Perm Sec admits responsibility for Maina’s reinstatement

• Says his return to civil service administratively flawed

• Maina stands dismissed – Oyo-Ita * Not on payroll since 2013 – Adeosun

• Magu: He never handed over recovered properties to EFCC

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Interior, Magaji Aliyu, on Thursday, took full responsibility for the controversial reinstatement of the former Chairman of defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), AbdulRasheed Maina by admitting that the entire process of the reinstatement was administratively flawed.

Aliyu made the admission at the resumed hearing of the investigative hearing being conducted by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee probing the disappearance, reappearance, reinstatement and promotion of the former pension reform czar.

In his testimony, the permanent secretary disclosed that the process to recall and reinstate Maina started before he assumed duties in the interior ministry, adding that he was sick when a reference letter from the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) reached the ministry, which the ministry’s bureaucracy interpreted to mean that Maina should be reinstated back to the civil service.

According to him, because of his health condition, he didn’t go through the letter exhaustively, neither was he in the know of its contents.

He said that, he however directed that action be taken on the subject matter.
According to him, “I directed that action be taken, but I realized what we did; and I take responsibility for whatever we have done in respect of Maina.”

He confessed that nobody, not even the ministry has powers to reinstate anybody, except the FCSC, which is constitutionally empowered by law to do so.

Aliyu further disclosed that whatever his ministry, which also did not assign any responsibly or duty to Maina did when he reported to the director of human resources in the ministry, was informed based on the letter it received from the FCSC.

The permanent secretary said that Maina wasn’t placed on any salary or position at the ministry because they were yet to obtain clearance from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

“Mistakes were made on the reference to the Head of Service of the Federation (HOSF). Maina was never documented,” he insisted..

Similarly, the HOSF , Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, formally announced the dismissal of Maina from the employment of the Federal Government.

She informed the panel that since Maina never received any official letter reinstating him from her office in line with civil service rules, he stands dismissed.

“Maina’s reinstatement was never activated. The letter on his reinstatement from the commission was never delivered. He stands dismissed; and the earlier letter is to be returned to the commission,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said that Maina was not on its payroll. This was the position of the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, when she appeared before the committee.

Adeosun also revealed that the Federal Government stopped the payment of salary to Maina in March 2013.

Accompanied with the minister, the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, also disclosed that available records indicate that Maina last received his salary in February, 2013 and that from March the same year his name was removed from the payroll.

Idris told the panel that concerted efforts were made to reconcile his name from various platforms, it was obvious his name did not appear.

Idris said, “I don’t know from where Maina was receiving salary.” He added that payment of salaries were made through slips , bank statements and challenged Maina’s lawyer to tender such documents that Maina was still been paid.

Specifically, Adeosun stated that Maina was never paid through either of the two government salary platforms, the IPPIS and GIFIS.

She said his names were double checked; and it was found that he is not receiving government salary, neither is he a staff relating to any ministry.
Similarly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said that it was not in possession of alleged recovered pension assets as claimed by Maina through his lawyer.

The Acting chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, said that Maina did not hand over any recovered assets to the commission as he is claiming, adding that assets recovered so far were as a result of independent investigations conducted by the agency .
He added that the status of some of the assets were either as interim or permanent forfeitures.

Magu also said that Maina was part of the pension syndicate, saying that he too benefitted from it. According to him, Maina had several accounts and houses in Kaduna and Abuja. In one such accounts, he had N2.7billion while his son, Faysal also has account with a turnover of N1.7biilion.

He also revealed that Maina purchased a property in Abuja for $200million.
Meanwhile, the Ad hoc Committee has summoned Kehinde Ogini, a legal assistant to the minister of justice and Mrs. Nurutu Nagarawa to give more insights into what transpired in the office of the AGF concerning the disputed letters recalling Maina.

This is coming against the backdrop of a directive that the AGF must make its last submissions in one week to enable the panel conclude its work in good time.

Henry Omunu, Mathew Dadiya, Abuja