Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), on Sunday washed his ministry’s hands off the controversial reinstatement and promotion to the post of Director, of former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, into the civil service.
Outrage has greetd the secret reinstatement of Maina, who was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged misappropriation of N195 billion pension funds.
Explaining how Maina found his way back to the ministry, Dambazau said in a statement signed by Ehisienmen Osaigbovo: “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 in 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 in this publication. 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.
“In any case, the relevant institutions of government are alive to their responsibilities regarding the allegations confronting Mr. Maina.”