidency on Monday July 6th reportedly set up a presidential committee headed by retired Justice Ayo Salami to investigate allegations against Magu.
He reportedly spent hours on end Monday in the Presidential Villa where the panel sat defending himself.
Before this, the Directorate of Security Services(DSS) had also allegedly spent hours grilling the EFCC boss who had this past five years enjoyed Buharis support and backing even as he remained acting chairman.
Will Magu also end his eventful career like his predecessors who also fell by the banana peel while navigating the dangerous bends in the most sensitive body which is the cornerstone of this administration?.
Has he this past five years been playing the hypocritical role appearing like the Saint while clamping other economic offenders into jail?
Is Magu a victim of political power play which makes the seat he occupied as slippery as the objects of his campaigns?
If Magu eventually proved to have fallen from the supposed saintly heights his boss,President Buhari placed him,by developing itching hands,could the later be said to have indeed sincerely fought any war this past five years?
Questions begging for an answer for a body expected to be the arrow head of Buharis war against corruption which he himself identified as the main problem with making Nigeria works.
As the fourth holder of that office,has it become impossible to find a ‘Saint’ among millions of Nigerias who could emerged unscathed from the EFCC chairs office?
Questions begging for answer.?