Days after the Senate rejected his nomination, Ibrahim Magu, the acting
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has
been invited by two leading anti-corruption organizations, the
Transparency International and Global Witness to speak at an
international conference on money laundering and assets recovery on
March 21, 2017 in London. Magu is expected to deliver a paper on the
topic, “Give Us Our Money Back – Nigeria’s Fight Against Corruption: A
Critical Conversation”.
The invitation from the Global Witness
and Transparency International is in recognition of the invaluable role
the Magu-led EFCC has played in his more than one year in office in
recovery of stolen funds. It also coincidentally comes a few days after
members of the Nigerian Senate chose to overlook the strides achieved by
Magu, and instead refused his re-nomination by President Muhammadu
Buhari as the substantive chairman of the EFCC.
The international
conference, which is coming on the heels of the 2016 London
Anti-Corruption Summit, will focus on the progress of Nigeria’s asset
recovery and anti-corruption efforts. It will also feature a panel
discussions for “critical exchange of views” between officials and
non-government experts from Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
A few
international personalities have been invited along with Magu to
participate in the conference. Among those from Nigeria are Lai
Mohammed, Minister of Information; Prof. Itse Sagay, Chairman,
Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC; its
secretary, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye and Olanrewaju Suraju of the Human and
Environmental Development Agenda.
