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Tag: Maina

  • Maina: Senate grills AGF in secret

    Maina: Senate grills AGF in secret

    Anxious reporters who attempted to cover the investigative hearing yesterday were asked to leave the venue because the probe was not open for coverage.

    The sensitivity of the issues surrounding Maina’s surreptitious return might have informed the decision of the committee to hold its meeting in secret.

    Committee Chairman Senator Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa Central), who asked reporters to leave after brief opening remarks, praised the AGF for appearing before the committee to make a presentation on his alleged involvement in the return and reinstatement of Maina.

    Paulker explained that the committee was mandated by the Senate to carry out the investigation following a motion by Senator Isah Hamma Misau (Bauchi Central) under a matter of urgent public importance.

    Apart from Senator Paulker, who is chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment, other members of the ad-hoc committee include Senator David Umaru, Chairman, Senate Committee on Judicairy, Legal Matters and Human Rights, Senator Andy Uba, Chairman Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Senator Babajide Omoworare, Chairman, Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance.

     

  • Reps to EFCC: Fish out Maina

    Reps to EFCC: Fish out Maina

    The House of Representatives has written the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes  Commission (EFCC) Mr. Ibrahim Magu to arrest and prosecute the former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina.

    The decision of the Representatives was conveyed in a letter through the Clerk  to the National Assembly, Mr. M. A. Sani-Omolori .

    The November 7 letter was in line with the House’s resolution of  October 24.

    In the letter, the House urged EFCC to “immediately arrest the former Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, for prosecution “in order to serve as deterrent to others who might have corrupt tendencies”.

    “The House of Representatives has already constituted an Ad-Hoc Committee charged with the responsibility of investigating the circumstances surrounding the re-surfacing, re-absorbing and subsequent elevation of Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina from the rank of Assistant Director (the position he held before he was removed in 2013, to the position of an Acting Director) and to recommend strong sanctions against any person or persons who are implicated in the scandal.”

    A source said: “Maina, who is the subject of investigation for alleged pension fraud, slipped into the country a few months ago and was sensationally reabsorbed into the civil service and promoted acting director.

    “He remains on the wanted list of the EFCC, which last week published a fresh wanted person notice on the suspect.

    “The EFCC called on anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact the commission or report to the nearest police station.

    “The suspect has not been seen in public since an online media published news of his dubious reinstatement into the public service.”

    The EFCC declared Maina wanted for his alleged role in the fraudulent biometric contracts through which he and former Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye and two others allegedly mismanaged over N2billion of pension funds.

    Maina was also on July 21, 2015 charged alongside Oronsaye , Osarenkhoe Afe and Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited before a Federal High Court with a 24-count charge bordering on procurement fraud and obtaining by false pretence.

    Oronsaye and two others were in court and pleaded not guilty to the charge Maina has been at large.

     

  • Borno Professionals seek open investigation of Maina

    Borno Professionals seek open investigation of Maina

    The Borno Young Professionals have called for an open investigation of the former Chairman of the Pension Reform Taskforce, Abdulrasheed Maina.

    The group who revealed this at a news conference in Abuja yesterday said an open investigation of Maina will enable Nigerians to know the truth of the matter.

    The Coordinator of the group, Mshelia Suleiman who spoke on behalf of other member of the group said Maina has done so much for Nigeria in terms of Pension restructuring and recovery of looted public funds.
    He said, “About a month ago, the air wave of the country is characterized with the news of Mr Maina being reinstated and disengaged by the Federal Government without any recourse to the looted pension funds recovered by Mr Maina’s Pension Reform Committee PRTT.

