-I didn’t issue reinstatement directive – Malami
-Upper chamber orders probe
-He still treats fi les, draws salary till date – Maina’s counsel
By Taiye Odewale and Joshua Egbodo Abuja Senator Emmanuel Paulker, Chairman of the Senate committee investigating the botched reinstatement and promotion of the former chairman of presidential task force on pensions, Ibrahim Maina, yesterday raised the alarm on the floor of the Senate over alleged re-looting of property recovered by Maina, by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Paulker, who rose through a point of order to raise the alarm, specifi cally alleged that information reaching its committee in the course of its ongoing investigation on Maina’s saga , indicated that about 222 recovered property, comprising of exotic houses and hotels handed over to EFCC by Maina before his removal as the team leader in 2014, were shared by the top brass in the EFCC or interested parties in the society.
This revelation came amidst disclosure that the embattled Maina not only draws salary as a civil servant till date, but also treats fi les sent to him in his hiding. His committee, according to him, got wind of the looted property from submissions made to that effect by some of the invited government officials connected with the botched reinstatement and promotion of Maina.
Consequently, he said, “for this alarming revelation sir, this committee requests the Senate to expand the scope of its investigation on Maina by extending it to the management of assets recovered by him and handed over to EFCC before his removal as Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Pensions in 2014 and by so doing, extend the duration of the assignment.” Acceding to his request, Senate President Bukola Saraki put it to voice votes, with majority senators shouting aye.”
Saraki, in his remarks, said the committee must do everything possible in unravelling those behind the alleged re-looting and report back in four weeks. “This is a very serious matter and more of large scale corruption going on in a forbidden place. We just hope that it remains at the realm of allegation and not as it is presented,” he said. In the last two weeks, the Paulkerled committee, had closed-door sessions with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, SAN, Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahaman Dambazau (retd.), and Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Mustapha Sulaiman, among others, on their alleged roles in aborted reinstatement and promotion of Maina in the Federal Civil Service after three years of disappearance from the public space over alleged mismanagement of pension funds.
AGF defends self Meanwhile, AGF Malami has denied knowledge of, or issuing the letter directing the FCSC to reinstate Maina. Malami, who feigned loss of memory on some correspondences exchanged between him and the FCSC, yesterday told the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc committee investigating the “disappearance, reappearance, reinstatement and promotion” of Maina, that as at October 5, 2017 when the last memoon the Maina matter was raised by a line officer in his office, the matter remained “a work in progress.” Denying knowledge of the reinstatement directive, Malami said, “so the letter giving clear directive to reinstate him could not have genuinely emanated from my office.
” Th e minister further explained that he immediately responded when the matter was made public, by reaching out to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Interior, as well as setting up a committee which is still investigating the controversy.
Th e AGF also pointed out that he only stepped into the issue based on a letter from Maina’s lawyer over some court judgements, asking that justice should be done. Consequent upon this, he met Maina personally in Dubai (UAE), sequel to advisory clearance of the Director-General, Department of State Service, where he was briefed on the works of the task force, the existence of a pension fraud syndicate that included highly placed persons, and many more.
“Maina is a member of the pension fraud syndicate, let me admit that. I think he fell out with them somewhere along the line,” the AGF alleged. Maina’s counsel defends client But Counsel to Maina, Mohammed Katu, who appeared in his stead, revealed that his client was never at any time, lawfully dismissed from the federal civil service, pledging to provide documentary evidence of salaries and other emoluments being paid him to date.
“He (Maina) is, and still remains a staff of the federal government…. Only last week, 23 fi les were sent to him for treatment, in his capacity as Acting Director in the Ministry of Interior….,after the purported dismissal, he still worked for the government,” Katu stated, tendering letters he reportedly signed in the course of doing his work.
Th e legal representative, however, assured the committee that Maina “will appear in person to testify, if it can give him protection by using its powers to compel all security agencies in the country to guarantee his freedom of movement,” adding that he went into hiding “because his life was in serious danger.” I’m not aware, Danbazau insists On his part, Minister in charge of Interior , the ministry where Maina was reinstated , Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazau (retd.), explained that the process was an administrative thing which he was not aware of.
Th e Permanent Secretary, Abubakar Magaji, currently on sick leave, the minister said, was in the best position to provide answers. My story –Oyo-Ita Also, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred OyoIta, and Acting Chairman of the FCSC, Joseph Akande, while fielding questions from members of the Hon. Aliyu Madaki-led committee, said the interior ministry acted in error by relying on the letter from the Commission to reinstate Maina, since it was only intended for information, and that a directive to effect such action can, by procedure, only emanate from the Head of Service. Ita-Oyo, however, explained that she withheld the letter notifying her on the resolve to reinstate him from the FCSC because she wanted to “seek further clarifications.”
Besides, she expressed concern that it would not serve any good in the current government’s anti-corruption fight. Th e letter, which the AGF denied as originating from his offi ce, directed the FCSC to “give consequential effect to secured court judgements” by Maina.
