Just like everything that has a start, the time of Ibrahim Magu at Nigeria’s premier anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reached its climax. But the manner of his exit was least expected and proved, once again, that power is anything but transient.
Last week Monday, Magu left home as the acting chairman of EFCC but that could well be the last time he would ever enjoy such privilege that comes from that office. This was because something spectacular happened, and Magu, who is used to putting suspects under the lens, was made to face a similar experience.
It happened so quickly and in the space of a few minutes, Magu’s status changed from being a hunter to the hunted. A detachment of security operatives who accosted him by the roadside, escorted him to the sitting of a presidential panel set-up to look at allegations levelled against him.
Afterward, President Muhammadu Buhari approved his suspension from the job, and the door appeared shut at Magu. To undiscerning observers, the fall of Magu appear sudden, or an unexpected turn. But that isn’t true, because the signs were there for long, only that few would have noticed.
The cast was down when Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, wrote a damning memo to Buhari on Magu’s handling of the corruption fight, particularly, management of recovered loots. Malami isn’t just a minister, his ministry supervises the EFCC and his assessment of Magu is weighty and hard to ignore.
So, it was a tough knot and only a miracle would have let Magu off the hook and keep the job he has retained for over five years. Going by the announcement of Muhammed Umar as the new acting chairman of EFCC, the fate of Magu seems to have been sealed. Magu is out and so is the power he enjoyed while it lasted.
I’m sure Magu will be sore at how things turned out for him because the deference and influence that the office conferred on him are gone. This is an experience he must have done almost everything to avoid, however, here he is, swept off by change. Just like those before him, power is temporal, and no matter how hard one can try, it will still be gone one day.
Magu has faced that reality and what should now be his worry is how to bring himself to accept his new status. He’s no longer EFCC’s boss and has a hard job to prove to Nigerians that he isn’t the same, or even worse, than those he was meant to bring to account. The allegations against him are weighty and Nigerians will not be prepared to take ‘corruption is fighting back’ narrative to dodge questions on accountability.
By looking at Malami’s dossier on Magu, it would be safe to conclude that he has a lot of explanation to make. Those who have studied Magu’s crude display of power at EFCC would not find the memo of Malami too surprising, especially the part that has to do with insubordination. It was so glaring, and that almost creates the impression that Magu was overboard.
In truth, power oftentimes has a significant bearing, but it can be directed for good and not become an excuse to harass and ridicule people, whether high or low. That was something Magu serially ignored, or probably, let the arrogance of power get the better side of him, and turned everything about the anti-corruption fight as a show of strength.
But now, all of that is gone, Magu will have to deal with the vanity of power. In the process of adapting to the reality of his new status, Magu will face so many things, and the most common one is the loneliness that comes from losing power. For some time now, he is used to being boss and feared by friends and foes, but the office that gave him such leverage is gone, and he will realize how uneasy that seems in a few days.
Written by Oke Umurhohwo, a Political Analyst and Strategist. He tweets via @OkeStalyf and can be reached via oke.umu@gmail.com
https://leaders.ng/magu-a-reminder-of-the-transient-nature-of-power-by-okestalyf/
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