    “It is a sad moment for us the entire people of Borno that a country with the image of Anti corruption could still behave like that of the celebrated corrupt era without informing Nigerians and the world, the bold steps taken to curb corruption through the PRTT headed by our son, Abdulrasheed Maina.
    “Gentlemen of the press, it is disheartening to hear that, after the recovery of N1.6tr by Mallam Maina and his committee, (which has the Efcc as an integral part), the same Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC would now be accusing Maina of mismanaging N2.1bn which was not given to him and his committee but paid directly to contractors and officials of EFCC, ICPC, PRESENT DG NIA, REP OF ACCOUNTANT GENERAL, REPRESENTATIVEW OF CG IMMIGRATION, POLICE, PRISONS AND CUSTOMS through the office of the Head of Service of the Federation only to be supervised by the PRTT lead by Mr Maina. It is also on public domain that the former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan approved 3,4% of the total recovered funds for the committee as compensation which up to this moment, our son is yet to benefit from.
    “We must let the world know that, the various allegations by the EFCC against the person of Alhaji Abdulrasheed Abdulallihi Maina is a calculated campaign not only against his person but the entire Borno young professionals. The Chairman of EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Mustapha Magu is also from Borno and have being working with Alhaji Maina, he knows his importance to the Nation.This is true because, as a professional, you may not be bold to deliver the needed services when given a serious assignment that regards corrupt elements in the country. This is corruption fighting back and some interested government officials not being sincere to Nigerians by letting the world know what has actually transpired as a result of Alhaji Mainas unblemished and courageous job as chairman of the PRTT.
    “We the Borno youths shall not allow our brother, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina to come out except the Federal Government sets up a Pannel that is equivalent to that of Justice Oputa where every trial will be done in the open for Nigerians to know the actual details of what took place while he held fort as the chairman of PRTT.
    “We say no to political investigation, it must be open, the EFCC is NOT CLEAN TO EVEN START INVESTIGATING AN ISSUE THEY ACTIVELY TOOK PART. We must tell Nigerians the real pension thieves. Intimidation will not work in this 21st century because people voted the Government and as such must be seen to be checkmating any institution that constitutes itself as the ALFA AND OMEGA OF SINCERITY. Mr Yusuf Teidi had accused some senators of the 7th Senate of of having taken bribe of N3bn through Sen. Etuk of the 7th senate earlier than now.
    “President Muhammadu Buhari belongs to everybody, we believed that he is being shaded from the truth, Mr President must do justice to the people especially the pensioners by ensuring that, the N3tr stashed in the 97 other pension offices and mini outfits as revealed by our brother’s letter to the senate are fully recovered. What crime has our son committed? That he was given an assignment to restructure pension and he did it by blocking loopholes where funds were being siphoned through is now an offense? He recovered so much money, investments, properties etc and the same system is being used to crush him right infront of Nigerians and we were beclouded by the paid media frenzy without looking in between the lines. WHY ARE WE NOT ASKING FOR THE WHEREABOUT OF THE RECOVERED FUNDS AND MONEY N1.63TR INSTEAD THEY ARE PUSHING US TO LOOK AT A MEAGRE N2BN ALLEGATION AS COMPARED TO N1.63TR HABA NIGERIANS?? IS THE N2BN CLOSE TO WHAT MAINA OUGHT TO BE PAID FIR THESE RECOVERIES?? AND WHY DONT WE AS A NATION UNDERSTAND THAT THE APPROVAL GIVEN BY PRESIDENT BUHARI TO BRING MAINA TO RECOVER MORE LOOTED FUNDS IS A BLESSING TO NIGERIA.

    “ANOTHER POSER IS; HOW MUCH LOOPHOLES OF STEALLING BILLIONS HAS MAINA BLOCKED SINCE HIS RETURN TO NIGERIA IN JANUARY THIS YEAR. NIGERIANS SHOULD ASK QUESTION AND NOT TAKE ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING FROM THE MEDIA.
    “If President Buhari sets up an open investigative Pannel, we guarranttee Nigerians that MAINA would be more celebrated and many corrupt Nigerians will run away and leave their jobs. That is why an institution is being used to concoct fabricated stories by coercing some staffers of head of service into writing baseless stories against MAINA. LETS HAVE THE PANEL AND SEE ITS AFTERMATH.

    “Nigerians are too wise to abandon N1.6tr in pursue of N2.1bn. We can not be distracted by the diversionary tactics of mischievous persons who are out to sabotage the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari at this critical time that Alhaji Maina is helping the government.

    “We want to thank the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami who stands on the part of truth by ensuring that Nigerians know the details of the reinstatement of our brother, Alhaji Maina and its legality. This is how a man of honour and integrity is recognized. We know that Malami has been the strongest supporter and corruption free minister in the Buhari Government and this is no news to all.
    “We are not deterred, we believe in justice, we are committed to the Anti corruption war of President Buhari and shall do our best to rid our country of corruption”he said.

  • Falana seeks sanction against indicted officials in Maina’s recall

    Falana seeks sanction against indicted officials in Maina’s recall

    Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to take action against officials involved in the controversial recall of former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms Abdulrasheed Maina.

    In a statement issued yesterday titled: “President Buhari should act with dispatch on Mainagate”, the rights activist said “time is certainly not on the side of President Buhari”.

