By Emmanuel Oladesu
He came. He saw. He planned to conquer. But, today, like his predecessors, Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), may leave office unceremoniously.
The verdict, as it now appears, is that he could not conquer. The hunter has become the hunted by the grace of some principals and principalities. The forces that frustrated his confirmation may have finally got rid of him, five years after he embarked on the tempestuous journey.
Their claim is that a hollow has been detected in his score card. To them, he is an unwanted czar with a blemish; a huge moral burden that should not be associated with a financial crime crusade. May be, he played into their hands as Yoruba will always say: “you cannot master the art of walking without shaking your head (A kii mo on rin, ki ori ma ji).
The tragedy of imminent mid-career crisis is not beyond expectation. It has been a subject of media speculation. It is at a personal cost to the man in the eye of the storm. It may inadvertently translate into a greater cost to the nation, if not a disservice to the entire anti-graft war, one of the pillars of the Buhari administration. In whose interest is the removal of Magu, if he is to be shoved aside? If he is unfit for the EFCC job, can he also be fit for the job of a policeman thereafter?
The allegations against him are weighty. The burden is on him to defend himself. The burden may also be on those behind the allegations to provide incontrovertible evidence.
But, the chance of survival for him is predictably slim. The concern of the public is not the charge, but whether there is also an underlying agenda on the part of his ‘tormentors’ that is beyond the ken and comprehension of the ordinary people. If there is an agenda, then, it may be political. If it is political, then, it may be futuristic.
If the allegations levelled against him are true or if they are proved beyond reasonable doubt, then, it is a national disaster; a betrayal of public trust on the part of a person who should be above board.
Magu sought to make a difference. That has been the general impression of the masses who are mostly victims of financial crimes and economic adversity. The perception is that he fought with bravery, despite the obstacles on his path. He confronted the plague from a vulnerable position and without the total institutional backing, as reflected in his non-confirmation.
To observers, Magu had the force of character, willingness and patriotism. All these were not enough in the absence of total freedom to combat sleaze in high quarters. Not only was corruption fighting back, the acting chair also had a formidable hindrance. He was bound to take orders from a minister of government. How independent therefore, is the anti-corruption commission?
Since former President Olusegun Obasanjo set up the EFCC to fight money laundering, stealing of public funds and general economic sabotage, the agency has gone through transformations and trials. An important impediment is the lack of a separate anti-financial crime tribunal or court to try corrupt public officials. The normal court proceedings are cumbersome, long and prolonged by parties in disputes. Magu, like his predecessors, were still erroneously blamed for the judicial slowness.
From the inception, the agency also had been contending with the hostility of privileged, powerful and influential few, who are personification of graft and hence, a
target of EFCC. These public enemies may be mocking Magu in his hour of trial and tribulation.
The first chairman of the EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, lawyer and policeman, set out to genuinely pursue the cardinal goals of the commission. He was brave, bold and daring. He was even courageous to move against his boss, Police Inspector-General Tafa Balogun, who escaped a jail term through plea bargaining.
But, EFCC under Ribadu was said to have derailed, owing to political pressures. The agency became a veritable tool for manipulation and witch hunt of perceived political foes. The pioneer chairman left without actualising his dreams for the agency. Later, Ribadu was persecuted. When tribulation arose, he was spirited across the borders. He returned as a politician; a presidential aspirant who could not fly.
His successor, Mrs Farida Waziri, a police officer and lawyer, tried her best. The seat was hot for the Amazon. While the suspects came to the court, they came with drums and supporters who hailed them to high heavens. She was alarmed that society was encouraging corruption.
Waziri’s memoir is full of how impediments were thrown on her way and how the powerful and the mighty undermined the anti-graft war. She was in the saddle for three years.
Her successor, Lamorde, came with a different style. He was not a noise maker, but a silent worker. But, his days were numbered on the day he assumed the reins.
While Ribadu, Waziri and Lamorde were confirmed by the Senate, Magu was not lucky. He had stepped on toes. The acting chairman was rejected by the Senate in 2015. Ahead of the parliamentary screening, security agents had forwarded conflicting reports about Magu. One of the reports was an indictment. Based on the unfavourable report, Senate President Bukola Saraki called for a replacement. President Muhammadu Buhari refused. Nevertheless, Magu continued in office.
Recently, the acting chairman reeled out his achievements. These include the recovery of billions of stolen money and convictions of perpetrators of financial crimes. But, trials were unduly prolonged by the antics of suspects and their counsel who hid under legal technicalities and other loopholes.
Suddenly, the beat stopped. Magu became the guest of a panel chaired by Justce Ayo Salami set up to investigate his involvement in alleged infractions. Also, he was grilled by the Directorate of Security Service (DSS).
It is not clear whether he is now on suspension. If he is on suspension as alleged, the suspension marked the end of an era in the EFCC.
Was Magu a hypocrite pretending to be a saint? The nation awaits a new czar. If the verdict is that the acting chairman should go, who is the saint that will replace Magu?
The EFCC needs the collective prayers of Nigerians as it continues to fight economic crimes in post-Magu era.
The EFCC will continue to bare his fangs. Corrupt elements should have no hiding place. But, eyes will also be on the commission as it discharges its duties. May the agency under the new helmsman in post-Magu period remain focused and never regress into a tool of political manipulation, victimization and repression.
May the EFCC not become a tool for harassment and liquidation of the aspirations of certain ambitious politicians as Nigeria peeps into 2023, reminiscent of the past.
May the agency muster the strength to justify the trust and confidence reposed in it by Nigerians at all times.
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