Buhari meets interior minister, Dambazau

chika ebuzor

November 3, 2017 7:34 AM

Sources say the meeting was to clear the dust raised by the re-instatement of the former Pension reforms boss, Abdulrasheed Maina.

President Buhari held a closed door meeting with the Minister of Interior, Lt. General Abdulrahman Dambazau (Rtd.) on Thursday, November 2, 2017.

Dambazau and the Head of Service, Mrs. Winifred E. Oyo-Ita were accused of employing Maina.

You will recall that Dambazau, on Sunday, October 22, 2017, in a statement signed by his press secretary, Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, said the ex-pension boss was recalled through the office of the head of service.

The statement 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.

"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.

ALSO READ:Head of civil service denies Maina's reinstatement

"It is understood that Maina’s last posting was with the Ministry of Interior, and that is probably why he was re-posted back to the Ministry.

"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. Again Such responsibility is that of the Federal Civil Service Commission and/or the Head of Civil Service."

Abdulrasheed Maina’s saga has made some Nigerians question the authenticity of President Buhari’s war against corruption.

chika ebuzor