    Although the Federal Government has promised not to sweep the Mainagate under the carpet, Falana contended that the handling of the scandal generated by Maina’s recall has eroded the credibility of the anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration.

    He said: “Therefore, the sanctions, which the Federal Government will mete out to all the officials who conspired to expose the administration and the nation to such avoidable shame will make or mar the fight against corruption and impunity, which is the cornerstone of the domestic and foreign policy thrust of the administration.”

    Falana’s advice was sequel to a statement credited to Maina’s family, accusing Buhari administration of official betrayal.

    He noted that at a news conference in Kaduna two weeks ago, the spokesman for the Abdulrasheed Maina’s family, Mr. Aliyu Maina, had stated that “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 has been working with the DSS for quite some time and he was given necessary security. So, one wonders why all the agencies and various individuals responsible for his return are now denying”.

    But Falana contended that those who recalled Maina, “deliberately set out to subvert the anti-corruption policy of the Buhari administration”.

    He argued that through such demonstration of impunity, the officials involved have exposed the country to ridicule before the comity of nations.

    “In view of the revelation of the family, which has not been denied, it is crystal clear that the highly placed officials of the Federal Government, who brought Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina back to the country, gave him a clean bill of health, provided him with “necessary security”, reinstated him, promoted him and paid his arrears of salaries and allowances totalling N22 million deliberately set out to subvert the anti-corruption policy of the Buhari administration,” the senior lawyer said.

    Falana described the payment of N22 million to Maina as “the height of insensitivity to pay arrears of salaries to a fugitive at a time when hundreds of thousands of workers and pensioners are owed arrears of their legitimate emoluments”.

    The senior advocate queried: “Having found Maina and exonerated him, why was Interpol not informed that he was no longer wanted to stand trial for his role in the unprecedented pension fraud?

    “Since Mr. Maina’s ‘necessary security’ provided by the State Security Service has not been withdrawn, why is the Federal Government requesting the Interpol to declare him wanted again? Will Interpol believe that a man, who was provided with ‘necessary security’ cannot be found by the Federal Government? Why is the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission asking Nigerians to assist in searching for the fugitive?”

  • Still on return of Maina

    Sir: The return of the controversial ex-head of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina into the country has ignited a firestorm.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had asked for a report on the issue to be submitted to him by the Head of the Civil Service of the federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita on the circumstances surrounding Maina’s re absorption and promotion to the post of a Director in the civil service. She has submitted the report to the President.

    But Maina has not being silent. In an interview he granted a television station whose video is currently trending online, he said that he is being subjected to relentless persecution and media trial because he stopped pension thieves from stealing N5.32 billion monthly from the office of the Head of Service and the Police Pension Office. His family have also risen stoutly in his defence. They say that their son is not a thief and that he was brought back into the country by agents of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to continue the good work he left unfinished in 2013. They claimed that the houses seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission were houses built by Maina’s father long before Maina was born and so could not have been bought with the proceeds of crime.

    Oyo-Ita’s leaked memo to the President which indicates that the President not only had prior knowledge but also ordered Maina’s reabsorption and promotion in the civil service is a knotty issue. Oyo-Ita’s leaked memo also revealed that she briefed Buhari verbally about the implications of the reinstatement of Maina especially the damaging impact on the anti-corruption war of the administration. But she failed to tell us what Buhari’s reaction was or if he said anything in response in her memo. Also, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami claimed that he acted purely in national interest. He needs to tell us what that national interest is. These and many more are the questions agitating the minds of Nigerians concerning the Maina case and the President needs to move fast in order to lay to rest these issues if he still wants to retain public confidence in his administration’s anti-graft war.

     

    • Peter Ovie Akus,

    Ifo, Ogun State.

  • ‘Mainagate’: Buhari must act now, anti-corruption crusade marred- Falana

    ‘Mainagate’: Buhari must act now, anti-corruption crusade marred- Falana

    Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari quickly take action against all officials involved in the controversial recall of the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina.

    He said in a statement issued on Sunday titled, “President Buhari should act with dispatch on Mainagate” that “time is certainly not on the side of President Buhari”.

    Although the federal government has promised not to sweep the Mainagate under the carpet, Falana contended that the handling of the scandal generated by the recall of Maina has eroded the credibility of the anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration.

    “Therefore, the sanctions which the Federal Government will mete out to all the officials who conspired to expose the administration and the nation to such avoidable shame will make or mar the fight against corruption and impunity which is the cornerstone of the domestic and foreign policy thrust of the administration.”

