Nigeria: Anti-graft czar rejected

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency still lacks an official to help fight corruption in the country after Ibrahim Magu, was rejected for the second time as candidate for the watchdog body.

Not much was disclosed by officials except that Mr Magu failed an integrity test that could compromise and make his leadership a liability to the anti-corruption stand of the current government.

“My position is simply that if we have an anti-corruption fighter like Magu, what he has to do is to come before the people with an untainted recorded and an untainted personality,” Lagos based political analyst, Chris Nwaokobia told Africanews.

The rejection of Mr Ibrahim Magu by the Senate as the substantive chairman of the EFCC has been received with mixed feelings.

Apart from reasserting the independence of the legislative arm of government, it raises debate on the general overhaul of the EFCC with Buhari now expected to be more careful with his nominees for the job.

“My advise to Mr president is-look for a credible replacement. If you ask me I will say the present adviser of the president on anti-corruption matters can do that job. I know that that are many Nigerians who can do that job and do it effectively,” Chris Nwakobia added.

Nigeria is ranked 136th out of 176 countries on the corruption index.

Experts say the corruption situation in the west African nation is endemic and have cited the regime of former president Olusegun Obasanjo as being responsible for the heightened graft in the country.