The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has described as invalid, the confirmation processes leading to the rejection of Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

It asked the Federal Government to take reasonable measures to re-nominate him for confirmation.

The senate had for the second time rejected Magu as the EFCC boss after a confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

But SERAP said the rejection of Magu by the Senate on the basis of the two conflicting security reports on him, is a slap on Nigerians, the victims of corruption.

It asked the Senate to explain to Nigerians why it failed to invite the Department of State Services to clarify the two contradictory reports on Magu.

The group wondered why the senate chose to accept the least favourable of the report to reject Magu.

“The Senate must come clean and explain to Nigerians why it failed to invite the DSS to clarify its two reports or invite someone from the presidency to explain why Magu was re-nominated, and in fact to justify why it sent two reports in the first place,” it insisted.

SERAP said, “The rejection of Magu as Chairman of the EFCC by the Senate of Nigeria on the pretext of conflicting and inconsistent reports on him by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, is a slap in the face of Nigerians who are victims of grand corruption.

“The entire process for the submission of Magu’s name for confirmation by the Senate, and the purported confirmation hearing by the Senate is utterly unsatisfactory.

“While it is true that the Senate has the right to either reject or accept the nomination of Magu as the Chairman of the EFCC, it has a constitutional duty to act reasonably, logically, and rationally.”

SERAP contended that the Senate ought to have critically engaged with the two reports by the DSS and provide Magu with a meaningful opportunity to be heard.

The statement added, “Rather than working together to promote and enhance the independence, integrity and effectiveness of the EFCC, both the presidency and the Senate would seem to have failed to pursue this legitimate governmental purpose and international requirement, and implicitly, constitutional measure.”

The group urged the President to demonstrate a genuine political will to fight corruption by urgently resolving the contradictions and inconsistencies in his presentation of Magu for confirmation by the Senate.

Source: Punch