Nigeria News
Maina still receives salaries from Federal govt – Lawyer
Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Task Team, continued to work and earn salary even after he was dismissed from the civil service.
This was made known by Mohammed Katu, Maina’s lawyer, during a hearing into the circumstances that led to Maina’s recent reinstatement and promotion in October.
The hearing, which is being conducted by the House of Representatives, was attended by Abdulrahman Dambazzau, Minister of Interior; Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head of Service of the Federation; and Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
Katu told the hearing that Maina had to flee due to serious threats to his life, but continued working from exile and that his salary was never stopped.
“Yes. Maina continued to work even after his dismissal,” Katu said.
“As at last month, about 23 files were sent to him, in his capacity as acting director…even while he was absent.”
Maina was a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Interior before being appointed by Steve Oronsanye, then Head of Service, to head the Pension Reforms Task Team (PRTT), in 2010.
He was sacked in 2013 following allegations of gross corruption running into billions of naira purportedly recovered from pension thieves.
However, in October, he was surreptitiously reinstalled into the civil service and promoted to the post of Director.
Following a media uproar over the clandestine reinstatement, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered Maina’s immediate removal, and ordered the Head of the Civil Service to explain what led to his recall.
Similarly, the House of Representatives formed an ad hoc panel to look into the matter.
The panel, headed by Madaki Ali, commenced hearing on Thursday.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami had directed the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) to reinstate Maina.
Displeased by the reports, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the immediate disengagement of the wanted ex-official.
Meanwhile, The Senate has revealed that over 222 houses recovered from the sacked Chairman of Presidential Task force on Pensions Reforms, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina have been allegedly been shared by officials of the EFCC officials
Raising through order 42 and 43, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, Chairman of Federal establishment pointed that the Committee which was set up barely a month now ran into trouble in the course of investigating the embattled Pension Task-force chairman.
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