…Apologises to Head of Service
…We stopped Maina’s salary in 2013 – Adeosun,
Accountant-General
…How did Maina save N2.7bn as a civil servant? ask Magu
…Says Maina’s 7-yr old son has an account of N1.5bn
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mr. Magaji
Abubakar, yesterday, admitted before the House of Representatives’
Adhoc Committee investigating the disappearance, reappearance and
reinstatement of embattled former chairman of the Presidential Task
Force on Pension Reform Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, that his mistake
led to reinstatement of the ex-pension boss.
Consequently, he apologised to the Head of Service of the
Federation, HoS, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, for the error.
This came as Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, told the
bewildered lawmakers that Abdulrasheed Maina was no longer on the
payroll of the federal government, adding that his salary was
stopped in March 2013.
The Finance Minister’s position was corroborated by the
Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris.
The admittance of the Permanent Secretary did not, however, come
without some trading of blames between him and the HoS.
Hearing of the committee, led by Ali Madaki, APC, Kano, started
at precisely 10:20am, with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Interior, Magaji Abubakar; HoS, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita; Accountant
General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris and Acting Chairman
of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim
Magu, appearing.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami,
Interior Minister, Lt. General Abdulrahman Dambazau, retd, had
earlier appeared before the committee to state what they knew about
Maina’s reinstatement.
The investigative hearing took a twist when the Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of Interior in his submissions, declared that
he got instructions to reinstate Maina from the Office of the Head
of Service of the Federation.
This declaration did not go down well with the HOS, Mrs Winifred
Oyo-Ita, as she immediately countered his position, saying the Perm
Sec was not correct.
At this point, chairman of the committee ordered that Mrs.
Oyo-Ita be placed on oath.
She said: “For the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of
Interior, Abubakar Magaji, to claim that the directive to reinstate
Maina came from my office is limited in facts. To put it mildly, it
is not quite correct.
“There is a process of conveyance of reinstatement instructions.
The Federal Civil Service Commission would send a letter to the
Head of Service and also send another letter to the beneficiary of
that reinstatement under the flying seal of the Head of
Service.
“The Ministry of Interior did not wait to get a posting instruction
before they went ahead and reinstated Maina and assigned him
duties.
“So this is to completely discountenance the attempt by the
Permanent Secretary that they acted on an issue in an illegal
manner while trying to make claims that there was a legality from
my office.’’
Oyo-Ita, therefore, declared before the panel that Abdulrasheed
Abdullahi Maina remained dismissed from the civil service as far as
the rules and her office were concerned.
Addressing the lawmakers, the PermSec had said: “The AGF has no
power to direct the employment, promotion, dismissal and
reinstatement of any officer in the service.
“The only body statutorily empowered to do that is the Federal
Civil Service Commission, FCSC, and it must pass through the office
of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.”
Asked by the lawmakers if the Head of Service did minute on the
letter from the FCSC to him (PermSec) instructing Maina’s
reinstatement, the Perm Sec said: “If a letter was written in
respect of an officer to the Head of Service and that person
decided to hold on to it, it doesn’t mean that the reinstatement
had not been communicated.”
I’m guilty of Maina’s reinstatement— Perm
Sec
He, however, added that he didn’t carry out Maina’s
reinstatement personally, adding that the head of human resources
did and informed him about Maina’s resumption of duty.
The Perm Sec explained he did not effect the reinstatement
himself because he was indisposed and directed that a letter be
written to the HoS informing her of Maina’s reinstatement.
“It was a week later when the HoS called me to ask for the
letter referenced to have come from her that I pleaded with her to
allow me get back to the office on Monday to see what actually
happened because I was sick by then.
“But on getting to the office, I realised that the letter to her
was wrongly referenced by the officer I directed to write and I
immediately wrote a letter of apology to her that the first letter
was actually meant for the Service Commission and not the HoS,”
Magaji said.
He, therefore, appealed to the panel to cast every blame on him,
being the administrative head of the Ministry.
He said: “I take responsibility for every administrative error that
has been committed in the course of this whole process of Maina’s
reinstatement.”
Maina’s salary stopped in March 2013 —
Adeosun
Also speaking before the committee, Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi
Adeosun, revealed that the federal government stopped the payment
of Abdulrasheed Maina’s salary in March 2013.
According to her, the last salary the federal government paid
Maina was that of February 2013.
She said: “We use two platforms in the payment of salaries, the
Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, and the
Government Integrated Financial Management Information System,
GIFMIS.
“We have checked our records and we have no record or evidence
from the two platforms that salary was paid to Maina since March
2013. We have no biometric data of Maina and he is not a staff of
the Federal Ministry of Finance or its agencies.”
