ABUJA- The Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami yesterday denied any involvement in the reappearance and subsequent reinstatement of Mr Abdulrasheed Maina into the Ministry of Interior.
Stating his involvement during the investigative hearing organised by the Ad-Hoc committee on the disappearance, reappearance and reinstatement of former Chairman on Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), with overwhelming evidence against his office, Malami maintained that the work was in progress and not concluded.
He acknowledged receiving a letter written by Maina’s Solicitor to him seeking reinstatement which he later minuted to the line officer for further action, but on the 23rd April 2017 when the line officer came to him with a court judgement that called on the Ministry of Interior to reinstate Maina, he then sort further clarification on the issue, he then added that it was a work in progress and not concluded.
On the role played by the Head of Services over the letter saga, Mrs Winifred Oyo-ita equally denied any involvement in the reinstatement of the former Chairman on Pension Reform Task Team but put the blame on the door post of the Ministry of Interior, who issued the letter of reinstatement to Maina.
Mrs Oyo-ita maintained that it was not the duty of her office to appoint or dismiss any erring Civil servant and therefore had no power to reinstate Maina but only got a letter from Ministry of Interior stating that the Ministry had reinstated Maina.
The Committee which was amazed that the reinstatement letter should emanate from Ministry of Interior and not from Civil service Commission, the body saddle with the responsibility of appointing and dismissing any erring officer, wondered aloud why Ministry of Interior should take on the role of another.
In his defence, the Chairman of Civil service Commission Mr Oleremi Akande said Maina was dismissed from service on account of his absenteeism from his duty post and inability of the commission to locate him as well as his lack of response to the query issued him.
The Minister of Interior Lt Gen. Abdulraman Dambazzau (Rtd) denied any knowledge of reinstatement letter from his Ministry as he claimed that the Permanent Secretary who would have spoken on the matter was out of the country for medical attention.
Mr Abdulrasheed Maina who was conspicuously absent, was however represented by his Solicitor who vehemently insisted that his client was still in service as he waved the letter of reinstatement from the Ministry of Interior before the Committee.
“Maina disappeared because his life was threatened. He still work for Federal Government – is not true that he was dismissed”.
When asked if his client still receive salary from the Ministry by Hon. Ayo Omideran (Osun State), his answer was affirmative and added that files were still sent to him to treat, even in exile as he dismissed the claim that Maina had been dismissed from service.
The Ad-Hoc committee had deferred the hearing to tomorrow for further debate on the issue.
