Alleged Corruption: Senate Rejects Buhari's Letter, Says No going back on SGF, Magu...

President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate are set for a collision as the Upper House has rejected his clean bill for the Secretary to the Government of the Fed­eration (SGF), Babachir Lawal and the re-nomination of Act­ing Chairman of the Econom­ic and Financial Crimes Com­mission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
The Senate had reject­ed Magu as substantive EFCC chairman and accused Lawal of corruption by awarding con­tracts for Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) to companies he owned.

But Buhari, in separate let­ters on Magu and Lawal to the Senate, said that the Upper House did not give the SGF fair hearing.
In a reaction to the Presi­dent’s action, Senate spokes­man, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi Sabi, said that the Upper House stands by its decision on the two officials and will go ahead to complete its investigation into the diversion of funds meant for the IDPs and reconstruction of the North East zone.
Buhari had in a letter read during plenary yesterday by the Senate President, Abuba­kar Bukola Saraki, re-nominat­ed Magu as EFCC’s Chairman and cleared Lawal of alleged corruption based on the report of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami.
The President requested the Upper House to reconsider its rejection of Magu as the sub­stantive chairman of the EFCC.
Saraki had read the Presi­dent’s letter after the Senate re­turned from its one and half hours closed-door session.
Buhari recalled that the Senate in a letter No. NASS /85/R/016 dated 15th Decem­ber, 2016 conveyed to him its resolution not to confirm the appointment of Magu as the chairman of the EFCC based on security report issued by the Department of State Servic­es (DSS) and addressed to the Senate via a letter dated 3rd Oc­tober, 2016.
He said: “I have taken due note of the contents of the aforesaid resolution as it con­cerns the nominee, particular­ly the conclusion of the Distin­guished Senate not to confirm the nomination of Magu due to a security report on the nomi­nee issued by the Department of State Services (DSS) and ad­dressed to the Senate via a letter dated 3rd October. 2016.
But, the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on the Di­version of North East Funds, Senator Shehu Sani said Bu­hari’s letter clearing the SGF of corruption allegations “is a fu­neral service for the anti-cor­ruption fight.”
Coming under Order 43, Sani said: “It is shocking to me that such a letter can come from the Presidency with such mis­information and outright dis­tortions.
“They lied by saying that the committee didn’t invite the SGF: the committee invit­ed the SGF and the letter was acknowledged by the Perma­nent Secretary in the Office of the SGF, Mr. Aminu (Nadehu) spelling not sure.
“To make sure that we but­tressed our point, we made a paid advert in three or four na­tional dailies: this one was pub­lished on December 2, 2016 and the SGF is clearly mentioned as one of those that are expected to come and appear before the National Assembly,” he said.
According to the Kaduna-born politician, “If they have the intention of simply reach­ing a predetermined conclu­sion by covering up on the is­sues raised by the committee, that is one thing.
“Second, the issue was raised that only three mem­bers of the committee signed that interim report, that was also a second lie coming from the Presidency.
“I have a copy of the inter­im report which was initial­ly signed by seven members of the nine- members of that com­mittee and I am going to sub­mit it to the Clerk of the Senate.
“Even if it is nine and then three people signed, we still have a quorum, but here I have seven people.
“I will say also that I lis­tened to the list of the names that were read and they omit­ted the chairman who is myself. I know that I am not very big in frame but I believe my name shouldn’t have been omitted,” he said.