I didn’t reinstate Maina — Oyo-Ita contradicts Dambazau

Winifred Oyo-Ita, head of the civil service of the federation, has denied being behind the recall of Abdulrasheed Maina.

Maina, ex-chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), who is facing corruption allegations, was recently posted to the ministry of interior under controversial circumstances.

Abdulrahman Dambazau, minister of interior, had earlier said it was office of the head of civil service that posted Maina to his ministry.

This had generated reactions, with Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, dismissing the anti-graft war of the current administration as a ruse.

President Muhammadu Buhari eventually ordered the dismissal of Maina and demanded the report of a probe on his reinstatement.

In a three-paragraph statement signed by Mohammed Manga, assistant director (media relations), to head of the civil service of the federation, Oyo-Ita denied the involvement of her office in the reinstatement.

“The attention of the office of the head of the civil service of the federation has been drawn to several media reports that the head of the civil service of the federation has approved the re-instatement into the federal civil service of Alhaji Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina and his subsequent posting to the ministry of interior,” the statement read.

“The head of the civil service of the federation (HCSF) wishes to inform the public that the re-instatement and posting of Alhaji Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina never emanated from the office of the head of the civil service of the federation.

“Consequently, the purported re-instatement and posting by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation is totally erroneous and misleading.”