By Tobias Lengnan Dapam with agency repor
Trouble is not yet over for the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform, Abdulrasheed Maina whom despite a pending corruption trial was reinstated by the Federal Government. .
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday declared that Maina was still on their wanted list.
Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, had on Sunday confirmed a report by Premium Times, an online news source which indicated how Maina, was secretly recalled to the service and promoted to head a directorate in the Interior ministry.
The report said Maina in 2013 was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to face corruption allegation against him.
It added that since 2013, Maina remained at large until the recent report revealed that he was recalled and promoted at the ministry of interior.
The interior minister who confirmed the report in a statement by his Press Secretary, Ehisienmen
Osaigbovo, said that. Maina is currently in charge of the Human Resources Department of the interior ministry.
According to the statement, the minister denied responsibility for Maina’s recall to the service.
The statement explained that 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”.
The minister blamed Maina’s recall on the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and the Federal Civil Service Commission.
He said the two bodies are responsible for “issues relating to Discipline, Employment, Re-engagement, Posting, Promotion and Retirements of Federal Civil Servants.”
However, the statement did not say if Mr. Dambazau was aware the former Pension boss is still a fugitive wanted by the EFCC.
“It is understood that Maina’s last posting was with the Ministry of Interior, and that is probably why he was re-posted back to the Ministry,” the statement added.
But the EFCC’s Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, told the media yesterday that Maina is still wanted by the anti-graft agency.
He said , “Maina is still on the wanted list.”
Recall that Maina who was drafted by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 to sanitise the corrupt pension system was soon caught in the web of the corruption he was meant to fight.
Accusation started piling in 2012 when Maina was accused of leading a massive pension fraud scheme amounting to more than N100 billion.
Based on the allegation of corruption, Maina was invited by the Senate Joint Committee on Public Service and Establishment and State and Local Government Administration.
The Senate after completion of its investigation issued a Warrant of Arrest against Mr. Maina. But Maina ignored the panel, and went ahead to sue the Senate and the then Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar before going in to hiding.
In the heat of the allegation and counter allegation, Maina was dismissed by the Head of Service for allegedly absconding from duty and attempting to evade arrest and charged to court.
The former Pension boss was on July 21, 2015 mentioned by the EFCC as a major accomplice in a 24-count charge filed against Stephen Oronsaye and two others before a Federal High Court bordering on procurement fraud and obtaining by false pretence.
While Mr. Oronsaye and the two other accused were in court and pleaded not guilty to the charge, the EFCC said Mr. Maina was at large.
Meanwhile, revelations at that time claimed that Maina was in the United Arab Emirates, trying to warm his way in to the Buhari’s administration.
