The family of former Pensions boss, Abdulrasheed Maina, yesterday, alleged that their son was reinstated by the Federal Government because he is a messiah that reformed the Pension scheme.
Insisting that Maina is not a fraudster, spokesperson of the family, Aliyu Maina accused a “cabal” of being behind the travails of the ex-Pension boss.
Speaking at a news conference in Kaduna, Aliyu said based on Maina’s “sterling record” at the scheme, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari appealed to him to key into the “change agenda”.
Wondering why the government is denying their son, Aliyu alleged that the Department of State Services (DSS) gave Maina protection.
“It is on record that Abdulrasheed Maina’s reform put to a stop the fraudulent withdrawal of huge sums from both the Nigerian Pension Board, the Nigerian Police Pension Board. Perhaps it is his noble efforts 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 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.”
“As you know Abdulrasheed Maina had been a target of in the past, so experience is the best teacher. But when his security is guaranteed, he will surface from wherever he is and tell Nigerians the truth.
“All the same, we have contacted our solicitors, Messrs Mamman Nasir & Co and instructed them to act appropriately. We equally know that Abdulrasheed Maina is in possession of so facts that are against the cabal and interesting to the Nigerian populace, which he will disclose soonest. One must ask whether it is an offence for somebody to serve his fatherland.”
Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said his involvement in the controversial recall of Maina into the civil service did not “breach public interest”.
Malami, the Head of the Federal Civil Service, Winifred Oyo-Ita and Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, were involved in Maina’s posting to the interior ministry, according to documents published by online medium, TheCable.
Maina, ex-chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), was accused of being involved in pension fraud running into over N100 billion.
After being declared wanted by the police, Maina went into hiding and reportedly fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He was dismissed from the federal civil service in 2013 for absconding from duty.
Malami while denying any wrongdoing in the same vein as Oyo-Ita and Dambazau — described the saga as a “grand conspiracy”.
The attorney-general said he will tell Nigerians “the truth” about the incident when he responds to the senate’s summon.
“I am a legal practitioner, who is always guided by law and public interest and will therefore not do anything that deviates from the law or breaches public interest.
“I will not however talk until I get clearance from my principal on the matter and I look forward to addressing anxious Nigerians on the matter when I appear before the senators,” the minister said.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday sealed off four houses and two companies allegedly belonging to Maina.
