Open Letter to the President: Investigate Senate’s Allegations against Ibrahim Magu (EFCC) & David Babachir (SGF)

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President Buhari (L), Magu(M) and Eteng (R) 
Utum Eteng|22 December 2016
My dear President, please tolerate me for using this open letter method to express my reactions to you in the matter of the trending allegations leveled against some Principal Officers in the presidency.
I firmly resolved to use this method because my guess is that, if you do not personally read it, someone close to you or with unrestrained access to you may read it.
I am Chief Utum Eteng, a Private Legal Practitioner, a Buharist, a Human Rights Activist and a Public Affairs Analyst. I am also a known unrepentant Anti-corruption Crusader who has keyed into the zero tolerance approach to corruption of your administration. I am equally a stakeholder in the APC family in Cross River State.
My President Sir, please permit me to remind you the promises you made to Nigerians on May 29, 2015, the day you graciously took Oath of Office as our President. Indeed, you left Nigerians in no doubt that the policy thrust of your administration is to focus on the following issues.
1. That you will confront the Boko Haram nuisance with a determination to free the people. You have no doubt acquitted yourself creditably well as you have recovered towns and villages unlawfully occupied by the insurgents with life and commercial activities gradually returning in some of those areas. May God take glory for this achievement.
2. You promised you will review our electoral law and all laws impacting on elections to give Nigerians opportunity to experience credible electoral process founded on International best practices. You took a bold step when in October 4, 2016 you mandated the Attorney General, Abubakar Malami SAN to inaugurate the Senator Ken Nnamani Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee. The work of this committee is ongoing.
3. You promised to recover the bartered Nigerian economy you inherited from the Jonathan’s administration. You have so far not left Nigerians in doubt in this regards.
4. The 4th and most challenging promises was your pronouncement to free the polity of endemic corruption malaise that plagued Nigeria before you came on board as President. Today, Nigerians and the International world attest to your determination to cleanse our society of corruption.
It is pertinent to point it to you that the reasons given by the senate for refusing to clear Ibrahim Magu as EFCC substantive Chairman bother on very serious criminal allegations which should not be swept under the carpet. This is a test case and challenge to the war against corruption. 
Senate President Bukola Saraki 
The hunter must be hunted to ascertain his commitment to the hunting business.
Sir, as if to add insult to injury to the corruption war, there is a senate firm allegation that the Secretary to Government (SGF), Mr. David Babachir abused his exalted office when he received N200 million kickbacks through a company, Rholavision Engineering Ltd., a company he was until October, 2016 a director and which he awarded a N280,939,231 contract to clear grass in the Internally Displaced Persons North East Camp. This is a scandalous allegation requiring your urgent.
Nigerians are worried about the criminal allegations against Magu and the SGF because their job performance is central to the image of your administration. Though they have a right to defend themselves against the allegations, you have a greater responsibility to ensure that their defences are not mere denials with a view to cover-up the truth. The Chief Law Officer of the Nation must promptly be invited pursuant to Section 174(1) and 150 of the 1999 Constitution as amended to handle holistically all the issues involved without fail and promptly too  in so far as time is of essence in this scandal to unsettle the image of our country.
Sir, you know as a fact that the exalted office of the SGF is the engine room of the Federal Government of Nigeria and for engine not to knock, it has to be timeously overhauled. In so far as the senate has come up with such a definitive allegations touching on the SGF directly and has also named the amount involved, identified the givers of the alleged kickback, it is expected that you will take urgent steps to ascertain the veracity of this damming allegations.
In doing so, the Attorney General may wish to resolve the following questions among others:
(i) Is it true that the SGF awarded to Josmon Technologies Ltd, a contract for the clearing of “invasive plant species” to the tune of N248,939,231.00?
(ii) Is it within his power to do that?
(iii) Is it also true that, the bank statement of Rholavision Engineering Ltd, a company owned by the SGF received cash deposits of N10 million into its account in 20 installments up to when the SGF resigned his membership of the Company?
(iv) Who are the board members of Rholavision Engineering Ltd, when the said contract was awarded?
If indeed the SGF gave out the contract without disclosing his interest in the company, he has breached the anti-corruption law principles. He has like others should be prosecuted. There should be no sacred cows.
His offence cannot be different from the allegation against the former NSA-Dasuki now prosecuted all round.
Sir, the allegations made by DSS in its said report relied upon by the senate against Magu are also serious and must not be treated with kid-gloves. If the man who should be the face of the fight against corruption is found not to be above board in corruption matters then he should be treated the way others are treated. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.
The pertinent question Mr. President should ask himself is, whether the DSS, a reliable state security agency he had before now believed it findings in time past to screen his appointees who now occupy sensitive positions could just come up with such fabrications against Magu as revealed by the Senate? What purpose would such fabrications serve?
If the report from DSS is found to be fraudulent, then the danger in the system is eminent, but if not, it should be acted upon forthwith by asking Magu to politely step aside. The heavens will not fail and the war against corruption will not come to an end. Afterall Ribadu moved, Fadira Waziri moved and recently Ibrahim Larmorde moved, the EFCC as an institution did not cease.
Finally, I wish to remind Mr. President that, the speculation about who should replace Magu should be handled with care to avoid putting old wine into new skin for it not to burst.
A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE.
CHIEF (BARR) UTUM ETENG
Private Legal Practitioner, Human Rights Activist & Anti-Corruption Advocate
Calabar. 09050032600, 08034008723