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Tag: Abdulrasheed Maina

  • Maina: Buhari must act fast to save integrity, says Ijaw chief

    Maina: Buhari must act fast to save integrity, says Ijaw chief

    An Ijaw Chief and stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Wilfred Ogbotobo, Friday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be swift and decisive in dealing with the controversies surrounding the botched reinstatement of Abdulrasheed Maina.

    Ogbotobo said the President should unravel the circumstances that facilitated the entry of Maina into Nigeria, his subsequent reinstatement and promotion in the federal civil service, to avert a monumental damage to his name, integrity and administration.

    The Ijaw chief, who is a staunch loyalist of Buhari, insisted that the way and manner the President would handle the issue would determine the fate of his teeming followers and supporters.

    “The circumstances of the Maina issue are totally embarrassing, unacceptable and shameful; to say the least, considering that this is someone that was condemned and dismissed by corruption itself, during its reign in the People Democratic Party (PDP) years.

    “If such an abominable rejection could be admissible in this administration then what we are saying in effect is, under an APC administration condemned beings from the pit of hell can freely sneak into paradise which is corruption at its worst,” he said.

    Ogbotobo, the Convener of the South-South Legacy Forum (SSLF), said the issue was an acid test to the strength of the President’s commitment to the anti-corruption war which is the signature agenda of his administration.

    He said: “The president should be constant with the fact that it took him four consecutive attempts to secure this special grace and, by this unique preparatory experience, we believe that he has a divine mission to set a new template for a stronger, more united and prosperous Nigeria.

    “This clearly imposes a great responsibility on Mr President to pursue his agenda, especially the anti-corruption war, with utmost diligence and commitment, moreso, as this is the first national attempt at confronting corruption in the country.

    “President Buhari should therefore take necessary steps to unmask all the dealings and actions involving the Maina-gate in the light of the gravity of the matter and its damage potentials with implications for the survival of this administration”.

    The chief noted that all the persons directly or remotely connected with the Maina’s filth should be shown the way out of the current administration without fear or favour.

    “It is high time the president rejigged his cabinet and breathed life back into the government, as the anti-corruption war itself has lost considerable steam and focus, lately.

    “President Buhari should always bear in mind that his stellar integrity and outstanding reputation draw strength from the love and trust of the Nigerian masses that are ready to walk the difficult path under his leadership, to attain Nigeria’s greatness and prosperity.

    “The president must therefore put in place the necessary precautionary mechanisms to prevent any ring of darkness from crystalizing to create a gulf between his integrity and the confidence of the masses. This would be disastrous,” he said.

  • Tell Nigerians Maina’s whereabouts, Labour Party tells FG

    Tell Nigerians Maina’s whereabouts, Labour Party tells FG

    The Labour Party (LP ) has said that the federal government should accept its complicity in the questionable recall of former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, saying the government should tell Nigerians his whereabouts.

    The party said since the government recalled and reinstated in, they must know where he is at the moment and should therefore arrest and prosecute him on allegations of corruption leveled against him.

    Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, National Chairman of the Party, Dr Mike Omotoso, said “You will recall that Maina was sacked by the last administration and placed on Wanted List. We are calling on the federal government to arrest and prosecute Maina if they know where he is. Since they were the ones that brought him back and reinstated him, they should also bring him out now, arrest and prosecute him”.

    He said the recall of Maina was an embarrassment to the country and made mockery of the anti corruption crusade of the Buhari administration.

    Also speaking, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Everett Ifendu accused the former national chairman, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam of continued impersonation, saying he had since been suspended following serious allegations levelled against him by the party’s governorship candidate in Anambra.

    “We want to correct some misconceptions about our party. There is no leadership tussle in our party. Our National Chairman is Dr Mike Omotoso”, said Ifendu.

    According to her, the party had filed a formal complaint with the police who are currently investigating the disappearance of party property including a vehicle.

    The party lamented the inability of many governments to pay salaries of workers despite the bail out from their  federal government and the Paris Club refund, describing the trend as anti-people and a modern form of slavery.

    It however urged the federal government to launch an investigation into how the states governments utilized the budget support fund as well as the Paris Club Refund given them by the federal government, aside their federal allocation and internally generated revenue.