    Falana’s advice was sequel to a statement credited to the family of Abdulrasheed Maina, accusing Buhari administration of official betrayal.

    He recalled that at a press conference in Kaduna two weeks ago, the spokesman for the Abdulrasheed Maina’s family, Mr. Aliyu Maina, had stated that “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 has been working with the DSS for quite some time and he was given necessary security. So, one wonders why all the agencies and various individuals responsible for his return are now denying, ” Maina’s spokesman stated.

    In his reaction to the development, Falana contended that those who recalled Maina, “deliberately set out to subvert the anti-corruption policy of the Buhari administration”.

    He argued that through such demonstration of official impunity, the officials involved have exposed the country to ridicule before the comity of nations.

    “In view of the revelation of the family which has not been denied, it is crystal clear that the highly placed officials of the federal government who brought Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina back to the country, gave him a clean bill of health, provided him with “necessary security”, reinstated him, promoted him and paid his arrears of salaries and allowances totalling N22 million deliberately set out to subvert the anti-corruption policy of the Buhari administration,” he said.

    Falana described the payment of N22 million to Maina as “the height of insensitivity to pay arrears of salaries to a fugitive at a time when hundreds of thousands of workers and pensioners are owed arrears of their legitimate emoluments”.

    “Having found Maina and exonerated him, why was Interpol not informed that he was no longer wanted to stand trial for his role in the unprecedented pension fraud? “, he asked.

    He further asked: “Since Mr. Maina’s “necessary security” provided by the State Security Service has not been withdrawn,  why is the federal government requesting the Interpol to declare him wanted again?

    “Will Interpol believe that a man who was provided with “necessary security” cannot be found by the federal government? Why is the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission asking Nigerians to assist in searching for the fugitive?”

  • Maina embraces media war

    Maina embraces media war

    Horrified that his enemies seemed to have a stranglehold on the media, where he is daily disparaged in terms and language that exacerbate his alleged crimes and troubles, former pension reform panel chairman, Abdulrasheed Maina, has taken to the same platform to answer his critics word for word, insinuation for insinuation, and hyperbole for hyperbole. The outcome appears to be certain, but readers will do well to keep their fingers crossed. Mr Maina was appointed in 2010 by Stephen Oransaye, a former Head of Service, to head a panel to examine pension payments, particularly in view of mounting complaints of exclusion and missing names. Along the line, the mandate of the panel, which had by then been renamed, was expanded to include the issue of reforms. But by 2013, Mr Maina had been relieved of his appointment and declared wanted after he fled trial.

    Four years later, Mr Maina resurfaced in the Ministry of Interior as a promoted director. But barely one month after in October, he had once again been sacked following an outcry over his reinstatement. After many years of silence, and in view of the relentless pummelling he was receiving in the media courtesy of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the former pension reform panel chairman has decided to answer his critics and show them a thing or two about media war. In one of the statements he authorised, he said he was fed up being a long-suffering victim of media traducement. How successful he will be in countering the attacks remains to be seen, for the EFCC seems to have swung the media and image pendulum against him so effectively that it is not clear whatever he planned to say might be of any consequence.

    It is, however, still significant that he is answering his critics back. Discounting the many times in the past three years that the EFCC had had a field day against him, it is equally noteworthy that the EFCC has kept at the luckless Mr Maina with a relentlessness that salves the injured feelings of Nigerians still groaning under the mindless plunder of their treasury. Hear the EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu, have a go at Mr Maina in the media: “We will go after everybody who is involved. I am telling you, we will not spare anybody. (Maina) has people who are protecting him and that has made it difficult for us to get him arrested. You can imagine, he was promoted. It is devastating, it is beyond my understanding…Of course if I knew Maina’s whereabouts why would I be appealing to Nigerians to give us support. We are determined to get to the root of this matter. That’s why we have renewed the investigation. We will retrieve all property or whatever must have been stolen from public funds. This is something that we have done as far back as 2011. The matter has been in court, and Maina was also charged in court. He was arraigned in absentia. I assure you, we will get him sooner or later. The national assembly is supporting us. We are collaborating and we are also giving them support. We have no problem with national assembly.”

