**Still shaming the truth?**
It has been over a month since the drama surrounding the reinstatement of erstwhile chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pensions Reform, Abdulrasheed Maina started and we are yet to get to the root of the matter. The latest trend on the issue regards the activities of the House of Representatives Ad hoc committee [set up to investigate the case and also probe the parties involved. The fall-out from the proceeding has thus far not shown how the reinstatement was sealed as the key characters- Abubakar Malami, Abdulrahman Dambazzau and Winifred Oyo-Ita were all in denial as to who really made the final push even with Mohammed Katu [who stood in as counsel to the embattled former Pensions Reform chairman] made a startling revelation that his client kept collecting his salary package while being out of service. Also invited was the Acting chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Joseph Oluremi who posited that it is not within the commission’s jurisdiction to order such reappointment while Mr. Abubakar Magaji was absent as he was said to be battling with an ailment.
At this juncture, I will like to beam focus on the submissions of each of the three (3) main characters- Winifred Oyo-Ita, Abdulrahman Dambazzau and Abubakar Malami- that seem to hold the aces in the event leading to Maina’s reinstatement.
Winifred Oyo-Ita
The Head of Service, Mrs. Oyo-Ita has made it clear that she had an inkling of the ploy to have Maina reinstated- a move she knew would have a far-reaching consequence as we are now seeing. Owing to this, she never gave her approval, and would later confirm through the media that Maina had not only been officially reappointed but was also promoted. She mentioned that she still has a copy of a letter written to the Federal Civil Service Commission directing that Maina be reinstated. Again, one cannot afford to disregard the fact that Oyo-Ita had earlier said she indeed informed the President of what Maina’s recall would portend.
Abdulrahman Dambazzau
Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau does seem to clear himself of any fault as he made it known that such cases as touching reinstatement is the direct responsibility of the offices of the Permanent Secretary- a position occupied by Mr. Abubakar Magaji in the Ministry [of Interior]- Head of Service and the Federal Civil Service Commission. Furthermore, Dambazzau stated that Maina was not out-rightly dismissed by his predecessor.
Abubakar Malami
Abubakar Malami stated that he had met Maina in Dubai in 2016, and that he (Maina) had been helpful in fast-tracking investigations into pension fraud cases that were discovered during his term in office. But hold on for a minute: should Malami [being the Minister of Justice] not have found a way of making Maina see case he left unattended [as a fugitive] to an end? Why should Malami turn a blind eye to the allegations laid against Maina back in 2013? Malami further said that the letter that effected maina’s recall did not come from his office but I wish he could give a clear answer to this question: did he make the push? If the request to give Maina justice- as he (Malami) might have felt Maina was unjustly treated in respect to the hearing in 2013- should it not have been done by following due process in the law court, and was there not a greater cause to have justice served?
As investigation continues- even though someone [among those invited so far] appears bent on shaming the truth- it is incumbent that the ad hoc committee dig really deep in order to bring this case to a credible conclusion. Plus, with Oyo-Ita claiming to have informed Mr. President of the implications of Maina’s reinstatement, I believe there is a critical part of the puzzle that is still missing, and that is having the President- not a spokesperson- to clear the air on what he knows, and whether or not Oyo-Ita had made an allegation against him- however, will the House have the guts to do so?
We all may be viewing Maina as the evil that has since been rooted out but the matter on ground is about an evil system that needs to be holistically purged with recourse to the rule of law. I will like to end this with the words of Wayne Malcolm: “we’re not wrestling against evil people but against evil systems. Evil systems produce and facilitate evil people.”