TheCable

Itse Sagay, chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), says Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), has a penchant for abandoning high-profile corruption cases involving government figures.

Sagay said this in reaction to a bill to amend the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act.

Although the professor did not mention Malami’s name, he mentioned his office in a statement on Wednesday.

The bill which has passed second reading at the house of representatives makes other professionals, besides police officers, eligible to head the commission.

But in the statement, Sagay said the amendment is a “dangerous attempt to demolish the anti-corruption infrastructure”.

According to him, the bill if passed, would return Nigeria to “the dark days before 2015”.

“With all the above established facts, the gravity of the proposed change becomes overwhelming,” he said.

“When in addition to all this, we recall the well-known proclivity of the attorney-general for entering nolle procequi in favour of major political and governmental figures, this move to effectively scrap the EFCC becomes more alarming.

“We therefore call on the national assembly and all Nigerians to vigorously reject this attempt to perpetrate fraud on the nation by effectively scuttling the EFCC and shutting down Nigeria’s anti-corruption war.

“The repeal of the current EFCC establishment act, which has been a spectacular success and has brought Nigeria into limelight as a major force against corruption.

“The replacement of the executive chairman of the EFCC with a director-general, who is effectively to be appointed by the attorney-general eliminates the EFCC’s freedom and autonomy, and replaces it with an entity under the complete control of the minister of justice and attorney-general.”

Umaru Gwandu, media aide to the AGF, is yet to comment on the allegation.

In December, Sagay endorsed Ibrahim Magu, former acting EFCC chairman, as the substantive candidate for the position.

The previous senate under the leadership of Bukola Saraki rejected Magu’s appointment thrice following a report by the Department of State Services (DSS) which indicted him of fraud.

Magu is currently being probed by a presidential panel for allegedly mismanaging recovered assets. The probe was triggered by a memo written by the AGF.