    Observe very well the object of the EFCC’s attacks. It is not only Mr Maina on whom the EFCC’s guns are trained. Those who allegedly protect him, and who have made it difficult for the anti-graft agency to pick him up, also come under generous bombardment. If the cap doesn’t fit the Department of State Service (DSS), with whom the EFCC is at dagger’s drawn, and the police, against whom the EFCC appears to maintain uneasy truce, then no other head can be available for any cap. Quietly sensing that his enemies had their backs to him, Mr Magu affirms that the EFCC will go after Mr Maina and all his protectors. But mindful of fighting too many battles at the same time, especially on two formidable fronts, Mr Magu has sent an olive branch to the National Assembly with whom the DSS apparently once swore to the oath of omerta. Whether the legislature will bite that bait is also not known.

    But regardless of the plots of the EFCC and any other person minded to join in the attack against him, Mr Maina has launched a fusillade of his own in the media against his detractors, including the office of the Head of Service which he felt had played a central and even disingenuous role in fomenting the new attacks. Silence was no longer golden. Responding through his spokesman in Kaduna a few days ago, Mr Maina launched his own coup de théâtre. Hear him: “Between the office of the Head of Service and the police pension office, a leakage of N5.32 billion per month was stopped. This is what civil servants steal monthly in the two offices out of the 99 pension offices in the country. Forty three persons were arrested and handed over to the EFCC to prosecute while 222 houses were seized from them…After Maina was driven into exile, N35billion was stolen in the office of the Head of Service.”

    Perhaps unsure whether the effect would be as devastating as he intended, Mr Maina plunged the knife in: “In the current media trial where all manners of stories have been published, there has been a lot of distortion of facts and sometimes outright blackmail, all in an attempt to paint Maina black like Lucifer…After the biometric exercise, there were 71,000 genuine workers in the police pension office who needed N826million to pay them unlike N5.3billion appropriated for them annually. They were pocketing N4.2billion yearly. They devised several ingenious ways to pull these cash out. They pulled out an average of N300million daily Monday to Friday. There are bank alerts to substantiate these assertions. There has been a lot of deliberate cover-up in a well-written script to give Maina a bad name. Emerging evidence has shown that Maina is just a victim of corruption fighting back. The then senate committee, in a bid to crucify Maina, did the hatchet job when they told Nigerians that he stole N195billion. Maina was just a victim of a high power play of some powerful individuals in high places. So, for three years, Maina suffered ‘media trial’, where he was found guilty several times on the pages of newspapers.”

    In effect, until he is arrested, after which he might be unable to present his own side of the story with the eloquence and comprehensiveness he is capable of, Mr Maina seems prepared to fling muck in retaliation for muck. A court of law might be the best place to make all the necessary presentations, but the temptation of muckraking and jousting niftily on media platforms is too tantalising for so adept a Scarlet Pimpernel as Mr Maina to resist. Expect more tit for tat, for the EFCC itself is no pushover in wading in muck.

     

  • 7th Senate supported pension thieves – Maina

    7th Senate supported pension thieves – Maina

    EMBATTLED former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, has written to Senate President Bukola Saraki a letter in which he claimed that pension funds amounting to more than N3 trillion were trapped in 97 pension offices before he fled the country.

    Maina, in the letter dated June 19, 2015, which he wrote shortly after he returned to the country from self-exile, had sought a review of his case and a probe of the various actions taken against him by some people he claimed were bent on intimidating him.

    He also accused the 7th Senate of aiding and abetting pension thieves across the country.

    The letter addressed to Senator Saraki was titled ‘Pension Reform Task Team: Appeal for Review of Investigation Probe by Senate Joint Committee on Establishment and Public Service and States and Local Government Administration 2011-2013.’

    Maina, who recently returned to self-exile following a public uproar against his alleged reinstatement as a director in the Ministry of Interior while he was still wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged embezzlement of N2 billion pension funds, claimed in the letter leaked to newsmen in Kaduna yesterday that his task team, which began operation in January 2011, saved about N1.6 trillion from pension thieves.

    “We used financial intelligence skills to achieve ground-breaking achievements in our assignment. We recovered and saved cash and properties worth over N1.6trillion,” he said.

    According to him, the team’s efforts led to the arrest of 46 persons and firms involved in looting pension funds, who were handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and whose trials were still ongoing.

    The more than N3 trillion Maina said was waiting to be recovered from 97 government agencies was as at 2015.

    The leaked letter indicated that the pension boss resurfaced in the country shortly after the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29, 2015.

    The letter reads: “We, members of Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), wish to use this medium to apologise for our little late response to reaching back to you.

