Interior minister denies appointing fugitive, Abdulrasheed Maina

chika ebuzor

October 22, 2017 1:38 PM

This was contained in a statement signed and released by the press secretary to the Honorable Minister of Interior Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, on Twitter.

The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau has denied re-employing Abdulrasheed Maina, a fugitive wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This was contained in a statement signed and released by the press secretary to the Honorable Minister of Interior Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, on Twitter, on Saturday, October 21, 2017.

[No available link text]

Premium Times, in a report, said that Maina was brought back to head the ministry of interior’s human resource department.

According to the report, the former chairman of the Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms was assisted by the minister of justice, Abubakar Malami and his interior ministry counterpart, Abdulrahman Dambazzau.

Maina was accused of allegedly diverting N100b, and was subsequently sacked by the Federal Civil Service Commission on the orders of the Head of Service.

Reports also say he fled the country to the United Arab Emirate after he was charged to court by the EFCC on July 21, 2015, alongside Stephen Oronsaye.

ALSO READ:Ex-Pension boss,

In its reply, the ministry said “The ex-Chairman of the Presidential Task Force Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed 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.”

[No available link text]

The ministry also said “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, of which no Minister exercises such powers as erroneously expressed in this publication.

“It is therefore improper for anybody to think that a Minister could exercise such powers or influence the process of Discipline, re-engagement, and deployment of any civil servant to his Ministry or any other Ministry for that matter.”

ALSO READ:Interpol declares ex-pensions boss,

[No available link text]

Abdulrasheed Maina was appointed as the chairman of the Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2010 to organise the country’s pension system.

chika ebuzor