Group wants Senate to reverse sanctions against Maina

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A political group, Legislative Watch, relying on the judgment of a Federal High Court, Abuja, has called on Senate to reverse the resolution it passed last year against the ousted chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina.

The group, in a petition addressed to the Senate President, David Mark, said in line with the judgment of Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered on the 27th of March 2013, which set aside the warrant of arrest the Senate issued against Maina in December 2012 and the judicial directive the Judge gave Maina to appear before the Senate, the Senate President should allow Maina to appear before the Senate for proper rendering of his account of stewardship as Chairman PRTT from July 2010 to May 2013.

In the petition signed by its Executive Secretary, Ngozika Ihuoma, the group said Justice Adamu Bello had in his judgment of 27th March 2013, in the case of Abdulrasheed Maina vs the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ruled that Maina should appear before the Senate and not its committee for proper rendering of stewardship as PRTT boss, regretting that the court order has not been enforced since then.

The petition reads in part: “Your Excellency, it should be recalled that several revelations have been made via the print media e.g. Leadership Newspaper of 24th October, 2013, carried an advertorial showing the acknowledged copies of petition sent to EFCC and ICPC against the Chairman of Senate Joint Committee on Establishment, Public Service and States and Local Government Administration, Senator Alloysius Etuk, by those who helped the committee cook up the report that misled the Senate and entire National Assembly in passing a resolution for the sack of Abdulrasheed Maina from civil service, arrest and prosecution of members of the Pension Reform Task Team among others.

“With all the earth shaking revelations of Dr Afuzie and Barr Okocha, on behalf of Dr Teidi Shaibu who is being prosecuted by the PRTT and EFCC among several others, we are using this medium to urge the Senate to do the needful by inviting Abdulrasheed Maina and members of the Pension Reform Task Team to brief the Senate, National Assembly and entire Nigerians on the management and administration of Pensions Funds in Nigeria.

“We believe that in line with Justice Adamu Bello’s judgment, the Senate should exercise its powers in sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 constitution as amended and invite Maina and other members to appear before the Senate and render their account of stewardship as expected of them as Public servants and citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, it said.