Speaking in a similar vein, Accountant General of the Federation,
Alhaji Ahmed Idris, said Maina was removed from the federal
government’s payroll in March 2013.
“From our records, Maina last received salary from the Federal
Government in February 2013. From March 2013, Maina was removed
from the government’s payroll.
‘’If, indeed, he was paid as he claimed, he should produce
evidence of payment by the government, such as pay slips,” Idris
stated.
Maina never handed over any asset to EFCC —
Magu
On looted assets under the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, the acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, told the panel
that Maina never handed over any asset to the commission.
He added that assets in EFCC custody were those recovered by the
commission in the course of its own investigation of suspected
pension thieves, including Maina himself.
The Senate had last week, said it would commence investigation
into the 222 assets handed over to the EFCC by Maina’s team, which
it alleged officials of the anti-graft agency shared among
themselves.
But Magu argued that the only link between the EFCC and Maina
team was the participation of a few staff of the commission in
Maina’s pension recovery efforts.
“Maina has no single seized asset he handed over to the EFCC,
and if there is any of such, we would like to know the type of
assets, the locations, the date of handing over and which officer
signed the handing over document of the assets.
‘’So, there can’t be any asset to be shared by the EFCC, and if
there was any sharing, we would also like to know when, where, and
who partook in the sharing from the EFCC.”
Asked why the EFCC vacated it’s earlier order declaring Maina
wanted in 2015 as stated by the Comptroller General of Immigration,
Mohammed Babandede, Magu denied the letter vacating Maina’s earlier
arrest order, saying the letter was signed in
December while he took over the EFCC in October.
He said he did not instruct any Kabiru, a member of Maina’s Task
Team from the EFCC to sign such a letter and that he was seeing the
letter for the first time.
Speaking with journalists outside the venue, Magu made an appeal
to Nigerians to stop glorifying corruption in the country,
wondering how Maina would explain the N2.7 billion found in his
account.
N1.5bn in Maina’s 7-yr-old son’s account —
Magu
He said: “His son, Faisal Abdullahi, has N1.5 billion in his
account and he is just seven years old and people are glorifying
him. He has mansions scattered all over, with which salary did he
acquire such assets?
Counsel to Maina, Muhammadu Sani Katu’s attempt to make a last
minute intervention was waved aside as the Chairman reminded him
that the panel was not a court.
…Apologises to Head of Service
…We stopped Maina’s salary in 2013 – Adeosun,
Accountant-General
…How did Maina save N2.7bn as a civil servant? ask Magu
…Says Maina’s 7-yr old son has an account of N1.5bn
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mr. Magaji
Abubakar, yesterday, admitted before the House of Representatives’
Adhoc Committee investigating the disappearance, reappearance and
reinstatement of embattled former chairman of the Presidential Task
Force on Pension Reform Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, that his mistake
led to reinstatement of the ex-pension boss.
Consequently, he apologised to the Head of Service of the
Federation, HoS, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, for the error.
This came as Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, told the
bewildered lawmakers that Abdulrasheed Maina was no longer on the
payroll of the federal government, adding that his salary was
stopped in March 2013.
The Finance Minister’s position was corroborated by the
Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris.
The admittance of the Permanent Secretary did not, however, come
without some trading of blames between him and the HoS.
Hearing of the committee, led by Ali Madaki, APC, Kano, started
at precisely 10:20am, with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Interior, Magaji Abubakar; HoS, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita; Accountant
General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris and Acting Chairman
of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim
Magu, appearing.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami,
Interior Minister, Lt. General Abdulrahman Dambazau, retd, had
earlier appeared before the committee to state what they knew about
Maina’s reinstatement.
The investigative hearing took a twist when the Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of Interior in his submissions, declared that
he got instructions to reinstate Maina from the Office of the Head
of Service of the Federation.
This declaration did not go down well with the HOS, Mrs Winifred
Oyo-Ita, as she immediately countered his position, saying the Perm
Sec was not correct.
At this point, chairman of the committee ordered that Mrs.
Oyo-Ita be placed on oath.
She said: “For the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of
Interior, Abubakar Magaji, to claim that the directive to reinstate
Maina came from my office is limited in facts. To put it mildly, it
is not quite correct.
“There is a process of conveyance of reinstatement instructions.
The Federal Civil Service Commission would send a letter to the
Head of Service and also send another letter to the beneficiary of
that reinstatement under the flying seal of the Head of
Service.
“The Ministry of Interior did not wait to get a posting instruction
before they went ahead and reinstated Maina and assigned him
duties.
“So this is to completely discountenance the attempt by the
Permanent Secretary that they acted on an issue in an illegal
manner while trying to make claims that there was a legality from
my office.’’
