In what appears to be a scene in a James Bond film, wanted former Chairman of the dissolved Pension Reform Task Team[PRTT], Abdulrasheed Maina today emerged from his hiding in a flambouyant apparel to embark on a victory tour round the capital city of Abuja in a manner that further depicts Nigeria as a morally drowned country and the administration of President Jonathan as a harbinger of corruption.
Maina had been accused of stealing over N21 billion from thepension funds in his care. Both chambers of the National Assembly had unanimously voted for the dismissal of Maina, an Assistant Director in the Customs, Immigration and PrisonsPensions Office, CIPPO, who was appointed to run the PRTT for 30 months after the lawmakers discovered that he had been overwhelmed by scandals involving pensions funds management running into billions of Naira.
After a stand-off with the presidency over its failure to act on resolutions passed by the entire national assembly, the federal government deceitfully pretended to have sacked Maina and got the police to declare him wanted while the embattled pension task force boss was asked to go underground. A principal officer of the senate told iReports-ng.comin Abuja today that “the insincerity of the presidency over the fight against corruption was totally exposed to us when in the heat of the Maina’s controversy after the senate had ordered his arrest, same man was seen walking into President Jonathan’s office with security escorts while other senior government officials were seated and have been waiting for hours to see the same president. Imagine the senate leader, Senator Ndoma Egba was right there and some of them had to leave the president’s office. This infuriated all of us and our colleagues in the House of Reps.”
The local media was used to sell the dummy that Maina had fled the country even while remains in Abuja with tacit instructions to security agencies not to touch him. The warrant of arrest issued on him was quashed by a court in Abuja last week to pave the way for Maina to return to the centre stage and enjoy his loot. Indeed, he started that today with his sudden appearance at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ office in Abuja today.
Clad in a white babanriga with a black cap to match, Maina went straight to the office of the NUJ FCT Chairman, Chuks Ehirim for discussions and to thank him and his colleagues for standing with him when the national assembly heat was on him. “I do not bear any grudges against anybody and I do not consider anybody as my enemy”, boastfully told his hosts.He categorically told them that he never went into hiding as fed the media by the police, adding that he never left his house in Abuja throughout the period police claimed he has been declared wanted.
*Abdulrasheed Maina,
Although the immediate past Head of Service, Bello Sali, had said the PRTT had been dissolved and pensions funds management transferred to his office, a new Director, OlabisiJaji, was appointed by the HoS to take over from Maina with immediate effect. Jaji, a level 17 officer, was moved from theMinistry of Environment to take over Maina’s seat at CIPPO.
She is to be supported by a deputy Director, Elizabeth Zenetini, a level 16 officer deployed by the HoS from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to CIPPO. A letter from the office of the HoS directed the two officers to take over from Maina on or before March 6. The HoS letter was, however, silent on Maina and what disciplinary actions had been taken against him for absconding from his duty post without approval.

chiover: This is absurd.He should be arrested and charged without delay. I just pray that police are aware of his presence in the country

frederal: If Maina opens his mouth, you will be surprised by the people who got shares in the loot; it may have been used to finance elections.

nuclearboy:

Read the article, Bros - it says he visited the President in Aso Rock and he was honored even above the Senate Leader. If there are no police in the rest of Nigeria, we are sure Aso Rock has some - why didn't they arrest him if he's not been protected by "orders from above"?

nuclearboy:


Read the article, Bros - it says he visited the President in Aso Rock and he was honored even above the Senate Leader. If there are no police in the rest of Nigeria, we are sure Aso Rock has some - why didn't they arrest him if he's not been protected by "orders from above"?