    “We had to put the issues together and source for appurtenant materials. We appreciate your understanding sir.

    “As a refresher, the PRTT was inaugurated on 10th June, 2010 by the immediate past administration of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, with a clear mandate to restructure the Head of Service Pension Office, Police Pension Office, among others.

    “We did our utmost with precision and national interests as our guiding principles

    “The PRTT took off effectively by January 2011.

    “We used financial intelligence skills to achieve ground-breaking achievements in our assignment.

    “We recovered and saved cash and properties worth over N1.6 trillion.

    “Our efforts led to the arrest and prosecution of 46 persons/firms involved in looting of pension funds which we handed to the EFCC. The trials are still ongoing.

    “As it is, there is a leakage of N256 billion monthly from the current IPPIS, which needs to be blocked urgently.

    “We are also aware of some government hidden accounts which needs to be mopped up.

    “We can be used to engage any department of government in sanitising the financial workflow to avoid loose ends that remain susceptible to leakages.

    “Based on the revelations of massive/monumental fraud and outright stealing of pension funds, which was brought to public attention by the PRTT, the 7th National Assembly by resolution dated 2nd November, 2011 mandated its Committee on Establishment and Public Service, State and Local Government Administration, to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the management and administration of pension funds in Nigeria.

    “There was general expectation that the various dimensions of irregularities associated with the management of pension funds in Nigeria would come to an end as a consequence of the investigations being conducted by the Senate Joint Committee.”

    Maina maintained that the Senate Joint Committee ended up creating more problems than solutions to the endemic corruption and fraud prevailing in the system because while the Senate haunted them, it favoured the “pension thieves”.

    “We became objects of corruption fighting us back. From our first appearance before the Senate committee, it was obvious that the entire exercise conducted by the Committee was geared towards discrediting the PRTT,” the letter stated.

    Arguing that before leaving Nigeria, following threats to his life, the PRTT had worked so hard that pension payments stabilised, Maina noted that the biometric system adopted by the team exposed 73,000 ghost pensioners in the office of the Head of Service alone.

    “Some pensioners got backlog of about 30 years paid into their accounts. All payments were ordered under the signature of the Head of Service monthly,” he said.

    He added: “However, the PRTT regrets to observe that rather than achieving the objectives of the spirit and its mandate, which in our view includes but not limited to identifying those responsible for the culture of fraud that characterised the system and bringing them to book, the Senate Joint Committee ended up creating more problems than solutions to the endemic corruption and fraud prevailing in the system.

    “In this context, the PRTT, wishes to state without any fear of contradiction that the Senate Joint Committee’s Report submitted, which was subsequently adopted by the 7th Senate but now quashed by the Federal High Court judgement of the 13th March 2013 in favour of the PRTT’s Chairman, not only failed to address the issues at stake but succeeded in misleading the Senate and the generality of Nigerians about the true picture, nature and scope of problems militating against the efficient management and administration of Pension Funds in Nigeria. Copy of said judgement attached and marked “ANNEXURE1”.”

    Maina also alleged that shortly after he was forced out, the office of the Head of Service was enmeshed in a N35bn fraud. He added that the ICPC conducted investigation into the matter but regretted that “till date, they are yet to commence the prosecution.”

    “Today, it (pension) is worse with the Police pension office where daily so much millions are taken out of pension funds in that office. We have evidence to substantiate this,” he added.

    On his dismissal, Maina said the process was concluded under 36 hours without giving him the opportunity to be heard.

    The letter said: “As we write to you, Abdulrasheed A. Maina has been dismissed from Civil Service for being absent for three days while his life was under threat following gunshot attack on his person in front of Head of Civil Service Office where his office was located in February, 2013. Attached are copies of letters from Nigeria Police Force. “ANNEXURE 3 (a) and (b)”.

    “The Task Team and its leadership were not only denied the opportunity for a fair hearing before being pronounced guilty of all manner of allegations, but even where the Task Team appeared before the Committee, salient facts related to the issues at stake were deliberately ignored.”

    He added that an appeal to the 7th Senate for fair hearing was ignored. As a result, the PRTT approached the Federal High Court Abuja in suit number: FH/ABJ/CS/65/2013. He said the court ruled in his favour on 13th March, 2013 noting that till date, the Senate had yet to appeal the judgment of the court.

    Maina, in the said letter, said: “We are by this letter appealing to the Federal Government in the spirit of CHANGE which the country is witnessing, and the stand of government on corruption, that opportunity be given to us to present the truth about pension management in Nigeria.”

