Abdulrasheed Maina, ‘Fugitive ex-pension boss, was still receiving salary even after his dismissal — Lawyer

Shocking revelation was made at the House of Representatives hearing into the recall, reinstatement, and promotion of wanted former chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Pension Reform, Abdulrasheed Maina, yesterday November 23rd. The house set up a panel to look into Maina’s recall last month following a public outcry when the fugitive former pension boss was reinstated into the civil service in very controversial circumstances. President Buhari ordered for his dismissal immediately after the news broke online. Maina was dismissed from office in 2013 and declared wanted by the EFCC and INTERPOL for carrying out N2.1 billion fraud while he was in office.

While being questioned, Maina’s lawyer, Mohammed Katu, told the lawmakers that his client has been receiving his salaries despite being sacked for years.

When asked by lawmakers if Mr. Maina was still getting paid, he said, “Yes. Maina continued to work even after his dismissal. As at last month, about 23 files were sent to him, in his capacity as acting director…even while he was absent.

“On the issue of his disappearance, he had to disappear because there was so much threats to his life. On the issue of his dismissal from service, which came up in 2013, we have documents to say here that even after he was allegedly sacked, he still wrote letters to the then president, finance minister, and the rest, which they acted on. I can tell you that about 23 files were sent to Maina even as at last few months to treat in his capacity as acting director, even after the purported dismissal. Another matter was that whether those that sacked him had powers to do so. When his lawyers realized that there was a process of sacking him, they wrote a letter to the commission that he filed a case in court against that. His letter wasn’t complied with,” the lawyer said