Osita Okechukwu Seeks Confirmation Of Magu As EFCC Chairman

President Muhammadu Buhari has been called upon to forward the name of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu to the Senate for confirmation as the substantive head of the anti-graft agency.

The call was made on Wednesday by the Director General of Voice of Nigeria, (VON), Osita Okechukwu, when Magu paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

Okechukwu said the EFCC under Magu has made huge impact on the fight against corruption in the country and confirming him as chairman would allow him make more impact.
 

He said “accordingly,  for Magu having passed through the crucible, for Magu having contained the furnace of corruption merchants that fight back on a daily basis, for Magu having endured the murder of his Police guard and all manner of atrocities,  we earnestly plead with Mr. President to please CONFIRM  Magu’s Chairmanship. The confirmation we reason will spur Magu to cover harder grounds and assuage those who cite lopsided anti-graft war.”

The VON DG also expressed appreciation to Buhari for approving the ownership of a forfeited property for the Voice of Nigeria, thereby making the media outfit a property owner.  

“In 2019, by God’s grace, VON became a landlord, the owner of this imposing corporate headquarters, courtesy of President Buhari’s anti-graft war in which Magu is a frontline commander. Without your dexterity and selfless service, we could not have been a prime beneficiary of this historic anti-graft war”.

Responding, Magu expressed humility and appreciation to God who made it possible for VON to benefit from the impact of the President’s anti-graft war.  He expressed resolve to carry on the mandate thrust on the EFCC with greater strength and courage.

“I feel  highly honoured but humbled as well by the comments made by the Director-General,  Mr. Osita Okechukwu on the efforts we are making at the EFCC, to confront and conquer the menace of  corruption in our nation.

“I thank the Almighty Allah for granting us strength and courage to do the work.  We are modest in stating our achievements  because we are getting impressive results every new day.  We have more successes than the  available reports of our efforts in the public domain.

“We will continue to do our best.  We will also continue to urge our fellow Nigerians to see the anti -corruption fight as a collective fight.  It is only public  ownership of the anti –graft war that can offer every Nigerian the involvement needed in the war”,  he said.     

Magu was appointed acting chairman of the commission in November, 2015.

The senate had twice rejected his confirmation as substantive chairman of the anti-graft agency.

The red chambers rejected him based on a DSS report.

He was also accused of corruption ‎and “gross violation of human rights”. He was also alleged to be in possession “of undeclared pieces of property.”