    Reacting to Maina’s letter, the Special Adviser (Media) to the Senate President, Yusuf Olaniyonu, said the present Senate leadership ignored it because the last Senate had taken a decision on the pension matter and there was no reasonable ground to review it.

  • Oyo-Ita angry ‘over leaked memo’

    Oyo-Ita angry ‘over leaked memo’

    Head of Service of the Federation Winifred Oyo-Ita was angry yesterday.

    It was not immediately clear why Mrs Oyo-Ita was in a foul mood at the Council Chambers, but the popular thinking was that it was  over her leaked memo to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    This happened before the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting began at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Her angry reaction was witnessed by all those who were in the Council Chambers for the swearing-in of the new Secretary to the Government or the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and the launch of the 2018 Armed Forces emblem.

    Many Council members were also in the hall.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari were seen discussing with Mrs Oyo-Ita, shortly before the event, which started at 10:55am.

    Mrs. Oyo-Ita, who has never lost her cool in public, was seen angrily gesticulating while trying to make her point in what was obviously a heated argument with Kyari.

    The Head of Service went back to her seat and then rose and headed straight to Osinbajo, who also engaged her in a tête-a-tete over the issue.

    National Security Adviser (NSA) Babagana Monguno joined the conversation after which the Secretary to the Government of the Federation was seen calming  Mrs. Oyo-Ita.

    Deputy Chief of Staff Ade Ipaye asked her to return to her seat when it was obvious that all eyes were on them.

    The drama, which lasted about 10 minutes, was witnessed by Senate President Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, Adamawa State Governor Jibrila Bindu, All Progressives Congress  (APC) National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun, Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, Inspector General of Police and heads of paramilitary service among others.

    A national daily had quoted Mrs. Oyo-Ita, in the leaked memo, as saying she warned the President against the recall of Abdullahi Abdulrasheed Maina. The President sacked Maina last week.

    Maina was in 2013 recommended for dismissal by the Federal Civil Service Commission following a recommendation by the Office of the Head of Service.

    In 2012, he was accused of leading a massive pension fraud scheme amounting to more than N100 billion.

    He was drafted by the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2010 to sanitise the pension system.

  • Maina: EFCC finds £6m pension cash in UK bank

    Maina: EFCC finds £6m pension cash in UK bank

    Detectives have traced about £6m pension funds to a  United Kingdom bank  account  being managed by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation(OHCSF), The Nation learnt yesterday.

    The cash is being suspected to have been tampered with by some government officials.

    Two former Heads of the Civil Service of the Federation(Engr. E. Okeke and Prof. O. A. Afolabi) reportedly did their best to protect the funds from being tampered with.

    Also yesterday, it was learnt that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) had seized more houses believed to be owned by the embattled ex- chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms Task Team, Mr. Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina. He is one of the signatories to the UK bank account.

    Besides, a former EFCC operative has been quoted as saying that he was prepared to speak up on how a minister contacted him to protect Maina.

    But the operative said he would do so on oath if President Muhammadu Buhari raises a Judicial Commission of Enquiry into the mismanagement of pension funds.

    At least N2b is said to have been misappropriated. There are other funds, which are believed to have been stolen.

    A former chairman of EFCC allegedly collected funds for a foreign trip from Maina. But a fact-sheet has debunked the claim.

    The purported N5,476,000 estacodes remitted to the former EFCC chairman  was actually paid into an account in a first generation bank, according to sources close to the investigation of the multibillion naira pension scandal.

    The EFCC has continued its manhunt for Maina. It has located more of his assets.

    A source said: “Our detectives have linked a large farm in Keffi to Maina and we are going to invoke Interim Assets forfeiture Clause in the EFCC (Establishment) Act.

    “We have also sealed off two of the suspect’s houses at No. A5 B. Close and No. 9A  in Kado Estate in Abuja. We have located some houses in Maiduguri too.

    “So far, we have taken possession of the houses in Abuja and Kaduna.”

    There  was a twist yesterday following the release of a fact-sheet, which states that no former EFCC chairman collected N5,476,000 for overseas trips from Maina.

    The document said: “It is hereby stated categorically that the former EFCC chairman never received any payment whatsoever in respect of any trip in OHCSF/Police Pensions and neither embark on such trips.

    “That Estacode payments to the tune of N5,476,000 purportedly made for the Executive Chairman  was discovered to have been paid into the First Bank acct. No. 4033010067733 belonging to one Christian Madubuike who is an account clerk with Police Pension office (PPO).

