Magu: Senate gives ProfOsinbajo 3 conditions

Fresh effort is being made to end the frosty relationship between the Presidency and the Senate to end their frosty relationship.
But the Red Chamber of the National Assembly has given the Aso Rock Villa three conditions it must meet for peace to reign.
Top of the conditions is the removal of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, and the withdrawal of a statement credited to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo through Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State that there is no going back on Magu’s nomination.

The other conditions include Presidency’s compliance with the resolutions/decisions/ summons of the National Assembly on budget and other issues, as well as prevailing on Power, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Raji Fashola to withdraw his statement attacking the integrity of the National Assembly.

The conditions,were tabled by the Senate leadership before a mediator who is trying to bring the warring sides together.
 the mediator enjoys the confidence of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and Senate President Bukola Saraki.
The parley is understood to have succeeded for now in bridging the communication gap between the two arms of government.

It was learnt that the latest initiative is part of the effort to “resolve the feud between the two arms in a family manner” without any of the sides feeling hurt.

But it was gathered that Osinbajo made it clear that only President Buhari could determine Magu’s fate.
It was also gathered that Saraki told the intermediary that he has no personal grudges against the Acting President.
He, however, said senators were determined to protect the legislative institution.
According to a top source, the three conditions formed the kernel of talks between Osinbajo and Saraki last week, with the two leaders agreeing on a mature way of addressing the “grey areas.”

The source said the Presidency had been trying to address the three conditions with only Magu’s fate still hanging in the balance.
The source said: “We are getting closer to a win-win situation between the two arms. In fact, when the mediator met with Saraki, he said he had “met with Osinbajo and he nurses no personal grudges at all.
“He also said what the senators wanted was that the Senate be respected in accordance with its constitutional mandate by complying with its resolutions, decisions and summons.”

 the Presidency has been forthcoming on the conditions set by the Senate.
The source said: “As for compliance with the resolutions or decisions or summons of the National Assembly, the Presidency gave a commitment to the Senate leadership to give due regards to the legislature.

“You know the Acting President is a lawyer and he believes in the principle of separation of powers.
“On Magu, the Acting President insisted that only his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari can determine the fate of the Acting chairman of EFCC.
“He said the Senate would have to wait for the return of the President.”

“Regarding a statement credited to el-Rufai, the mediation has revealed that the governor ran his own errand because nothing warranted the comments in the mandate given to him to represent the Acting President. Neither the Presidency nor Osinbajo can be held liable for el-Rufai’s comments.”
Rufai, representing Osinbajo at a public function in Kaduna, had quoted the Acting President as saying there was no going back on Magu’s nomination for the EFCC job.

There were however indications that the Acting President had directed the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Fashola to “clarify his statement” in a way that it will not hurt the relationship between the two arms of government.

The source added: “This was why Fashola tactically apologised to the National Assembly in an interview with reporters on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Presidential Quarterly Business Forum held at the old Banquet Hall of the state house Abuja.