From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the immediate disengagement of former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdullahi Abdulrasheed Maina, 24 hours after Minister of Interior, Lt Gen (retd) Abdulrahman Dambazau, admitted that Abdullahi Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, was posted few days ago to the Ministry of Interior by the Office of the Head of Service on an Acting capacity to fill a vacancy created following the retirement of the Director heading the Human Resources Department in the Ministry.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said, in a statement that the directive was contained in a memo to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita.
Adesina said, “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 was in 2013 recommended for dismissal by the Federal Civil Service Commission following a recommendation by the Office of the Head of Service.
In 2012, Maina was accused of leading a massive pension fraud scheme amounting to more than N100 billion.
He was drafted by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2010 to sanitize a corrupt pension system.
Based on the allegation of corruption, Mr. Maina was invited by the Senate Joint Committee on Public Service and Establishment and State and Local Government Administration.
The Press Secretary to the Minister of Interior, Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, in a statement exonerated the minister as having a hand in the controversial posting, saying Maina was posted few days ago to the Ministry of Interior by the Office of the Head of Service on an Acting capacity to fill a vacancy created following the retirement of the Director heading the Human Resources Department in the Ministry.