    “The money was subsequently withdrawn from his account and handed over to Mr. John Yusuf  (AD Accounts PPO). However John Yusuf admitted receiving the monies but claimed that he remitted same to Abdulrasheed Maina.”

    Meanwhile, the EFCC traced about £6m pension funds to the UK  and uncovered 66 pension accounts in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation(OHCSF).

    There was suspicion that the £6m might have been tampered with by some government officials, who are now pension suspects.

    The top source added: “The EFCC has done enough in unraveling pension fraud syndicate in OHCSF, Presidential Pension Reform Task Committee, Police Pension funds and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) check-off dues among others.

    The source said: “It is certainly a huge racket by civil servants some of who are still in the system. For instance, our team uncovered  £6m pension funds in an account in the UK. The money was  for the payment of the pensions of some British colonial officers who served in Nigeria.

    A report on the said account in the UK said: “In respect of the Federal Government 6million pounds sterling investment in the U.K with Crown agents, it is worth noting that the information was discovered as a result of a search executed in the residence of Dr. Shuaibu  Sani Teidi during the course of our investigation.

    “Dr. Shuaibu Sani Teidi failed to disclose the account during his handing over when he was leaving the Head of Service. Mr. Charles Bornant was invited and he confirmed that Dr. Shaibu did not disclose nor include the account in his handing over. Investigation into the account is still ongoing based on relevant information at our disposal.

    “During the course of investigating fraud in the Pension office of the Head of Civil service of the Federation (OHCSF), a search warrant was executed in the residence of Dr. Shaibu Sani Teidi (former director Pension Accounts) where a laptop was recovered. From the analysis of the computer laptop, a document captioned “Report of the visit to Crown Agents Investment United kingdom” was discovered. The document reveals the nature of the investment made by the OHCSF with Crown Agents Investment, UK (copy attached).

    “The Investment Account was brought to the  attention of the OHCSF via a letter with reference No. CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/EGFED/PEN/VOL.1/375 dated 18th February, 2011, while requesting for the following information:

    1. List of Pensioners in Diaspora and their payment point(s)
    2. Records of remittances of funds to all payments point

    iii. Details investment of pension funds with Crown Agents Financial Services

    “On receipt of our letter the OHCSF made further enquiries and responded to us via a letter dated 22nd February, 2011.

    “The following facts emerge from our Investigation.

    1. a) That the OHCSF maintained an overseas investment account with Crown Agent Investment Management United Kingdom titled “Nigeria Federal Civil Service Pension Fund”;
    2. b) That the current Management agreement was drawn on the 23rd of May, 1990, attempt was made to review it between 20th to 22nd January 2009;
    3. c) That the Crown agents have a representative in Nigeria;
    4. d) That the market value of the Fund as at 31/03/2011 was GBP 6,275,176.80;
    5. e) That Engr. E.O Okeke (Head of Service)   and Dr. S.T Shuaibu (Director Pension Accounts) were the signatories to the account between 30th July, 2007 and 6th July, 2011.
    6. f)  That Prof. O.A Afolabi (Head of Service) and Abdulrasheed Maina (Head Pension Task Team) became signatories of the account on 6th July,2011 after our discovery;
    7. g)  That the current signatories to the account were only updated in July 2011, several years after Engr. E.O Okeke retired from Service and Dr. S.T Shuaibu redeployed from OHCSF. Dr. Shuaibu failed  to properly hand over to his predecessor;
    8. h)  That the former Head of service Prof. O.A. Afolabi instructed that the total sum of GBP36,717.68 should be remitted to the Nigerian High Commission office in London for the payment of the outstanding and subsequent pension due to the expatriate (colonial service) pensioners.

    ”Our investigation revealed that the NUP are entitled to 1% only of the total monthly pension as Union Dues, which is being paid by the OHCSF on monthly basis. In view of the above, the OHCSF confirmed that the total amount entitled to NUP between 23rd of April, 2008 and 10th March, 2011 is N780,000,000.00. However, it was discovered that the Union connived with Dr. Sani Shaibu to inflate the figures by N1.5billion.

    “Hence, they were paid the total sum of N2,290,593,322.35 (N2.3billion) from the OHCSF within the period. The President and Secretary of the NUP, Alh Ali Abatcha, and Eleder Actor Zal confessed that they returned the inflated amount to Dr. Shuaibu. The case has been charged to court.”