President Goodluck Jonathan has
approved the dissolution of the Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina-led Pension Reforms
Task Team with immediate effect.
An authoritative source confirmed that
the Presidential directive was to pave the way for the prosecution of Maina for
allegedly refusing to honour the invitation of the Senate on the probe into the
pension fund scam.
The source said, “The letter was
given to them last week and it read that the President has approved the
dissolution of the Pension Reforms Task Team. The letter was signed by the
Permanent Secretary (Establishment and Records) in the Office of the HOS, Mr.
Charles Bonat.”
It was also learnt that a strict
disciplinary action was being put in place in the Federal Civil Service
Commission for the embattled PRTT chairman.
If found guilty, Maina risks
dismissal for absconding without official leave.
The Office of Head of Civil Service
of the Federation had recently directed the Ministry of Interior to initiate
disciplinary proceedings against Maina.
Meanwhile, the delay in getting Maina
arrested by the policemen attached to him might have aided his escape,
investigations have revealed.
Findings showed that the security
agencies had ample time to have picked Maina up but they were slow in carrying
out the Senate order, asking them to arrest the civil servant over his refusal
to appear before it to explain his role in the missing N195bn pension fund.
Security sources said Maina could
still be picked up if security personnel were keen on doing so, adding that he
could be tracked down through his lawyer, aides and family members, who
must be in constant communication with him.
Checks showed that since he went into
hiding, the suspect had organised one or two press conferences through his
aides whom he must have communicated with either through the telephone or
physical contact.
It was learnt that Maina was in touch
with top government officials and senior security chiefs from December 2012 to
early January, 2013, when he went underground after learning that he could no
longer enjoy protection from his influential friends in top positions.
The Senate called for Maina’s arrest
on December 12,2012, but our correspondent learnt that he had security aides
consisting of policemen and State Security Service personnel throughout that
month.
The PRTT chairman is said to have
been enjoying official protection from top Presidency officials, who had
convinced President Goodluck Jonathan that he was doing a good job and
“that he was a victim of witch-hunt by the National Assembly.”
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Politics