Buhari fires Maina, demands recall report ‘in a few hours’

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the “immediate disengagement” of Abdulrasheed Maina, ex-chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), from the civil service.

Maina, who has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over some allegations of fraud levelled against him, was reinstated into the civil service under controversial circumstances.

He was posted to the ministry of interior.

But in a statement on Monday, Femi Adesina, spokesman of the president, said Buhari had ordered a probe of the circumstances of Maina’s recall.

Adesina also said the president directed that the probe report be submitted to the office of his chief of staff before the close of work on Monday.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the immediate disengagement from service of Mr Abdullahi Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms,” the statement read.

“In a memo to the head of the civil service of the federation, the president equally demanded a full report of the circumstances of Maina’s recall and posting to the ministry of interior.

“The report is to be submitted to the office of the chief of staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, before the end of work today, Monday, October 23, 2017.”

Maina’s recall had attracted criticisms, especially from opponents of the government.

Ayo Fayose, governor of Ekiti and a fierce critic of Buhari, had “likened the anti-graft war to Satan calling Judas Iscariot a sinner“.