Oyo-Ita, therefore, declared before the panel that Abdulrasheed
Abdullahi Maina remained dismissed from the civil service as far as
the rules and her office were concerned.
Addressing the lawmakers, the PermSec had said: “The AGF has no
power to direct the employment, promotion, dismissal and
reinstatement of any officer in the service.
“The only body statutorily empowered to do that is the Federal
Civil Service Commission, FCSC, and it must pass through the office
of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.”
Asked by the lawmakers if the Head of Service did minute on the
letter from the FCSC to him (PermSec) instructing Maina’s
reinstatement, the Perm Sec said: “If a letter was written in
respect of an officer to the Head of Service and that person
decided to hold on to it, it doesn’t mean that the reinstatement
had not been communicated.”
I’m guilty of Maina’s reinstatement— Perm
Sec
He, however, added that he didn’t carry out Maina’s
reinstatement personally, adding that the head of human resources
did and informed him about Maina’s resumption of duty.
The Perm Sec explained he did not effect the reinstatement
himself because he was indisposed and directed that a letter be
written to the HoS informing her of Maina’s reinstatement.
“It was a week later when the HoS called me to ask for the
letter referenced to have come from her that I pleaded with her to
allow me get back to the office on Monday to see what actually
happened because I was sick by then.
“But on getting to the office, I realised that the letter to her
was wrongly referenced by the officer I directed to write and I
immediately wrote a letter of apology to her that the first letter
was actually meant for the Service Commission and not the HoS,”
Magaji said.
He, therefore, appealed to the panel to cast every blame on him,
being the administrative head of the Ministry.
He said: “I take responsibility for every administrative error that
has been committed in the course of this whole process of Maina’s
reinstatement.”
Maina’s salary stopped in March 2013 —
Adeosun
Also speaking before the committee, Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi
Adeosun, revealed that the federal government stopped the payment
of Abdulrasheed Maina’s salary in March 2013.
According to her, the last salary the federal government paid
Maina was that of February 2013.
She said: “We use two platforms in the payment of salaries, the
Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, and the
Government Integrated Financial Management Information System,
GIFMIS.
“We have checked our records and we have no record or evidence
from the two platforms that salary was paid to Maina since March
2013. We have no biometric data of Maina and he is not a staff of
the Federal Ministry of Finance or its agencies.”
Speaking in a similar vein, Accountant General of the Federation,
Alhaji Ahmed Idris, said Maina was removed from the federal
government’s payroll in March 2013.
“From our records, Maina last received salary from the Federal
Government in February 2013. From March 2013, Maina was removed
from the government’s payroll.
‘’If, indeed, he was paid as he claimed, he should produce
evidence of payment by the government, such as pay slips,” Idris
stated.
Maina never handed over any asset to EFCC —
Magu
On looted assets under the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, the acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, told the panel
that Maina never handed over any asset to the commission.
He added that assets in EFCC custody were those recovered by the
commission in the course of its own investigation of suspected
pension thieves, including Maina himself.
The Senate had last week, said it would commence investigation
into the 222 assets handed over to the EFCC by Maina’s team, which
it alleged officials of the anti-graft agency shared among
themselves.
But Magu argued that the only link between the EFCC and Maina
team was the participation of a few staff of the commission in
Maina’s pension recovery efforts.
“Maina has no single seized asset he handed over to the EFCC,
and if there is any of such, we would like to know the type of
assets, the locations, the date of handing over and which officer
signed the handing over document of the assets.
‘’So, there can’t be any asset to be shared by the EFCC, and if
there was any sharing, we would also like to know when, where, and
who partook in the sharing from the EFCC.”
Asked why the EFCC vacated it’s earlier order declaring Maina
wanted in 2015 as stated by the Comptroller General of Immigration,
Mohammed Babandede, Magu denied the letter vacating Maina’s earlier
arrest order, saying the letter was signed in
December while he took over the EFCC in October.
He said he did not instruct any Kabiru, a member of Maina’s Task
Team from the EFCC to sign such a letter and that he was seeing the
letter for the first time.
Speaking with journalists outside the venue, Magu made an appeal
to Nigerians to stop glorifying corruption in the country,
wondering how Maina would explain the N2.7 billion found in his
account.
N1.5bn in Maina’s 7-yr-old son’s account —
Magu
He said: “His son, Faisal Abdullahi, has N1.5 billion in his
account and he is just seven years old and people are glorifying
him. He has mansions scattered all over, with which salary did he
acquire such assets?
Counsel to Maina, Muhammadu Sani Katu’s attempt to make a last
minute intervention was waved aside as the Chairman reminded him
that the panel was not a court.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/im-responsible-for-mainas-reinstatement-permsec-interior-ministry/