The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has raised the alarm, saying there were deliberate plots to ruin his reputation by forces “that are not comfortable with his campaign to rescue the nation from the vice grip of corruption.”
In a statement Thursday the EFCC boss said the plots were “already manifesting in clandestine campaigns of misinformation in the social media intended to impugn his integrity and pit him against certain interests both within and outside of government.”
“In the last week or so, the social media has been awash with fictitious reports, all painting an uncanny picture of desperation by Magu over his purported non-confirmation as substantive chair of the EFCC, and of stricture within the rank and file of the EFCC workforce leading to resignations,” the spokesperson for the anti-graft agency said in a statement Thursday.
“One of such reports is the one making the rounds in several gossip blogs with the title, “How EFCC’s Magu and Sahara Reporters Peddle Lies to the Media”. The report which is a parody of disingenuous invention of falsehood, is the handiwork of mischief makers hell-bent on causing disaffection between the Magu-led EFCC and the Executive on one hand, and the members of staff of the EFCC on the other.
“The EFCC wishes to put it on record that Mr. Magu does not bully anyone, and has not embarked on any mission aimed at blackmailing “some highly placed personalities in the country such as Emirs, President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointees” or any other individual, lowly or highly placed in the society.
“The allusion to “bullying” and “victimization” of EFCC staff is clearly designed to instigate the staff of the Commission against its leadership as there is no truth in it. For the records, no “senior EFCC core staff” has resigned from the Commission and insinuation of mass resignation at the Commission is mere scaremongering. The same applies to the claim that a sensitive unit has been set up in the Commission to “bug the phone lines” of some persons. This is mischief taken too far!
“Mr. Magu who is humbled by the rare privilege to serve the country. He has no axe to grind with any interest.
“I came to this job with an open mind to do my best for my country. My actions are dictated by my professional instinct and the love for my country. It is not personal and I have no issues with anybody.”