  • Mainagate: “Give Maina Security Protection To Tell Nigerians The Truth”

    …CSOs accuse Jonathan govt of frame up
    President Mohammadu Buhari has been asked to give the embattled former Chairman, Presidential committee on Pension Reform Taskforce Team, PPRT, under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, security protection to tell Nigerians the truth about the pension scam.
    ‎The Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria, under the umbrella body of Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiatives, at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday on the re-instatement and dis-engagement of Maina from the civil service‎ commended the prompt reaction of President Buhari, whose action in dis-engaging Mr. Maina is to douse tension. Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, National Co-ordinator of the Coalition also the effort of the President towards eradicating corruption in Nigeria, we as civil society body in Nigeria must stand with Mr President to ensure a corruption free Nigeria.
    Okpokwu said, “We have observed with kin interest, the position of the attorney general of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who is the chief law officer of Nigeria. We have equally seen the position of the Nigerian Senate, the People’s Democratic Party, The All Progressive Congress, the League of African Development Students, and as well as the civil service rule. We urge Nigerians not to panic, and advice actors of blame game to maintain caution, as the truth is gradually unfolding.
    “On the recoveries of stolen pension fund by the PRTT which the pension magazine gave the figure at 200 billion Naira. Where is this fund? Is it in the federation account or where? Mr Maina insisted that the money is in the federation account which both the past and present administration has not disputed. We also believed that, with the testimony of Sen Kabiru Gaya who said the 195billion Maina was accused of stealing by the senate joint probe on pension fund is in the federation account. Further accusation of the person of Mr Maina in that light shows that some body is after Abdulrasheed Maina especially with the sponsored media war on his person instead of the entire committee. Moreover, the 2.1 billion Naira biometric exercise which Maina was accused of mismanaging alongside Orosanye, the former head of service of the federation has long be settled as the law court discharged and acquitted the former head of service. This is based on the fact that, the biometric took captured the 774 Local government Areas in Nigeria.

    “It is of interest to say that, immediately the Maina’s led PRTT was disbanded, the government created what is called Pension Transition Administration Department, PTAD. Soon the Maina’s biometric was discontinue as the PTAD spent 8 billion Naira for the same biometric exercise that was done with 2.1 billion Naira earlier. This is a clear indication that Maina was mainly framed up by the Jonathan’s administration because during it reign, it was a taboo not to be corrupt.
    “We wish to use this medium to appeal to Mr President to look into the substance of the allegations and counter allegations by providing Mr Maina with adequate security and make Maina face the Nigeria public by telling his own side of the story. This we believe will expose all the corrupt leaders hiding under the absence of Mr Maina. It could be true that treasury looters are getting back at him to save their own heads.

  • Maina: Garba Shehu has lost capacity for rational thinking-PDP

    Maina: Garba Shehu has lost capacity for rational thinking-PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari’s media aide, Mallam Garba Shehu to go for a mental evaluation.

    The advice followed Shehu’s statement accusing past officials of the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration of being responsible for bringing the fugitive ex Pensions Reform boss, Abdulrasheed Maina back into the civil service.

    However, Maina’s family members have come out to say that Maina, who was dismissed by the Jonathan administration, was brought back to the civil service by top officials in the Buhari administration.

    In a statement on Thursday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the party described Shehu’s statement as the height of absurdity.

    The statement read, “We are not surprised on the postulation by Alhaji Garba Shehu in which he blamed the former administration of Goodluck Jonathan as being responsible for the return of fugitive Abdulrasheed Maina. This is to say the least the height of absurdity.

    “The shenanigans surrounding the return of Maina who was under investigation and sacked by the previous administration of PDP is an issue Nigerians are privy to and even Maina’s immediate family have come out openly with their position that President Buhari was responsible for his return.

    “May we, therefore, remind Garba Shehu in case he has forgotten, that the current administration is that of the APC and not PDP, so we wonder how PDP will be responsible for the mess created by President Buhari and his cabal.

    “We had earlier in our response on this matter advised the government to properly investigate those responsible for this mess and bring them to justice and we still stand on that, because Nigerians are tired of excuses and blame game.

    “We reiterate that the body language of this APC government in the fight against corruption is mere propaganda and road-show. The idea of blaming every misdemeanour on previous administration is symptomatic of failure to deliver on promises. It’s time Garba Shehu and his likes resigned if they have nothing more to contribute in government.

    “Finally, we urge the APC led government to re-evaluate the inclusion of the likes of Garba Shehu in the administration. A man who is fixated on blaming each and every mistake of this government on the PDP has certainly run out of ideas, and must even have lost the capacity for rational thinking. We wonder the damage he may be causing to this country with his continuous stay as an Assistant to the President”.

  • ‘Maina was appointed to check corruption’

    ‘Maina was appointed to check corruption’

    Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Mohammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity has denied claims by the family of wanted former Chairman of the defunct Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina that the administration of President Buhari invited him back into country.

