More can of worms has continued to be opened on the scandalous misappropriation of recovered pension loot spearheaded by the Presidential TaskForce on Pension Reform, Abdulrasheed Maina.
It was alleged according to an aide of the embattled Pension boss, Maina, one Olajide Fashakin that there has been revelation that Sani Shuaibu Tiedi, former director of pension in the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, who has been on prosecution for almost seven years now along with 31 others, alleged that Senator Alloysius Etuk, the chairman of the panel that was to try Maina and other members of the Senate committee allegedly collected a bribe of N3billion from him.
According to Fashakin, there are distortion of facts and sometimes outright blackmail, all in an attempt to discredit Maina.
In a petition that one of Teidi’s aide made available to the EFCC and ICPC, Mr. Tiedi had said he paid the money to Senator Etuk in foreign currency and that the bribe was meant to prevent their prosecution.
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He told investigators that he equally bribed Farida Waziri, former Chairman of the EFCC.
Why has the two anti-graft agencies not investigated this matter? Why are they after the man who caught the ‘thieves’ and are not after the ‘thieves’?
According to Fashikun, “there has been a lot of deliberate cover in a well-written script to give Maina a bad name. If Maina stole, it certainly cannot be from the PRTT. Those who worked in the PRTT do ‘kabu-kabu’ to augment their survival. They were severely starved of funds.
He also said,“The reasons are simple. Maina’s PRTT was a clog in the wheel of so many who were looting the pensioner’s funds. Maina’s PRTT was brought in to sanitise a very corrupt pension system.
It was the success of his pension system in the Ministry of Interior that brought him to the PRTT. Many Nigerians will not forget that for years, aged pensioners suffered and even died roaming the streets of Abuja while waiting for their pensions.
“Emerging evidence has shown that Maina is just a victim of the popular saying, that when you fight corruption, corruption will fight back. In a hurry to crucify Maina, the Senate committee did what could best be described as a hatchet job.
They told the nation he stole N195billion. On 13th April 2016, former Kano Governor, Kabiru Gaya, told TheSun newspaper in an interview that that money was never missing. So, why is he being tried for the money that is now confirmed is not missing?"
He also said,“For those who understand the structure of the task force, they will let you know that Maina like none of them therein never had access to the pension fund and could never have taken one Naira lest over N2 billion.
“Former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala during a Senate meeting said that Maina had no contact with funds and revealed how she froze the account where the monies recovered by Maina’s committee was kept and how she transferred the funds to the CBN".
He said the question that should be asked is why will the EFCC continue to hound a man for an offence which they know he is innocent of? Besides, Maina was only the head of the team which comprised of EFCC, ICPC, DSS, NIA, office of Accountant General, Auditor General Public Complaints Commission etc. He was the only civilian in the Task Team.
"Perhaps, Maina was just a victim of high power play of some powerful individuals in high places, who at some point got irritated for his refusal to ‘share the money’. So, for three years, Maina suffered what has become known in Nigeria’s anti-corruption war as ‘media trial’ – where a man is found guilty several times on the pages of newspaper.
"Despite the several facts presented before the Senate committee during the hearing, the committee chose to ignore the facts. They threatened President Godluck Jonathan. Maina was shot with five bullets wounds on the side glass of the bullet proof car Jonathan gave him".
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Mr. Maina said he had “verifiable” evidence the federal pension scheme was returning to “the looting era” which his team set out to end, with an alleged 98% of pensioners denied their benefits since November, 2012.
Recall, Maina, who is currently at large having been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, the EFCC, had also in 2013 dragged the Nigerian Police and the Senate to court over the pension scam
This followed the bench warrant issued on him by the Senate through the Senate Pension Probe Committee and his subsequent declaration as wanted by the police, TheEaglesOnline reported
Maina on February 4, 2013 instituted the suit at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
He said the moves by the Senate and the police amounted to a breach of his fundamental rights pursuant to Section 46(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The suit, number FHC/ABJ/CS/65/20B, was instituted by his counsel, Mahmud A. Magaji (SAN).
It seeks an order to quash the purported report of the Senate Committee’s resolutions and the subsequent move by the police as unconstitutional.
He is also demanding a damage of N1.5 billion.
The case, which has been listed for hearing on February 11, 2013, has as defendants: • The Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria
• The Senate President Federal Republic of Nigeria
• The Clerk of the Senate Federal Republic of Nigeria,
• The Senate Committee On Establishment & Public Service
• The Senate Committee State & Local Govt Administration
• Inspector General of Police
• Senator Aloysius Etuk (The Senate Committee on Establishment & Public Service).
• Senator Kabiru Gaya (The Senate Committee State & Local Govt Administration).
Mahmud (SAN) will appear in the court for the adoption on behalf of applicant the following orders:
• An Order setting aside the warrant of arrest 6th respondent against the applicant on the 2nd of February, 2013 as same constitute a violation of the Applicant Rights as guaranteed under section 35(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
• A DECLARATION that the Decision of the Senate through its Joint Committee on Establishment & Public Service; and the Committee on State & Local Govt administration directing the immediate arrest and detention of the applicant by the 5th Respondent without any legal justification is unconstitutional illegal ultra vires null and void and of effect what so ever as same violates section 36(1) and section 6 (6) B of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
• AN ORDER restraining the respondents especially the 3rd , 4th and 5th respondents, their agents, Servants and Privies howsoever called, and either jointly and / or severally from interfering with management and administration of Pension Reform Task Team or initiating the arrest of the applicant as Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team as same is unconstitutional , illegal null and void as same violate the provisions of section 36 (1) and 6 (6) B of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
• AN ORDER restraining the 3rd & 4th Respondents jointly and severally from further issuance of any letter of invitation to the applicant as respondents having completed and submitted their report without giving fair hearing to the applicant is a violation of the applicant’s right as guaranteed under the Constitution.
The 3rd & 4th Respondent are hereby are hereby put on notice to produce the said report before this honourable court to ascertain whether the applicant was actually giving fair hearing before the said report was made.
• AN ORDER quashing the purported report of the 3rd and 4th Respondents (Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service; and Senate Committee on State and Local Government Administration) as its affect the applicant his court
• AN ORDER OF CERTIORARI mandating the respondent either by themselves, their agents, servants, privies however called to before this Court any wrong alleged to have been committed by the applicant in the exercise of his duties as Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team and / or setting aside the resolution of the 1st Respondent mandating the 5th Respondent to arrest the applicant.
• A DECLARATION that the threat and intimidation and attempts to arrest the applicant by the Respondent on the basis of the applicant exercise of his lawful and legitimate duties as Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
• AN ORDER of injunction, restraining the Respondents their agents, servants and privies however so called , either jointly and / or severally from arresting or threatening to arrest the applicant who is exercising his lawful duties a Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team.
• AN ORDER of this Honourable Court setting aside or quashing the purported warrant of arrest issued by the Respondents jointly and or severally by themselves or their agents , privies, servants however so called for the arrest of the applicant in the exercise of his duties as Chairman, pension Reform task Team.
• AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondents jointly and / or severally by themselves and or their agent, privies servant, however so called from further unlawful harassment, intimidation and attempt to arrest the applicant the Chairman Pension Reform Task Team and quashing the resolution of the 1st Respondent mandating the 5th Respondent mandating the Respondent to arrest the Applicant.
• AN ORDER directing the respondents to pay the Applicant 1,000,000,000:00 (One Billion Naira ) on the footing of the aggravated and exemplary damages for unlawful interference with applicants right to perform his lawful duties and sum of N500,000,000:00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) as general and exemplary damages.
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