It is chicken eating intestines of chicken when two departments in the same government that are supposed to be working together are instead in open fight.
Nigeria’s Federal Attorney General (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), has recommended to President Muhammadu Buhari the sacking of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu.
Thisday reports that Malami, in a memorandum to the president, anchored his recommendation on several grounds “ranging from diversion of recovered loot to insubordination and misconduct” by Magu.
Multiple sources told Thisday yesterday that Malami included a short list of three candidates for consideration to replace Magu.
But Magu is reported to be fighting back and his supporters within the Presidency say ”removing Magu at this time when he has given muscle to Buhari’s anti-corruption fight would be a mistake.”
“It is painful that the EFCC boss is facing certain powerful forces who have decided to remove him in spite of his remarkable achievements,” sources stated.
But other sources said, given the weight of Malami’s allegations against Magu, the president may be inclined “to set up a probe panel that will look into the veracity of the allegations and make necessary recommendations.”
One of the sources told select journalists that: “I can authoritatively tell you that though Magu has survived previous plots to remove him, the AGF’s legal opinion remains the deadliest plot to get Magu out of the EFCC as AGF’s letter to the president contained 22 weighty allegations that require Buhari’s decision on whether or not to send Magu’s name to the Senate for confirmation or replace him….. This is because the office of the AGF is the supervising ministry of the EFCC and so his legal opinion cannot be treated with levity.
It is chicken eating intestines of chicken indeed.