SAN FRANCISCO, January 24, (THEWILL) – The Senate has officially reacted to President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-nomination of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, stating that the President failed to respond to security issues raised about the earlier nomination.

Senate spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, who disclosed this to journalists at a press briefing after the day’s plenary session, however added that Magu will be subjected to the legislative procedures of the Senate.

On the SGF, Babachir Lawal, the upper legislative chamber said it stands by the Report of its ad hoc Committee which investigated the diversion of funds for internally displaced persons in the Northeast.

The report of the committee, chaired by  outspoken Kaduna central senator, Shehu Sani, accused Lawal of breaching
federal law in the handling of ‘grass cutting contract awarded by the Presidential Initiative on North East, PINE’.

Buhari had written the Senate in reaction to its demand for the sack and prosecution of the SGF for allegedly receiving a kickback of N200m through his company, Rholavision Limited, from a company he awarded a contract for the clearing of invasive plant species in Yobe state.‎

The President, in his letter read during Tuesday’s plenary by Senate President Bukola Saraki, said he could not act as demanded by the Senate because the report of the Senate Ad hoc committee on “Mounting humanitarian crisis in the North East” was signed by three of nine members of the committee.

He also said that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, was not given fair hearing to defend himself, as he was allegedly not invited by the committee before the indictment.

But no sooner had Saraki finished reading the President’s letter when Sani rose to point out that seven members, not three as claimed by Buhari, signed the report.

He also said that Lawal was invited to appear before the hearing of the committee, adding the the SGF’s office secretary received and acknowledged the invitation.

Sani further disclosed that advert was placed in three newspapers for Lawal and other parties involved to appear.

“Corruption in the Judiciary and others is treated with insecticide while corruption in the government is treated with deodorant,” he said, expressing worry that the President’s letter was full of misinformation and falsehood.

The Kaduna senator assured that he would provide evidence that the SGF was invited to the Senate through the clerk.