Saraki to Nigerians: Want to know why Senate didn’t clear Magu? Ask DSS

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, said contrary to insinuations, the Senate had no pre-meditated plan to reject Mr Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Saraki said while featuring on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja that the screening of Magu, which led to his rejection, was transparently done.
According to him, Magu’s rejection was prompted by a report from the Department of State Services (DSS), among other issues, and the screening was aired “live’’ on national television for all Nigerians to watch.
“I think there is a lot of misunderstanding and blackmail and all is not in the interest of democracy.
“The rejection of candidates presented to the National Assembly is a process. It is a process that is not restricted to the EFCC chairman.
“It is a process that has to do with the Governor of Central Bank, Director-General of Lottery Commission, Electricity Regulatory Commission and other relevant agencies.
“We have approved many people from the executive and we have rejected some and when we reject them, it is not for any personal reason, because it is a process.
“Magu’s screening was on a Wednesday when we air plenary `life’. That is to show you how transparent the Senate was on Magu’s confirmation.
“We screened him on a Wednesday so that all Nigerians can watch,’’ he said.
Saraki maintained that the decision of the Senate to reject the confirmation of Magu was in the interest of democracy.
He added that the decision was based on a test which he failed, adding that if the senate had disregarded the DSS report and went ahead to confirm Magu, posterity would judge the members.
“This is about an institution; let us say you are screening the Governor of Central Bank and EFCC reports that the man lacks integrity and that he is not honest, will you just discard that.
“Even if you do, years later you are weakening that institution.
“We should stop talking about personalities. We should be focusing on how to strengthen our democracy.
“When some people have particular interest, they will try and bring this down to individuals. There is nothing personal on the personality of the acting Chairman of EFCC.
“As an individual, I have had a personal experience with Magu, where he stood up for what is right.
“I remember during the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, where because we were fighting some of the issues then, some of us were sent to the EFCC.
“I remember I was sent to Magu’s office. They were trying to get him to investigate something of 10 years, 12 years ago; I remember Magu said nobody was going to use him,’’ he said.
On allegations that Magu’s confirmation was stalled for fear that senators may be prosecuted by him, Saraki said it was far from the truth.
He pointed out that the fear that some of the former governors who had cases to answer may have contributed to the rejection was unfounded.
According to him, some of the former governors already had cases before the courts, and Magu, even if he was confirmed, couldn’t have gone to the courts to withdraw the cases.
He described the allegation as cheap blackmail, and said that Nigerians had to decide whether or not they wanted to strengthen the National Assembly as an institution.
The president of the senate said that going by democratic practice, there was a need for checks and balances, adding that the parliament had the power to confirm or not to confirm nominees.
“The days I confirm I don’t commit a crime, but the day I don’t confirm, all hell will break loose.
“It is very unfortunate. When people say we don’t want to fight corruption, does fighting corruption start and end with an individual? It doesn’t.
“We have played our role. We will leave posterity to judge us.
“It was aired “live’’. It wasn’t that we did it at night or in a close-door and then announced the result to the public.
“They saw it. You can ask them if it looked as if this gentleman was not given fair hearing or something.
“Our argument is, today it is Magu, and tomorrow it could be a president.
“Today we have an honest transparent president, tomorrow we could have a corrupt and dishonest president, who brings his best man to be the governor of Central Bank and together they want to connive and steal money.
“When the name is taken to senate and senate rejects it, the president will say, `my friend, continue’.
“So it is about systems and processes. Whether you like Saraki or you don’t like Ekweremadu, it is not about us. By the end of our tenure we will go. It is about the institution,’’ he said.
Saraki further said “we cannot belittle or weaken the institution because it is that institution that separates democracy from dictatorship.
“When you weaken the parliament, you have weakened democracy.
“If you think by so doing you are weakening Saraki, you are not, it is the institution.’’
He said that the hatred for the parliament was fuelled by some people with vested interest in what they could benefit, while pretending to be fighting for the system.
Saraki, however, assured that the 8th senate would not be distracted by anyone or issue, adding that the chamber had passed no fewer than four anti-corruption bills to support the government.
Saraki also advised the Federal Government and anti-graft agencies to focus more on stopping corruption in public offices than dedicate time on recoveries alone.
He said that the anti-corruption fight as currently being prosecuted was only directed at recovery of stolen funds, and promised that the National Assembly would help to re-focus the campaign.
According to him, although recovery is good, it will make no sense to allow more money to be looted only to begin another face of recoveries. Recovery alone cannot amount to anti-corruption fight.
“You see, let us separate recovery from fight against corruption.
“We still believe that yes, recoveries are being done, but are we doing anything to actively stop corruption going on now?
“This recovery has gone out there; they are two separate issues – the focus I am seeing is recovery but corruption is still there; that is the area that we are focusing on as a senate.
“Anybody that brings a case about what is happening now, we will go in, look at those agencies and expose them.
“We want to continue to represent the people in that way,” he assured, adding that the senate would support to ensure that more funds were not stolen in the country.
Saraki said that the senate already had a roadmap for the remaining two years of the 8th Assembly.
He said that apart from corruption, building the economy and creating jobs were top on the list of areas that the upper chamber would give attention.
“Over the next two years, we will continue to focus on the economy to see how we can get the economy moving, how we can create jobs for the teeming youths that are unemployed.
“We will also give attention to improvement on health and education. Education is going to take a lot of attention in the next two years.
“We are going to be looking at the social sides, the issue of education and universal health coverage. That is something that we want to push.
“We will continue to support agriculture. We are looking at some bills that we can pass that will give some kind of stability; it is one of the concerns when people invest in agriculture.
“You know agriculture takes years; people are wondering that the Federal Government can reverse policies, so we are trying to see what laws can give some measure of security in the areas of investment.
“Much of what we are doing is in economy and intervention; we want the people to see, and if you are having problem anywhere, bring it to your senator. We want to be responding to the issues,” he said.
Saraki said that the senate had already intervened in a lot of issues that affected Nigerians like the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) strike which the upper chamber had brought to government’s attention.
He added that the senate also intervened when there were concerns about Islam and Christianity, when communication companies tried to raise data rates and in fight against corruption.