"Blame Maina's Recall On OHSF and FCSC"...Dambazau
With allegations of complicity against Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, of having knowledge of the return of Maina and eventual reinstatement back to office and with a higher portfolio, the Minister has come out to clarify his position and that of his office.
Dambazau, in a statement from his office while reacting to an exclusive PREMIUM TIMES story on how the federal government reinstated a sacked civil servant despite a pending corruption trial, confirmed that Abdulrashhed Maina is now in charge of the Human Resources Department of the Interior Ministry.
It would be recalled that Premium Times had, on Friday, reported how the controversial chairman of the defunct Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, was secretly recalled to the service and promoted to head a Directorate in the Interior Ministry.
It would also be recalled that, Mr. Maina was in 2013 declared wanted by the Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Checks by PREMIUM TIMES show that Mr. Maina is still on the commission’s
wanted list .
“Dark complexioned Maina is allegedly complicit in the over N 2 billion Pensions Biometric Scam in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation. He remains at large, after charges were filed against his accomplices", the EFCC stated on its website.
However, the Minister for Interior, General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rted), in a statement by his press secretary, Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, confirmed that Mr. Maina is now in charge of the Human Resources Department of the ministry.
In the press statement, Dambazau while denying responsibility for the recall of Maina to the service, explained that Mr. 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”.
General Dambazau however, blamed Mr. Maina’s recall on the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and the Federal Civil Service Commission.
According to the Minister, "the two bodies are responsible for “issues relating to Discipline, Employment, Re-engagement, Posting, Promotion and Retirements of Federal Civil Servants".
However, the statement did not say if Mr. Dambazau was aware Mr. Maina is still a fugitive wanted by the EFCC.
“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", the statement added.
Mr. Maina's trouble started in 2012 when he was accused of leading a massive pension fraud scheme amounting to more than N100 billion. Mr. Maina, was drafted by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2010 to sanitize a corrupt pension system.
Based on the allegations of corruption, Mr. Maina was invited by the Senate Joint Committee on Public Service and Establishment and State and Local Government Administration.
Aftter the completion of its investigations, the Senste issued a Warrant of Arrest against Mr. Maina.
Ignoring the panel, Mr. Maina went ahead to sue the Senate and the then Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, and thereafter went into
hiding after being declared wanted by the police.
Consequent upon this, Mr. Maina was dismissed by the Head of Service for allegedly absconding from duty and attempting to evade arrest and charged to
court.
He was on July 21, 2015 mentioned by the EFCC as a major accomplice in a 24-count charge filed against Stephen Oronsaye and two others before a Federal High Court bordering on procurement fraud and obtaining by false pretence.
While Mr. Oronsaye and the two other accused were in court and pleaded not guilty to the charge, the EFCC said Mr. Maina was at large.
Mr. Maina is said to have spent these past years in the United Arab Emirates, from where he kept lobbying to win the pleasure of the Buhari administration.
Report culled from Premium Times
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