    The family had in a press conference on Wednesday said the administration of President Buhari appealed to Maina based on his sterling record at the scheme to key into the change agenda.

    But Shehu in a two-paragraph statement issued on Wednesday night in Abuja, said the family claim is ridiculous, freshly minted falsehood and should be discarded by well-meaning citizens.

    He said: “The claim that the Buhari administration invited the wanted Abdulrasheed Maina back into country is a freshly minted falsehood. Nobody should believe that. The family that made that claim simply wanted to be ridiculous. Please ignore them”.

    The presidential aide, had on Tuesday also issued a disclaimer on a group-photograph of President Buhari, Senate President Bukola Saraki and a member of the House of Representatives, Ado Doguwa, being circulated in the social media in which Doguwa, was mistaken to be Abdulrasheed Maina.

    “There is a photograph all over the Social Media of President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Bukola Saraki and Hon. Ado Garba Doguwa Alhassan being mistaken to be the embattled ex-chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina.

    “Doguwa is the Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency of Kano State.

    “Doguwa represented the Speaker of the House of Representatives at the special Jummat prayers to mark the nation’s 57th year anniversary at the Presidential Villa weeks ago, as the Speaker could not attend the event because he is a Christian. Please be guided!’’

    Maina was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan as Chairman of the task force in 2010 to check the corruption in the country’s pension system.

    In 2012, the Nigeria Police accused him of misappropriating N100 billion pension funds in connivance with others. The Civil Service Commission also reportedly dismissed him for absconding from duty.

    Maina was arraigned in absentia by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which declared him wanted in 2015.

    He has also been on the wanted list of the International Police Organisation, (INTERPOL).

    INTERPOL had February last year issued a red alert on Maina, who was believed to have fled the country following his dismissal by the Civil Service Commission in 2015 for N2.1Billion pension fund. (NAN)

  • Malami, Oyo-Ita attend FEC, Danbazzau absent

    Malami, Oyo-Ita attend FEC, Danbazzau absent

    Some cabinet members linked to the recall to service of the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, attended the Federal Executive Council ( FEC ) meeting on Thursday.
    Maina, who was on the run for alleged N2 billion scam, got back into service without the knowledge of President Muhammadu Buhari.
    The President, on Monday had ordered disengagement of Maina from service and immediate investigation of how he was recalled.
    Those linked to the recall who attended FEC on Wednesday included the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
    Malami, who arrived the Council chamber around 10:53 a.m had discussions with the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, before the rendition of the National anthem.
    The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, who was also linked to the issue, arrived the Council chamber around 10:54 a.m.
    But the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Danbazzau, whose Ministry Maina was posted to, was absent when the FEC meeting started on Thursday.
    The meeting commenced when President Buhari arrived the Council Chamber around 11 a.m.

    BREAKING: Police, DSS seal off venue of PANDEF’s Assembly in Port Harcourt

  • Presidency: Jonathan govt officials, Maina shared loot

    Presidency: Jonathan govt officials, Maina shared loot

    The Presidency yesterday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lacked the moral right to criticise President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration over the botched reinstatement of Abdulrasheed Maina.

    Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu described Maina as one of the monsters created by the former PDP government which are still active long after the party was defeated in the 2015 election.

    He said: “Over and over again, the President Buhari government has pointed out that the administration’s greatest problem is the mess left behind by the previous government. Maina is just one more example

    “Top officials in the PDP government, from sectoral heads, to those charged with responsibility for law and order received some of these billions of naira from Maina.

    “We have all the transaction records and these are matters that the EFCC has been pursuing to ensure that they all have their day in court.”

    Shehu alleged that some influential officials loyal to the previous government might have been the invisible hands in the return of Maina to the public service, despite being on the EFCC’s wanted list.

    He assured Nigerians that President Buhari was determined to get to the bottom of the impunity that led to Maina’s reinstatement.

    “Everything will be uncovered in due course

    “This just goes to show us the scale of corruption that this government is fighting. And, as we can all see, corruption keeps fighting back viciously.” Shehu added.

    The PDP said on Monday that it was “not too shocked at the steps taken by the administration of the All Progressives Congress in reinstating a supposed criminal and fugitive, Abdulrasheed Maina to office instead of getting him arrested.”

    Barely 24 hours after his houses were sealed off by EFCC operatives in Kaduna, former Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms Chairman Maina’s family has said he is being persecuted by elements in President Buhari’s administration.

    The family did not name such people.

