Buhari has to fire Abubakar Malami

It was at a time when the Muhammadu Buhari administration didn’t know who to blame for Maina’s shameful reinstatement at the federal civil service.

It was a time when the heads of the civil service, minister of interior and attorney general, all traded blames over the recall of a fugitive who is still alleged to have fleeced pensioners of billions of Naira before disappearing into thin air.

As the fog cleared following Maina’s sack by the president on October 23, 2017, Malami had most fingers pointed his way for Maina’s recall.

Reinstatement

In December of 2017, I wrote a pieceasking Buhari to sack Malami as his attorney general on the heels of the Maina saga.

Below are a few excerpts from that article.

“According to latest revelations from the Maina hearing, President Buhari’s chief law officer flew all the way to Dubai to plead with Maina to return; and then facilitated Maina’s reinstatement into the federal civil service.

“Before television cameras and a battery of newsmen, Malami couldn’t deny outright that he committed the act of reinstating Maina who was dismissed from the government’s payroll in 2013 for allegedly defrauding pensioners of billions of naira through the pension reforms task force.

“There are several pieces of the jigsaw sufficient enough to arrive at the conclusion that Malami it was who penned the letters to the civil service commission and the interior ministry; demanding that Maina be reinstated.

"The man hasn’t denied the allegations. Instead, he’s deployed evasive tactics and confusing legal speak to explain why he ferried someone who is running away from the law back into the civil service”, I had written.

Stopping the senate

On Monday, January 8, 2017, TheCable filed an exclusive piece wherein it was stated that Maina has filed a suit at the federal high court in Abuja as he attempts to prevent the senate from probing Maina’s shady reinstatement.

On October 24, 2017, the senate had mandated its public service, internal affairs, anti-corruption, establishment and judiciary committee to probe the circumstances surrounding Maina’s reinstatement.

ALSO READ: Magu says there are people protecting Maina

In his suit, Malami avers that “the National Assembly cannot legitimately regulate the employment, attendance at work, disengagement, reinstatement and or promotion of a civil servant, which are matters exclusively within the purview of the Federal Civil Service Commission under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria1999 (as amended).

“The National Assembly lacks the legislative competence to investigate the employment, attendance at work, disengagement, reinstatement and or promotion of a civil servant which are matters exclusively within the purview of the Federal Civil Service Commission under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria1999 (as amended).

“The power of investigation vested in the National Assembly by section 88 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is limited and such that can only be exercised within the confines of Section 88 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)”.

Brazen show of support

It is shocking to see the chief law officer of an administration that purports to fight corruption, sticking out his neck for someone who has been accused of theft on a grand scale and who remains a blot on the Buhari anti-corruption agenda.

That Malami would file a suit in support of Maina, obliterates whatever doubt there was that he was behind the recall of the fugitive to government payroll.

Before lawmakers in November, Malami denied that he has anything to do with Maina’s reinstatement. He can’t even deny that now with all the evidence staring him in the face.

ALSO READ: Court stops Malami from blocking Senate investigation into reinstatement scandal

When an appointee of government becomes this brazen in their crookedness and sleight of hand, it’s always a wise thing to pull the rug from under their feet by relieving them of their jobs. Buhari has little choice in this matter.

Abubakar Malami really has to go.

For each day he continues to serve in this administration, he makes a mockery of the Buhari anti-corruption agenda and leaves the rest of us horribly mortified.