It is about time, this country puts an end to the character called Adbulrasheed Maina. The saga has been long drawn, dating back several years. In fact, the man was first suspended in 2013. That is four years ago. And it is a crying shame that we still talk about him till date. The only reason that is, is because the man appears to have many supporters, backers or godfathers. It was not surprising therefore, when it was revealed he met with the Attorney General in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms has been dogged by high crime of stealing pension funds even when he was appointed to sanitise public pension template. It appears he got there and decided to join the diggers. The original scam experts became his comrades and together they allegedly pilfered pension funds running into trillions of naira.
At the same time, apart from this unbelievable visit by the country’s Attorney General to this fugitive, Maina’s lawyer said on national television that the man was still drawing salaries even after he was sacked. His lawyer equally claimed that files were passed to him, which he treated in his capacity as assistant director before the elevation to the deputy director position. This kind of behaviour is utterly ridiculous. What kind of system permits this and yet heads are yet to roll.
The greatest perfidy by this Maina of a man was an interview he held with a television station. Apart from the fact that he is still a wanted man, he was bold enough to tell the president that he should sit down with him to discuss how to block the system so that government can make up to three trillion naira. This is unbecoming of a civil servant of his standing. Hear him: “Thank God our President stands for the truth, the unfortunate thing is that some people around him whom he has given trust are lying to him; this one I can attest to and I can give you instances, I can give you documentary evidence,” Maina said.
“I’m appealing to you Mr President, there are so many things people are not telling you; when I get to that public hearing I will tell you some things that nobody ever told you Mr President because I never had the opportunity to sit down with you.”
Trouble with pension funds has turned the man who was very powerful in the last administration as a result of his task force when the senate exposed some of his shenanigans. However, Maina who denied any involvement in the pension fraud claimed that his team, instead, recovered about N282billion for the government and that his life was in danger.
He said he was ready to prove to the President that he was innocent of the allegations against him by recovering N1trillion in three months if given the opportunity.
“I recovered money for the last administration and I recovered money for this administration. Most people may not understand this but let me explain this to Nigerians because I want the truth to be told and I want Nigerians to understand the truth and know what is going on in Nigeria.
“Listen, I am not afraid of anybody, I am saying the truth. People portray themselves as if they are saints around the President; it’s a lie, they are not. We recovered as a team, N282billion cash. Aside from the N282bn, we were able to bring information and caught 43 pension suspects.
“They have threatened me, they have threatened my lawyer, they have threatened my brother, sister; they have threatened us all that I will be killed.
“Mr President, I will give you information and documents that will fetch you over N3trillion now in Nigeria, give me nine months. Within the first three months, I will show you N1trillion just like I showed you N1trillion in this 2017,” he said.
Now this has become a joke taken too far. What gives him the impression that he can just walk in to see the president because of money he claims can be recovered? Why does he think that he doesn’t need to report to EFCC so that he can be heard once and for all? If Maina is sincere, he should damn the consequences and come out from hiding to face his scandal. To call on the president to meet him is uncalled for. He can report to the police or EFCC and the matter will be religiously investigated. The fugitive should not out of desperation begin the process of the dymistification of the Nigerian presidency. It’s time to resolve the Maina question.
