Magu: Malami working against Buhari’s anti-corruption war, says PACAC

Monday, July 6, 2020 11:06 pm

Ibrahim Magu

The Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) has raised alarm that the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami is working against the anti-corruption war of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

PACAC said this in a statement issued on its behalf by Prof Femi Odekunle in reaction to the controversies over the inivitation of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday to face a presidential panel probing the activities of the anti-graft agency.

PACAC described the invitation as an outcome of power play in the corridors of power in which the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami is the arrow head.

PACAC, a body set up in 2015 with the mandate to advise the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in the prosecution of the war against corruption said Malami appears to be an arrow-head or major agent of a power bloc that is not really interested in, or in support of, Buhari’s anti-corruption fight.

He said this conclusion was reached after he discussed with the Chairman of PACAC and some other members of the body.

He listed the confirmation of Magu as well as recent memo by Malami concerning alleged corrupt practices by the acting EFCC chairman along with his own nominations for the replacement as examples of the fact that the AGF has been working against the President’s anti-corruption war.

PACAC also noted that Malami had demanded certain high profile case files from Magu which the latter has been resisting.

The body however warned the President against allowing Magu to be rubbished by Malami because of the achievements he has recorded in the war against corruption.

“The position of PACAC is that while Magu, or any official of whatever status, must be nailed if found to be corrupt, the President must be careful not to shoot its anti-corruption fight /modest achievements in the foot, and not to forget that EFCC under Magu has been the Administration’s anti-corruption poster-face.

“It may not be contestable that Malami has been exploiting his alleged loyalty and closeness to the President for his personal /power bloc agenda.

“For, to the best of PACAC’s knowledge and observations, Malami has not manifested any genuine commitment to the anti-corruption fight. Samplers: The nolle- prosequi entered in a case of corruption against Orubebe in relation to alleged malfeasance while Minister of Niger Delta Ministry; his secret meeting with fugitive Maina in Dubai under whatever guise/ excuse; his involvement in the surreptitious reinjection of the same Maina into the Civil Service; his supervision of Obono-Oblas’ kangaroo Asset Recovery outfit which Obono subsequently ran out of the country when exposed by some ICPC investigation; his non-due attention, by design or default, to the P&ID matter since 2015 until it was blown open by humongous financial damage to the country; etc.

“Notwithstanding the situation at hand, the hope of PACAC is that the President would wake up to the ongoing shenanigans of power players that are working from the inside against his anti-corruption fight.

“We are also counting on the experience and dexterity of the new Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari whose loyalty to the President and good of the country cannot be doubted, and we also hope that the demonstrated integrity of retired Justice Salami would carry the day for thoroughness, fairness and justice in the interest of the anti-corruption fight.