Magu: Presidential C’ttee disowns statement attacking AGF

TRACKING____The Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), has dissociated itself from a statement by one of its members accusing the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), of being “an arrow-head or major agent of a power bloc that is not really interested in, or in support of, Buhari’s anti-corruption fight”.
Hours after the “arrest” and interrogation of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, by a Presidential probe panel, a member of the PACAC, Prof. Femi Odekunle, had issued a statement he claimed was “a preliminary reaction” of PACAC to the development.
“The position of PACAC is that while Magu, or any official of whatever status, must be nailed if found to be corrupt, the President must be careful not to shoot its anti-corruption fight /modest achievements in the foot, and not to forget that EFCC under Magu has been the Administration’s anti-corruption poster-face. It may not be contestable that Malami has been exploiting his alleged loyalty and closeness to the President for his personal /power bloc agenda,” Odekunle had said.
But, PACAC, in a statement by its
Communications Officer, Mr Aghogho Agbahor, said the member’s position was personal, as it had yet to make any official reaction.
“Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) has not released an official statement with regards to the Acting Chairman of EFCC Mr Ibrahim Magu,” Agbahor said.
The statement reads: “The Attention of the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) has been drawn to a statement circulating in the media space credited to one of its members Professor Femi Odekunle.
“The press release is the personal opinion of the member under whose name it was released and not that of the committee.
“If the committee consistent with its mandate has any view on the matter, it will be channeled to the President and not to the media.”