Reps panel: Malami pressurised civil service commission to reinstate Maina

A house of representatives committee has reportedly indicted Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), in the reinstatement of Abdulrasheed Maina into the civil service.

According to Daily Trust, the report of the 12-member committee said Malami “pressurised all that mattered” to see that Maina was brought back into the civil service.

The federal civil service commission dismissed Maina, who was the former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), in 2013

He was accused of being involved in pension fraud running into over N100 billion and had a warrant of arrest issued against him.

Subsequently, the police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared him wanted, after which he went into hiding.

But four years after, Maina managed to find his way back into the civil service, following a letter of reinstatement from Federal Civil Service Commission.

TheCable had reported that three top officials in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari played prominent roles in his reinstatement.

The house of representatives had set up an ah hoc committee to probe the circumstances surrounding his reinstatement.

In the report which Daily Trust said it obtained Malami was listed as the “architect” of Maina’s reinstament.

The lawmakers said apart from meeting with Maina in Dubai despite knowing he had been declared wanted, the attorney-general unduly interfered (with) and pressured the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) regarding Maina’s reinstament.

“The attorney-general knew that Maina is a fugitive, yet he met him in Dubai. Maina’s reinstatement didn’t follow due process and it was fraudulently masterminded,” the report read.

The panel, therefore, said Malami’s action is unconstitutional and recommended that he should be reprimanded and cautioned.

It also recommended that he should be advised on the best way to deal with such issues and not to interfere in matters he has no jurisdiction over.

The panel also said the FCSC erred by obeying Malami’s directive and recommended that the commission should be asked to stick to civil service rules in such matters.

Following reports of Maina’s reinstament, Buhari ordered that the reinstatement be revoked, and also directed Winifred Oyo-Ita, head of the civil service of the federation, to probe the matter.

Oyo-Ita has since submitted the report of the probe.