    They said Maina’s  “persecutions” was the handiwork of a cabal in government, which is witch-hunting him because he did not allow them steal pension fund.

    The Maina family threatened that he would soon open a can of worms, which they said are capable of nailing the cabal.

    The Maina family said he is not a fraudster but someone who worked diligently to save pensioners from thieves, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari was misinformed to have sacked him.

    The family lamented that the “ongoing persecution” by a government that preaches the rule of law is bad, but noted that Maina has documents and facts that would vindicate him and show the true intention of his persecutors.

    Addressing reporters  yesterday in Kaduna, family spokesman Malam Aliyu Maina, who was flanked by Salihu Maina and Ladan Abdullahi, said that the marking of the houses they inherited from their father in Kaduna by the EFCC was wrong. They threatened a legal action to protect their fundamental rights.

    They said that Maina left Nigeria following threats to his life, but President Buhari invited him to come and help his administration.

    Aliyu Maina said:  “It is on record that Abdulrasheed Maina’s reform put a stop to the fraudulent withdrawals of huge sums from both the Nigerian Pension Board, the Nigerian Police Pension Board etc. Perhaps it is this noble effort that made him enviable to the present administration when they came into power to convince him to come back and assist in its “Change” agenda.”

    “Abdulrasheed was in fact invited by this administration and he was promised security to come and clean up the mess and generate more revenue to the government by blocking leakages.”

    “He succumbed to the present administration and came back to Nigeria. He has been working with the DSS for quite some time and he was given necessary security.

    “There is a letter from the attorney-general of the federation where he gave his own legal opinion regarding the court verdict which was submitted to the Civil Service Commission and the Head of Service respectively. So, one wonders why all the agencies and various individuals responsible for his return are now denying,” he said.

    He, however, said that “you must have noticed the recent attempt by some cabal to ridicule and tarnish the image of the Maina family in the media. Where our brother, Abdulrasheed Maina has been blackmailed as a fraudster.

    “The cabals have gone to the extent of marking our house in red paints with an inscription of EFCC under investigation. The EFCC is wrong in their action because Abdulrasheed inherited so many properties from his late father in Kaduna and Abuja, some of them were built before he was born so how could he have acquired them fraudulently.

    “The entire family of Abdullahi Maina is categorically stating that our son is not in anyway a fraudster, rather he is a messiah who brought reforms into Nigerian Pension Scheme, whose effort saw the disappearance of pensioners roaming the streets of Abuja and other state capital in Nigeria”.

    According to the family, the actions may have been targeted at not Maina but high above, “we are aware that all this act of calumny is not targeted against Abdulrasheed Maina alone but against the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria and the office of the Attorney General. We have contacted our lawyers Messr Mamma Nasir & Co and instructed them to act appropriately.

    “We equally know that Abdulrasheed Maina is in possession of many facts that is against the cabal and interesting to the Nigerian populace, which he will disclose very soon,” the family noted.

  • Maina: PDP lacks moral authority to attack Buhari, says Presidency 

    Maina: PDP lacks moral authority to attack Buhari, says Presidency 

    The Presidency on Wednesday insisted that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has no moral right to level any accusations against the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration over Abdulrasheed Maina, the embattled former head of the presidential team on pension reforms.

    In a statement released to the media on Wednesday, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity (SSA Media), described Maina as one of the monsters created by the former PDP government, and which are still rearing their ugly heads long after the Party was soundly defeated in the 2015 elections.

    “Over and over again, the President Buhari government has pointed out that the administration’s greatest problem is the mess left behind by the previous government. Maina is just one more example,” he said.

    Referring to document records from the investigations that led to the disgrace of the former pension boss and his being declared wanted by the EFCC, Malam Shehu noted that Maina was not the only top member of the former government involved in the multibillion naira pensions scandal, but a man warmly ensconced in the bosom of power.

    “Top officials in the PDP government, from sectoral heads, to those charged with responsibility for law and order received some of these billions of naira from Maina,” the SSA Media said.

    “We have all the transaction records and these are matters that the EFCC has been pursuing to ensure that they all have their day in court.”

    Malam Shehu hinted that some influential officials loyal to the previous government may have been the invisible hand in the latest scandal that saw the return of Maina to the public service, despite being on the EFCC’s wanted list.

    He, however, assured Nigerians that President Buhari was determined to get to the bottom of the matter of the impunity that led to Maina’s reinstatement.

    “Everything will be uncovered in due course,” he said.

    “This just goes to show us the scale of corruption that this government is fighting. And, as we can all see, corruption keeps fighting back viciously,” he said.

