Why Senate Wants Maina To Go

The Senate President, Senator David Mark, last week called on the Federal Government to dismiss and punish, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina, in the interest of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.

Maina is the Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team.

Mark said that the executive now had to choose between Maina and the Senate, adding: “if they chose to go along with Maina, we will react accordingly.

“It is a test case. If Maina remains, then the Senate will react appropriately,’’ he said.

The call followed resolution on Maina’s continued refusal to appear before the Senate Joint Committee investigating the alleged pension scam in the country.

The resolution was signed by 108 of the 109 senators, who resolved that Maina should be dismissed from the public service and be disengaged from all acts relating to public duty in the country.

Mark pledged that the Senate would not allow anybody involved in the whole pension scam to go unpunished.

He said that Maina refused to appear before the committee, adding that his refusal culminated in the warrant of arrest which was not exercised by the Inspector General of Police.

“Nobody in this country will be left to go scot-free if he is associated with Maina. It doesn’t matter who is behind Maina.

“It is not for me to know whether somebody is behind Maina or not but no matter who is behind Maina, we are not going to accept it.

“We have given him a fair chance, giving him ample time to defend himself, it is not a wrong thing and it is not a sign of weakness in any way.

“When I signed the warrant, Maina of course didn’t show up.

“I called the Chairman of Police Affairs and said he should go and warn the Inspector General of Police that he would be on the firing line if he does nothing about Maina.

“There are a lot of characters in this country who are just pathological liars and they are professional blackmailers.

“ The Senate has given him ample time. Maina is just an individual who perhaps said much than he can manage and he has crucified himself,’’ he said.

. “No one person in this country is bigger than our democracy. I have been extremely patient with Maina, very patient, very understanding so that when we react, Nigerians will appreciate the steps that we have taken.

“He is wanted by the police, now, whether the police are serious or not in looking for Maina is the next step we are going to take.

“Because Maina cannot be briefing the press somewhere and the police will say they cannot find him.

“Let me assure you that the Senate has the teeth to bite and it will bite when it is time to bite. Nobody can stop it,’’ Mark stressed.

Maina invited for alleged N195 billion pension funds while administering pension funds at the Customs, Immigration, and Prisons Pension Office (CIPPO).

It would be recalled that the Senate on November 2, 2011, mandated its Committees on Establishment, Public Service, States and Local Governments, to investigate pension administration in Nigeria.

The Chairman of the Joint Senate Committee, Sen. Aloysius Etok, said while Maina ignored invitations from the committee, he went on the media to disparage the integrity of the senate.

He said Maina had brought untold suffering to the pensioners in the country, adding that he should not be allowed to stay a day longer in the public service.

“Maina lied that we did not give him fair hearing, but refused to honour all our invitations in spite of pleas from the senate president that he should do so.

“We went round the country and we saw the suffering pensioners were going through over their rightful dues.

The Co-chairman of the committee, Sen. Kabiru Gaya, said the committee adjourned five times to give Maina the opportunity to come and answer to the plethora of petitions against him.

He said, “7800 petitions were received at the zonal and national public hearing in Abuja and we’re still receiving petitions.

“If pension is not paid, then those in office today may have to take their pension before they retire.

“It would then amount to corruption for serving officers to start drawing person out of fear that they will not be paid after retirement,’’ he said.

The senate further resolved that the I-G should appear before the Senate Committee on Police Affairs to state why he did not act on the warrant of arrest issued by the president of the senate.