Buhari Sacks Former Pension Taskforce Chairman, Maina As Tongues Wag Over Reinstatement

By Loveth Azodo

As tongues wag on the appropriateness of reinstating the embattled Former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Mr Abdullahi Abdulrasheed Maina, in the Federal Civil Service, President Mohammadu Buhari has ordered his immediate disengagement from service.

Maina was accused of diversion of pensions and had been standing trial and at a point left the country for a while until recently when he suddenly returned and resumed duty in the Ministry of Interior.

But, in a memo to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the President apart from ordering for his disengagement, demanded a full report of the circumstances of Maina’s recall and posting to the Ministry of Interior.

Full report about Maina is to be submitted to the office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, before the end of work today, Monday, October 23, 2017.

The Press Secretary to the Minister of Interior, Mr Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, had in a statement, Sunday said:

“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.

“No minister exercises such powers as erroneously expressed in this publication.”

Meanwhile, a league of civil society groups had on Saturday in a statement by its National Secretary, Amb. Mukhtar Akoshile, explained why Maina was recalled into the Civil Service, citing that the perpetual injunction restraining his arrest still stands even after the judge had ruled that status-quo be maintained in his case.
They said: “For avoidance of doubt, it is on record that Dr. Abdulrasheed Maina was absolved of any wrong doing while he headed the Pension Reform Task Team. You’ll recall that on Wednesday, March, 27, 2013. a Federal High Court headed by Justice Adamu Bello (Rtd) granted a perpetual injunction restraining his arrest. The court also set aside an earlier warrant of arrest issued on him.”