  • Maina family rises in defence of son

    Maina family rises in defence of son

    Barely 24 hours after his properties were sealed by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Kaduna, family members of the embattled former chairman of Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina have cried out that their son is being persecuted by corrupt elements in President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

    They said, the ongoing ‘persecutions’ of Abdulrasheed Maina, was the handiwork of a cabal in government, which is witch-hunting him because he did not allow them steal pension fund.

    The Maina family however threatened that, Abdulrasheed will soon open the can of worm, as regard facts in his possession which they said are capable of nailing the cabals in his pursuit.

    The Abdullahi Maina family said that their son is not a fraudster but someone who worked diligently to save pensioners from thieves, adding that his recent sack by President Muhammadu Buhari was because Mr President was misinformed. The family lamented that the ongoing persecution by a government that preaches the rule of law is bad, but noted that Abdulrasheed is in possession of documents and facts that would vindicate him and show the true intention of his persecutors.

    Addressing the media Wednesday in Kaduna, spokesman of the Maina family, Malam Aliyu Maina, who was flanked by Salihu Maina and Ladan Abdullahi, said that the marking of the houses they inherited from their father in Kaduna by the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is wrong, but they are ready to take legal recourse to protect their fundamental rights.

    They said that Abdulrasheed left Nigeria following threats to his life, only for President Muhammadu Buhari to invite him to come and help his administration. “You must have noticed the recent attempt by some cabal to ridicule and tarnish the image of the Maina family in the media. Were our brother, Abdulrasheed Maina has been blackmailed as a fraudster.

    “The cabals have gone to the extent of marking our house in red paints with an inscription of E.F.C.C under investigation. The EFCC is wrong in their action because Abdulrasheed inherited so many properties from his late father in Kaduna and Abuja, some of them were built before he was born so how could he have acquired them fraudulently.

    “The entire family of Abdullahi Maina is categorically stating that our son is not in any way a fraudster, rather he is a messiah who brought reforms into Nigerian Pension Scheme, whose effort saw the disappearance of pensioners roaming the streets of Abuja and other state capital in Nigeria.

    “It is on record that Abdulrasheed Maina’s reform put to a stop the fraudulent withdrawals of huge sums from both the Nigerian Pension Board, the Nigerian Police Pension Board etc. Perhaps it is this noble effort that made him enviable to the present administration when they came into power to convince him to come back and assist in its “Change” agenda.”

    According to the family, the recent actions may have been targeted at not Maina but high above, “we are aware that all this act of calumny is not targeted against Abdulrasheed Maina alone but against the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria and the office of the Attorney General. We have contacted our lawyers Messr Mamma Nasir & Co and instructed them to act appropriately.

    “We equally know that Abdulrasheed Maina is in possession of many facts that is against the cabal and interesting to the Nigerian populace, which he will disclose very soon,” the family noted.

     

  • Association urges Buhari to reshuffle cabinet

    Association urges Buhari to reshuffle cabinet

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria ( ASCSN ) on Wednesday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to reshuffle his cabinet.

    The call followed the controversy generated by the reinstatement of a former Chairman of Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina.

    The Association’s General Secretary, Mr Alade Lawal, made the appeal in a statement in Lagos.

    He said it was regrettable that Maina, who was sacked in 2013 for about N2 billion pension funds fraud, was “smuggled back” into the Federal Civil Service by key government officials.

    “Information made available shows that the Attorney-General of the Federation ( AGF ) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami ( SAN ) and the Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahaman Dambazau know about the issue.

    “The information shows that they cannot be entirely extricated from the conspiracy that led to the illegal re-absorption of Maina into the Civil Service,” he said.

    Lawal commended the President for sacking Maina, but urged the Nigerian leader to  to also sack those who were bent on ruining his reputation as a man of integrity.

    He said that the consistent and persistent acts of impunity by some individuals in the cabinet had continued to embarrass the government.

    “If the President does not replace some of his personal aides that are besmearing the image of his government, the impression will continue to be created that he may be privy to their actions,” he said.

    Lawal said that it was absurd that somebody that was declared wanted by the EFCC and the International Police (Interpol) could arrive in the country and resume duty as a an Ag.Director in the Ministry of Interior without being apprehended.

    He said it was unfortunate that such impunity had continued to give the country a bad image in the comity of nations.

    Lawal said that those who conspired to reinstate Maina and gave him double promotion should be disciplined to serve as deterent to others.

    He cited the Public Service Rule 030413 which stated that any officer who abandoned his or her duty post would be dismissed from service.

    NAN