The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Senator David Umaru, has said that the Senate never voted for or against the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) . Magu is the acting chairman of the commission.
The revelation by Umaru is coming against the impressions by most Nigerians that the nomination of Magu by President Muhammadu Buhari was rejected by the nation’s Upper legislature when he (Magu) appeared for screening for a second time.
While some of his colleagues would want Nigerians to believe that the confirmation had been rejected by the Upper national chamber of the National assembly, Umaru who spoke in Minna, Niger State said, ‘‘Others are crying foul.
“Magu’s confirmation has not been discussed at plenary. The issue was never voted on in plenary. So as far as I am concerned Magu’s nomination was never rejected. There is no way somebody will claim that Magu has been rejected when we never voted for that.
“If somebody says it was rejected it was probably a mistake; me, I have not voted. The Senate operates by rules; the rule is that this thing must be presented to us either by the committee or through direct interaction with the members in plenary but none of this has happened.
“The issue was discussed only in the executive session of the Senate, it was not an issue discussed at plenary so anything done in the executive session is not the same thing as saying that it was done in plenary, so as far as I am concerned Magu’s nomination was never considered by the Senate”.
The senator, who represents Niger-East senatorial district in the Senate, further hinted that the matter had been referred back to the Presidency to “do due diligence” because of the conflicting reports from the Directorate of State Security (DSS) on the matter.
Umaru who also spoke on the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), Babacir David Lawal, and how due process was followed to arrive at the decision taken said, “Now that they have that development from the DSS the matter was referred back to the Presidency so that they can clarify the matter after which the senate will now consider it”.
“The SGF’s case was a work done by the committee and was presented, it was the decision of the majority of the Senator based on the resolution passed”, Umaru said and described as untrue claims that the Senate was working against the President Buhari administration.