Those who understand the concept of power and politics will agree with me that the duo is more or less a poetic drama characterized into the epitome of deceit and tyranny.
In politics, when the drum beats hard for you, and the world ceremoniously danced to your lullaby; the trumpet resonates your name, and you’re proclaimed the small but mighty god — then, you have to take a short break and check consciously, if your dance steps fit in the verse of lyrics being drum for you — for the sun that shines do not have the whole day; for it’s evident that no matter how falsehood flies, the truth will catch up with it one day
This is a fitted analysis that characterized the travail that led to the suspension of the former EFCC czar, Ibrahim Magu, who was first grilled by her sister agency, and Nigeria’s secret police — Department of State Service (DSS) to face the seven-man presidential panel headed by Justice Ayo Salami, set up to look into the activities and allocations made to the commission.
No one would believe that Magu, the star boy, who had enjoyed seeming chubby relationships with the president for many years, and ever gallant unsmiling warlord of Nigeria’s anti-graft agency could stylishly come on his kneel, pleading for his already melting integrity, rest helplessly in the hands of his formal drum beater and praise singers. What a deceitful life!
On a sincere note, casting politics aside, Magu has earned local plaudits and global adulation as the best performing head of the anti-graft agency having secured 2,240 convictions and 990 billion and other assets recovered in the last five years of his reign.
It’s on record in the life book of the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) that Magu has casted his own name in gold as a warlord who had produced the ‘country big men’ as his prisoners of anti-graft war, from among four former governors, notably, Jolly Nyame (Taraba), Lucky Igbinedion (Edo), Joshua Dariye (Plateau) and recently Orji Uzor Kalu, who was set free via a court order after spending some months in Kuje Correctional Facility.
But the fact remains that the travail of Magu began its zigzag journey when the Bukola Saraki’s 8th National Assembly refused to confirm his appointment as the substantive chairman of the EFCC hinging on an indicting report submitted by the DSS.
During Magu ceremonious days, despite a clear signals of dangers flashing ahead, his self pride hunter was soon hunt down and his melodious drum of lullaby turn elegy, because he was courageously heedless.
Many times in the past, both genuine charges and calculated attempts by Magu’s drum beaters to smear his image has been shot behind the pole — off target. But, once the opportunity comes, he was quickly tied up and dragged to the scene of mockery with countless charges against him. This is idiomatically, the fattest Cat eats the fattest bone.
On the part of Malami, the suspension and incarceration of Magu was clear from the position of a former, Assistant Director with the Department of State Service (DSS), Dennis Amachree who said, “I think Magu has some blame on his side. Apparently, he was operating as a law unto himself. He must be reporting to somebody. Even in the US, the FBI reports to the Department of Justice. In Nigeria, EFCC ought to report to the AGF who is now the originator of the allegations.
While shielding out his sword, Malami had leveled different charges against Magu: diversion of recovered looted funds, insubordination and discrepancies in lodgement of recovered loot, failure to provide sufficient evidence for the extradition of former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, sale of seized assets to cronies, associates and friends and issuance of investigative activities to some media outfits prejudicial to some cases.
The minister also accused Magu of delay in acting on two vessels seized by the Nigerian Navy, alleged preference of some investigators called “Magu Boys” and reporting some judges to their presiding officers without deferring to the AGF.
However, the suspended EFCC boss tagged the allegations as baseless, in a letter addressed to the AGF, dated December 21, 2016.
Like Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo has predicted in his address at 20th regional webinar organized by ICPC that, “the fight against corruption would get to a point that many people would become discouraged to stand up against corruption”, I fear that such prediction is already at its reproductive stage, for, it’s crystal clear that the travails and the whole things lurked around Magu’s neck is a product of power play by power blocs in government. It’s a show that nobody is above the law and an attempt to resurface the dying image of Buhari’s fight against corruption
Yes, it’s true that we have seen Magu’s Masquerade dance naked. It dances with shame and helplessness. But, He remains one such anti corruption hero who was acclaimed by no less an institution than the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for his efforts in joint operations aimed at hunting down internet fraudsters across the globe.
No one is against the prosecution of lawbreakers, infact, they should be made to face the wrath of law in its severity. But, government and politicians must allow the law to follow its natural course. Power play must not cause friction for the exercise of law.
More so, it won’t be a bad idea if every appointed chairman of the EFCC are made to declare their asset before assuming duty. It’s Magu today, it might be another person tomorrow.
Adeyemi Abdulganeey Abiola, Ilorin, Kwara State