Nigeria's failed corruption fight
July 10 2020 By Abiodun Giwa
The arrest of Ibrahim Magu, head of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commision (EFCC) in Abuja on Monday, questions how President Muhammed Buhari administers the fight against corruption, his signature program. Buhari may have sincerely wished to eliminate corruption in the country, but events are showing the reverse.
Rather than for corruption's to be eliminated outright, corruption has seemingly captured the agency set up to fight corruption, because the head of the agency himself has become a candidate for investigations, following a tip off he has himself secretly committed acts of corruption.
Ibrahim Magu, head of the EFCC reportedly spent time in detention this week, while law enforcement searched his residence for incriminating information. This development hardly caught Nigerians unaware. Magu having not been confirmed as head of the commission by the nation's legislature since his appointment by Buhari over questions about his credentials. Additionally, Nigerians know that corruption is unquestionably powerful in the country.
The issue over the non-confirmation of Magu's appointment, first by a legislative upper house headed by a member of the opposition party created an atmosphere of a wrong headed opposition against the ruling party. Yet, instead of withdrawing Magu's candidature for the EFFC's post, Buhari insisted on having Magu to manage the commission at all cost. Of course, when Magu was first appointed as the corruption caesar, a section of the country's media hailed him to high heavens as very difficult to be compromised based on his past assignments.
Just mid-June 2020 as the country decided to mark and celebrate June 12 as a public holiday on its democratic calendar, Magu came out publicly hailing the commission's achievements against corruption. Magu's words were about how the commission had seized houses, billions of Naira and made life uncomfortable for corrupt elements. It was published by major newspapers. But Magu did not mention how the ruling party members may have been favored by the commission and how members of the opposition party became the commission's punching bag, and that whenever an investigation commenced, the investigation ended as soon as the individual under investigation crossed over to the ruling party.
After Magu's celebration of the commission's achievements, another news report said that the country's Attorney General Abubakar Malami reportedly wrote to Buhari seeking Magu's removal. Observers thought the attorney general's request to the president for Magu's removal may have been anchored on the past history of Magu's non-confirmation of his appointment by the legislature. And some observers wrongly thought sanity had arrived in Nigeria's politics.
Observers were wrong. There were other fires not physically manifest. One thing that is conspicuous in news reports concerning Magu's travail is the listing of insubordination as one of the likely crimes Magu may have committed. This raises a question of whose toes Magu may have stepped upon that is responsible for his own days of investigations.
This further shows the way Nigeria fights corruption. It means that you may be corrupt and continued to enjoy acceptance among the powerful guys in power as long as you continue to obey those above you. But the moment you ask questions of those who think they are untouchable and above the law, you set in motion the path to your destruction.Especially, if you make a mistake to take over a girlfriend belonging to the powerful.
Now, there are discussions among people in the corridor of power about who to allow to act as the head of the EFCC in Magu's absence. The officer at the EFCC next in rank to Magu is also a commissioner of police like Magu. Therefore, there is a lukewarm attitude in allowing another police officer like Magu to take over from Magu because of the stereotype that all police officers are corrupt. But the more openly transparent Nigerians are asking whether there are indeed Nigerians who have not been affected or compromised by the culture of corruption in the country.
Government insiders' words that investigation of Magu shows no one is above the law in the fight against corruption is seen by many observers with the knowledge of the extent of corruption in the country as deceptive. And no one in government has said anything about Magu's appointment, unconfirmed by legislature for his entire years as head of the EFCC, as itself against the normal public policy process.
Rather than for corruption's to be eliminated outright, corruption has seemingly captured the agency set up to fight corruption, because the head of the agency himself has become a candidate for investigations, following a tip off he has himself secretly committed acts of corruption.
Ibrahim Magu, head of the EFCC reportedly spent time in detention this week, while law enforcement searched his residence for incriminating information. This development hardly caught Nigerians unaware. Magu having not been confirmed as head of the commission by the nation's legislature since his appointment by Buhari over questions about his credentials. Additionally, Nigerians know that corruption is unquestionably powerful in the country.
The issue over the non-confirmation of Magu's appointment, first by a legislative upper house headed by a member of the opposition party created an atmosphere of a wrong headed opposition against the ruling party. Yet, instead of withdrawing Magu's candidature for the EFFC's post, Buhari insisted on having Magu to manage the commission at all cost. Of course, when Magu was first appointed as the corruption caesar, a section of the country's media hailed him to high heavens as very difficult to be compromised based on his past assignments.
Just mid-June 2020 as the country decided to mark and celebrate June 12 as a public holiday on its democratic calendar, Magu came out publicly hailing the commission's achievements against corruption. Magu's words were about how the commission had seized houses, billions of Naira and made life uncomfortable for corrupt elements. It was published by major newspapers. But Magu did not mention how the ruling party members may have been favored by the commission and how members of the opposition party became the commission's punching bag, and that whenever an investigation commenced, the investigation ended as soon as the individual under investigation crossed over to the ruling party.
After Magu's celebration of the commission's achievements, another news report said that the country's Attorney General Abubakar Malami reportedly wrote to Buhari seeking Magu's removal. Observers thought the attorney general's request to the president for Magu's removal may have been anchored on the past history of Magu's non-confirmation of his appointment by the legislature. And some observers wrongly thought sanity had arrived in Nigeria's politics.
Observers were wrong. There were other fires not physically manifest. One thing that is conspicuous in news reports concerning Magu's travail is the listing of insubordination as one of the likely crimes Magu may have committed. This raises a question of whose toes Magu may have stepped upon that is responsible for his own days of investigations.
This further shows the way Nigeria fights corruption. It means that you may be corrupt and continued to enjoy acceptance among the powerful guys in power as long as you continue to obey those above you. But the moment you ask questions of those who think they are untouchable and above the law, you set in motion the path to your destruction.Especially, if you make a mistake to take over a girlfriend belonging to the powerful.
Now, there are discussions among people in the corridor of power about who to allow to act as the head of the EFCC in Magu's absence. The officer at the EFCC next in rank to Magu is also a commissioner of police like Magu. Therefore, there is a lukewarm attitude in allowing another police officer like Magu to take over from Magu because of the stereotype that all police officers are corrupt. But the more openly transparent Nigerians are asking whether there are indeed Nigerians who have not been affected or compromised by the culture of corruption in the country.
Government insiders' words that investigation of Magu shows no one is above the law in the fight against corruption is seen by many observers with the knowledge of the extent of corruption in the country as deceptive. And no one in government has said anything about Magu's appointment, unconfirmed by legislature for his entire years as head of the EFCC, as itself against the normal public policy process.
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