Abubakar Malami @ 53: Reaping Rewards Of Loyalty

By Chuks Ekpeneru

Barrister Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation was born 17 April 1967 in Birnin Kebbi.

After his early education, he went to and graduated from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto where he studied Law and was called to the bar in 1992. He also went to the University of Maiduguri where he obtained his master’s degree in Public Administration in 1994.

As a legal practitioner, Abubakar has served in various capacities including being a counsel and magistrate in Kebbi State and as National Legal Adviser of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change.  Malami was actively involved in the formation of the All Progressives Congress in 2013 as the resource person to the Manifesto Drafting Sub-Committee of Inter Joint Party Merger Committees between the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

In 2014, Abubakar contested for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress in Kebbi State but lost the primaries to Atiku Bagudu. On 11 November 2015, Abubakar was appointed as Minister for Justice and Attorney-General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria thus making him the youngest minister in Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.

With Buhari coming back for a second term, Malami was reappointed to his position.

On his achievements, he said that he kept faith with his promise to only improve on his predecessors’ achievements, be creative and innovative in his approach, while encouraging/accommodating individuals and groups with great ideas.

He has, however faced some criticisms in office especially when he was made to appear before the disciplinary panel of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee on Friday, 14 June 2019 to face the petitions seeking the stripping of his Senior Advocate of Nigeria rank for alleged misconduct.

His critics say poor leadership exhibited in the coordination of the operations of the various agencies and personnel under his ministry has been his bane.

This they say resulted in the glaring lack of coordination, direction and strategic approach to the operations of the relevant government agencies involved in the fight against corruption.

In this regard, critics are quick to point to the conflicting roles of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property (SPIP).

Critics also point at his controversial handling of the case involving Abdulrasheed Maina, who was accused of diverting pension funds, declared wanted, but was later elevated and reinstated.

As he marks his birthday, his loyalty to Buhari over time has ensured that he prevailed in the ranking order to sustain his office. He is also in line to become the longest-serving AGF of the country.

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