WHO HAS INTERGRITY ISSUES - IBRAHIM MAGU, STATE SECURITY SERVICE (SSS) OR THE SENATORS?

ZION B-BC   NEWSLETTER.  

A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church, Kpeyegyi, Abuja Nigeria. [VOL. 6. NO 188. 19th March, 2017.} “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You   Free! (John.8:32).

(Looking at Nigeria's Political System from a godly Perspective)

WHO HAS INTERGRITY ISSUES - IBRAHIM MAGU, STATE SECURITY SERVICE (SSS) OR THE SENATORS?

EVENTS OF WEDNESDAY 15th March, 2017, which led to the SECOND rejection of Ibrahim Magu for the substantive post of Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on the floor of the NIGERIAN SENATE, was nothing short of TRUTH being cast upside down for falsehood to reign; EQUITY, deliberately thrust into the dust bin by political opportunists who were vehemently opposed to the anti-corruption crusade of Buhari's Administration; and have forced DEMOCRACY TO WALK ON ITS HEAD, on a day that was reminiscent of THE ROMAN "IDES OF MARCH!"
"Ides of March", the fifteenth day in the Roman Calendar was made popular, when the great Julius Caesar was warned by a soothsayer, of an imminent danger to his life if he attended Senate plenary on that day!  The events that preceded and culminated into the "ides of March" scenario in Nigeria, were laden with premonitions of another negative outcome of Ibrahim Magu's screening by an already biased motley crowd of frightened Senators of the 8th National Assembly, who had a premeditated verdict, written, signed, sealed and to be delivered on 15th March, 2017! During his first advent to the "hallowed chambers", the Senators were sore afraid that they could not meet him "eye ball to eye ball", because the SLEUTH had a very intimidating RESUME when it comes to successful investigations, arrests and prosecutions of the Nigerian Treasury marauders, who were among the panel of JUDGES and who were to be seated at plenary, and so an inconsequential Senate Executive Committee on 15th December, 2016, rejected his nomination on behalf of the plenary by citing TWO indicting and conflicting reports by the SSS which claimed that the appointee had some INTEGRITY ISSUES! In our commentary at Magu's first rejection, we assumed that the SSS was neutral but when another negative report to the Senate caucus was again submitted on Tuesday, 14th March, 2017, we became suspicious of the Agency's role in the entire imbroglio. One of the two reports submitted to the Senate in December 2016, described him, ".....AS HAVING PERFORMED EXCELLENTLY SO FAR AND SHOULD THEREFORE BE FAVOURABLY CONSIDERED FOR THE POST." But the second NEGATIVE REPORT, which stated that Magu should not be considered for the post, was the one that was re-forwarded to the Senate on the eve of his second screening for obvious reasons which have now played out!

Who has integrity issues in view of the trending developments - is it Magu who has performed creditably, or the SSS which submitted double-edged sword reports signed by a female junior officer instead of Lawal Musa Daura, Chairman of the SSS, or the EFCC- indicted senators who were expecting to have their appearances in the courts in respect of alleged corruption offences in the days and months to come?

Although General Caesar's imposing and colossal personality would easily swallow a dwarf Magu's profile, we will not be beclouded to lose sight of some very salient similarities in the events which led to BOTH TRAGEDIES OF "IDES OF MARCH" in Rome in 44BC and Nigeria in the 21st Century 2017!
1. Like Ceasar, Magu attained the position of a national figure through dint of hard work, commitment, resilience and diligence."Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men." (Proverbs.22:29). General Julius Caesar, who lived between the year 101-44BC, was a military genius as well as a great statesman, politician, orator and a man of great vision.
2. Magu, has the zeal to fight corruption deliberately introduced into the system through unpatriotic politicians who had diverted the tax-payers monies for their personal use in successive administrations, by investigating, arresting, and prosecuting them in courts for convictions if found guilty and also to RECOVER ALL OF THE STOLEN MONIES AND PLOW THEM BACK INTO THE ECONOMY TO SUCCOUR THE NEEDS OF THE POOR AND DOWNTRODDEN IN THE SOCIETY!
3. Julius Caesar was highly revered as, "Father of his country",  because of his love for the people of Rome because he provided lands for army veterans and poor citizens, instituted tax and legal reforms, constructed drainages for marshes and built canals and roads. As Magu was rebuffed by the Senators for his rising profile and popularity amongst the masses, the great General was resented by the upper class who feared that he wanted to establish a hereditary monarchy, while other less noble-minded, had strong personal grudge to settle with him!
4. Like Julius Caesar whom on the "Ides of March" (15th March), 44BC, a group of conspirators led by Senator Marcus Junius BRUTUS and Gaius Cassius Longinus, stabbed to death at a special secession of the Senate because he was not a coward to absent himself in spite of the soothsayer's warning, - Ibrahim MAGU, in spite of the odds against him, fearlessly faced the conspirators who discredited all his credentials in one fell swoop to earn themselves massive public condemnation! Magu later walked into the arms of patriotic CRUSADERS AGAINST CORRUPTION who expressed solidarity for him within the premises of the National Assembly.

Shortly after his first rejection by the Senate in December 2016, the Presidency instructed the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, to investigate the allegations of the SSS against Ibrahim Magu and he was exonerated on all charges before he was RE-NOMINATED FOR THE SECOND TIME BUT THE NEGATIVE, INSTEAD OF THE POSITIVE OF THE TWO SSS REPORTS, WAS ADOPTED BY THE SENATE CABAL TO REJECT HIM AGAIN! Except for SENATOR ALI NDUME who stood for the Magu's confirmation, all others shouted, "CRUCIFY HIM"!

