Buhari’s Letter To Senate Seeking Clearance Of Magu (FULL TEXT)

Dear Distinguished Senate President,

Renomination of Ibrahim Magu Mustapha as the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

I write with reference to your letter no NASS /85/R/016 dated 15th December, 2016 where in you conveyed to me the resolution of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria reached on the same Thursday 15th December 2016 in respect of my earlier request for the confirmation and appointment of Mr Ibrahim Magu Mustapha the nominee as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

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 Mr 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.

Upon receipt of this said resolution I took administrative steps within the Executive arm of government to ensure the speedy clarification of issues relying upon by the Senate in arriving at its decision. This steps included a request for the response of the nominee to the allegations contained in the report out of desire to ensure that the credibility of our anti-corruption campaign is not compromised or call to question.

As the Distinguished Senate you will recall the prosecution of the anti-corruption war in all aspects of our polity is a programme to which my administration as committed itself since our inauguration on May 29th, 2015. In undertaking this campaign, we have been guided by the need for urgency, consolidation and improvement of our present statutory framework for addressing the scourge of corruption in our country as well as taking the benefits of institutional memory and present capacity in taking the campaign forward.

It is the above context you will agree with me that there’s a need to maintain a current momentum and capacity of the EFCC since May 29th, 2015. It is in the above context that I therefore request to grace your indulgence of this distinguished senate to favourably accept my renomination of Ibrahim Magu Mustapha for the position of the EFCC having received adequate clarification considering the matter relied upon by the Senate in arriving at its decision.

Mr President of the Senate, I make this request for a favourable reconsideration by this distinguished chamber against the background of the critical role of the Senate in driving the anti-corruption campaign of the present administration through a proactive legislative agenda and adequate appropriation support for the important work of the agency such as the EFCC.

I use this opportunity to reassure the distinguished senators of my determination the continued to pursue synergy between the executive and the legislative arms in our common mission to bequeath a more prosperous and value driven country to the generation after us.

Please accept the Distinguished Senate President the assurances of my highest consideration and esteem.

. Being the full text of the letter President Muhammadu Buhari sent to the Senate on the need to reconsider the rejection of Ibrahim Magu as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission by the Senate. The letter was read at plenary by the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.