Politics
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.
The Rivers contest is expected to draw heightened attention in the oil-rich state, as political actors position for influence in a district long regarded as strategic to the balance of power in Rivers State.
INEC disclosed that the by-elections will hold concurrently with the Ekiti State governorship election, underscoring what promises to be a politically charged day across several parts of the country.
Beyond Rivers, the electoral body listed other affected constituencies to include Nasarawa North Senatorial District, Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency in Kano State, Ondo South Senatorial District, and Enugu North Senatorial District.
The vacancies, according to INEC, arose from a combination of deaths, resignation, and other constitutional developments. In Nasarawa, the demise of Senator Godiya Akwashika has left a gap in a district considered a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In Enugu, the passing of Senator Okey Ezea has set the stage for a competitive race in the South-East.
Similarly, the Ondo South seat became vacant following the resignation of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who now serves as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, while the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa seat in Kano opened up after the death of Hon. Muhammad Danjuma Hassan.
Analysts say the Rivers South-East by-election, in particular, could reshape political alignments in the state, as parties jostle to fill the void left by Sen. Mpigi and consolidate their foothold ahead of future electoral contests.
Stakeholder from Bayelsa East Senatorial District, on Monday, endorsed the incumbent Senator representing them to run for a second term.
Leading the stakeholders, the former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism and Special Adviser to Governor Douye Diri on Political Affairs (iii), Dr Iti Orugbani, said the reason for the endorsement was based on the federal lawmaker’s trajectory of good deeds and massive execution of projects across communities of the Senatorial district.
Dr Orugbani highlighted some of the projects to include landing jetties, telecommunication masts and town halls amongst others, noting that Sen. Agadaga’s performance has exceeded those of others who hitherto represented the oil rich area.
Bayelsa East Senatorial District comprises Ogbia, Brass and Nembe Local Government Areas of the State.
The Governor’s aide who called on the State’s Eastern political enclave to respect the 2022 new zoning agreement, which guaranteed second term for Senators from the District, stressed the need for political tolerance and peace in the forthcoming 2027 polls.
“In 2022 the leaders and stakeholders across party lines from Bayelsa East held a meeting and altered the old single term for Senators from the district’s agreement and signed that begining from 2023 any Senator emerging from the district must serve for a minimum of two terms.
“In 2023, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, then an incumbent Senator representing the Senatorial district under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was given a second term ticket by the party. Though he lost to the PDP.
“Now that the entire state is now APC and the District has an APC Senator in the person of Benson Agadaga from Ogbia LGA, why not also give him a second tenure?
“The stakeholders in 2022 changed the old political agreement because they saw that it wasn’t beneficial to the district any longer. And so, because it was Ogbia Local Government Area that started the old zoning arrangement by producing the first Senator in 1999, I want to plead that let Ogbia also begin the new two terms zoning agreement”, he said.
Also speaking, the duo of woman leader of a support group, ‘Agadema Women’, Mrs. Owadaba Jokori and the Information Officer of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Central Zone, Comrade Ikio, stated that the incumbent Senator has done well for the district in the past three years that he has been in office.
They lauded the federal lawmaker for his infrastructure projects, especially the construction of landing jetties in select communities of the three local government areas of the district, commending stakeholders for supporting the lawmaker in his second term bid.
In his remarks, Senator Agadaga thanked the stakeholders for the confidence reposed in him and the endorsements he has received lately from constituents and admirers across political parties.
The lawmaker noted that within the past three years that he has been Senator, he has delivered dividends of democracy to his constituents across the Senatorial District, emphasizing that the call for him to be senator from the Brass Senatorial District came to him as a surprise, noting that he accepted the clarion call when the clamour became so loud.
“I was Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, when various groups from the zone came calling on me to contest the 2023 Senatorial polls.
“Ever since winning the elections as a senator, I’ve continued to deliver on my mandate in both representation, lawmaking, oversight, project execution and support for constituents when called upon. And I shall continue to do more if elected for a second term”, the Senator said.
By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has set May 15 as deadline for definite hearing in a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
The judge on Monday shifted the hearing date following the absence of the plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, and his lawyer in court without any information.
Apart from the absence of the plaintiff, who is a legal practitioner, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, who are 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter, were also not in court.
Following the absence of the plaintiff and the two defendants, Chris Uche, SAN, representing Dr Jonathan, applied to the court to strike out the suit for lack of diligent prosecution.
Having joined issues with each other, Mr Uche said, the suit is liable for dismissal with a N5 million cost to be awarded against the plaintiff and payable to Dr Jonathan.
He argued that from all indications, the plaintiff has abandoned the suit and ran away upon sighting the preliminary objections raised against the suit, adding that the court is a busy place and not for unserious matters.
Justice Lifu, however, noted that there was no evidence of service of hearing notice on INEC and AGF to appear in court for the suit, adding that lack of service of hearing notice is fundamental.
The judge said rather than striking out the suit, he prefers to bend backward to accommodate the plaintiff and the two defendants for the last time.
While adjourning the matter to May 15, Justice Lifu ordered that hearing notice be served on the plaintiff and the 2nd and 3rd defendants who were not in court on Monday.
The plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, had filed the case seeking an order to restrain Dr Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as an aspirant for the 2027 election.
He is also asking the court to stop INEC from accepting, processing or publishing Dr Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
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