ACHIEVEMENTS OF EFCC UNDER MAGU SINCE HIS APPOINTMENT IN OCTOBER 2015!
Ibrahim Magu (an Assistant Commissioner of Police), left no one in doubt from 11th November, 2015, when he was appointed by the Presidency in an acting capacity, that he was a worthy, patriotic and dedicated officer, who would not be compromised by political moneybags who were bent on circumventing the law with impunity! We have it on good authority that he had been approached severally to soft-pedal on many high-profile cases involving dubious politicians, especially, the law makers! He was among the EFCC team of investigators who combined with the SSS and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), to unravel the skeletons in Senator Saraki's cupboard of falsified declaration of assets and liabilities while he was Kwara State Governor between 2003-2011, which case is now before the CODE OF CONDUCT TRIBUNAL (CCT)! 84 Senators, opposed to APC’s  anti-corruption crusade followed him to the Tribunal in solidarity!  He was also responsible for the interrogation of Mrs Bukola Saraki, who was also alleged to have diverted some Kwara State Government funds to support her pet Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), projects while her husband held sway as the boss! Under Magu, over ONE TRILLION NAIRA including millions of US Dollars/Euros/pounds sterling, of looted government funds had been recovered to be ploughed back into the economy - the most recent being million of dollars recovered from ALISON MADUEKE and ANDREW YAKUBU, ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources and ex-Group Managing Director of NNPC, respectively. Also, on 6th March, 2017, EFCC obtained conviction in all five-count charge of conspiracy to award contract amounting to the tune of N167, 812,500 for the purchase of operational vehicles for the Adamawa State without compliance with due process against former Governor Bala Ngilari, who was sentenced to cumulative sentence of FIVE YEARS IN PRISION without the option of fine in a land-mark judgement!

LAWAL MUSA DAURA AS DIRECTOR GENERAL OF SSS OR DSS!
Lawal Musa also tried to make some impressions as the boss of the SSS since his appointment in July 2015 by President Muhammed Buhari. That, he is a controversial figure is not in doubt because he has bungled some operations which he actually had his grip on and could have successfully executed with due diligence! For instance he incurred condemnation for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Government, when allegations of impunity, recklessness, harassment, intimidation and high- handedness, were levelled against him and the government agency in an unprecedented invasion of the Akwa Ibom Government House, Uyo, in a "gestapo" manner without prior notice to its State's resident officers, to recover some "cache of firearms" which were allegedly stockpiled within the edifice which should normally enjoy a measure of immunity! At the conclusion of the obnoxious operation in that Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP), opposition State, no arms were recovered neither were any incriminating or offensive criminal evidences found! However, in the SSS covert operations against some highly placed judges, Lawal was able to recover some lost image!
SSS constitutional duties of SSS in the areas of defence and protection of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its topmost officers against domestic threats, the enforcement of criminal laws/criminal justice service to both Federal and State Law Enforcement Organs, should be very complimentary and not unfriendly or aggressive. From the roles played by SSS in the first and second rejection of the EFCC's acting Chairman by the Senate caucus, Lawal Daura needs to fall in line with global trend of inter-agency rapport instead of rivalry!

SENATORS OF THE 8TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.
What do they have to hide? What are they afraid of? Were they all qualified to sit in judgement at plenary over Magu? How many of them are still under EFCC investigations or searchlight for offences bordering on corrupt practices in view of provisions of Sections 56, 172 of and paragraphs 1 &9 of the Fifth Schedule of the1999 Constitution and Senate Standing Orders 2015, which prohibits "conflict of interest by public officers," - including SENATORS? Should Saraki and those other legislators under corruption enrichment allegations sit in plenary to adjudicate over Magu's confirmation? Is the Criminal Justice System so weak that corrupt politicians could continue to parade themselves as "angels of light"? Senate President, 'Bukola Saraki and TEN legislators, were prohibited on 13th February, 2017, by an Abuja High Court, upon a motion ex parte, to exclude themselves from plenary during the screening process of Ibrahim Magu but did they comply?

HAS THE PRESIDENCY LOST ITS STEAM IN THE ANTI-CURRUPTION WAR IN VIEW OF THIS UGLY DEVELOPMENT AT THE SENATE?
NO! The Presidential Committee on Corruption is very much on course and has given a verdict that Ibrahim Magu should carry on the CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION in his capacity as acting Chairman of EFCC indefinitely, until the battle is convincingly won! We hear that SARAKI is singing a new song that Magu was not rejected because of SSS negative report but for the absence of "INTERNAL CONSULTATIONS!" Why did the Senate surreptitiously request for a report from the SSS which is an Agency under the Executive? Magu should hit the ground running and get convictions against all ex-Governors-turned serving Senators, whose cases are already in the law courts and send them behind the bars! Patriotic Nigerians are behind him! WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY!

Please look forward to more divine revelation in the next edition of Zion B-BC Newsletter as you share this with friends and remain blessed in the Lord. [For weekly access, to this newsletter, log on to:  facebook.com/zionfaithbible.believingchurch or http://www.zfbbc1.blogspot.com, https://www.google.com/+zionfaithbiblebelievingchurch.

If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, don’t miss this great opportunity as you pray this prayer: Lord Jesus; I confess that I am a sinner who needs to be saved through the grace of the New Testament of your Blood, shed on the Cross at Calvary; I renounce every sin in my life and accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive me and write my name in the Book of Life. Amen. If you prayed this prayer, you have been admitted into the family of sons and daughters of God, who are born-again. Congratulations.

I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, Resident Pastor and Editor. 08130669886, 08098194390.  08080243066   g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com