Magu: Senate plots zero allocation for EFCC

The raging controversy between the Senate and the Presidency is yet to abate over the nomination of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

New Telegraph’s investigations at the weekend revealed that the Senate has vowed never to reconsider Magu for confirmation for the plum job, after he failed to scale through the hurdle in the last two consecutive attempts.

A reliable source in the Senate told our correspondent that the apex chamber had resolved to give zero allocation to the anti-graft commission in the 2017 fiscal year, if the Presidency tried to leave Magu indefinitely in acting capacity.

The commission’s 2017 budget proposal had been reduced by the Budget Office from N18.8 billion in 2016 to N17 billion, representing 8.5 per cent slash, a situation that Magu decried when he came to the National Assembly recently for budget defence.

The source further revealed that the Senate started planning for zero allocation for EFCC when it suspected that President Muhammadu Buhari might decide to resubmit Magu’s name for confirmation or quietly allow him to continue in acting capacity. Our correspondent was reliably informed that the Senate would not pass the 2017 budget in a hurry because of the Magu saga, noting that passage of the document might be put on hold for this reason.

“The Senate is waiting for the Presidency to take the next decision on Magu and then it will unfold its next plan to checkmate the excesses and dictatorial tendencies already evident in the present administration, especially within the Presidency.

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