Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Sunday, mocked the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for reabsorbing the wanted ex-Chairman of the defunct Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, despite being indicted for allegedly perpetrating fraud to the tune of N2bn.
The Minister of Interior, Lieutenant Gen Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, (Retd) has confirmed the reinstatement of the embattled former chairman of Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, into the civil service.
Dambazau, however, said he did not influence the posting of Maina, who had absconded from the service years and had been on the wanted list of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), to the Ministry of Interior.
He added that the reinstatement followed recommendations from the Office of the Head of Service.
In his reaction, however, Fayose, who is also under probe by the EFCC, said on his official Twitter handle that, “Someone accused of stealing billions of pension fund was returned to the FG civil service and you still think Buhari is fighting corruption?”
Meanwhile, Press Secretary to the Interior Minister Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, in a statement on Sunday, said Maina was posted a few days go to the Ministry on acting capacity.
The President Muhammadu Buhari administration has secretly reinstated fugitive former chairman of Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, into the civil service.
Maina was in 2013 dismissed by the Federal Civil Service Commission following a recommendation by the Office of the Head of Service.
Reports have confirmed that Maina, who is still wanted by EFCC, was secretly recalled by President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
It was also gathered that Maina, who was a Deputy Director, at the time he absconded from service, has now been promoted to the position of director in charge of Human Resources in the Ministry of Interior.
The statement by the Dambazau Press Secretary was a reaction to a report with the underlined caption, published on October 20th, 2017 by Premium Times.
It said: “The publication, which queries the reinstatement of former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, reportedly claimed that the Interior Minister was one of those behind the said reinstatement.
“It is observed that some insinuations as it concerns the Interior Minister were presented as facts, hence the compelling need to proffer some clarifications for reference purposes.
“The ex- Chairman of the Presidential Task Force Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, was posted few days ago to the Ministry of Interior by the Office of the Head of Service on an Acting capacity to fill a vacancy created following the retirement of the Director heading the Human Resources Department in the Ministry.
“For the avoidance of doubt, issues relating to Discipline, Employment, Re-engagement, Posting, Promotion and Retirements of Federal Civil Servants are the responsibility of the Federal Civil Service Commission and Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, of which no Minister exercises such powers as erroneously expressed in this publication.
“It is understood that Maina’s last posting was with the Ministry of Interior, and that is probably why he was re-posted back to the Ministry.
It is, therefore, improper for anybody to think that a Minister could exercise such powers or influence the process of Discipline, Re-engagement, and Deployment of any civil servant to his Ministry or any other Ministry for that matter.
“Again Such responsibility is that of the Federal Civil Service Commission and/or the Head of Civil Service.
“We, therefore, admonished journalists to cross check their facts before going to the press, as we see Nigerian media as dependable allies in our onerous task of nation building.
“In any case, the relevant institutions of government are alive to their responsibilities regarding the allegations confronting Mr Maina,” it said.
Maina is expected to run for governor of Borno State in 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
