The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, on Sunday offered explanations on how the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, was reinstated into the civil service.
The Minister’s position was contained in a statement by his spokesman, Ehisienmen Osaigbovo.
The statement said: “The ex-Chairman of the Presidential Task Force Team on Pension Reforms Abdulrasheed Maina was posted few days ago to the Ministry of Interior by the Office of the Head of Service in an Acting capacity to fill a vacancy created following the retirement of the Director heading the Human Resources Department in the Ministry.
“For the avoidance of doubt, issues relating to discipline, employment, re-engagement, posting, promotion and retirements of Federal Civil Servants are the responsibility of the Federal Civil Service Commission and Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, of which no Minister exercises such powers as erroneously expressed in this publication. It is understood that Maina’s last posting was with the Ministry of Interior, and that is probably why he was re-posted back to the Ministry.
“It is therefore improper for anybody to think that a Minister could exercise such powers or influence the process of Discipline, Re-engagement, and Deployment of any civil servant to his Ministry or any other Ministry for that matter. Again such responsibility is that of the Federal Civil Service Commission and/or the Head of Civil Service.”
Maina was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, after he fled the country based on the accusation that he mismanaged N2 billion pension fund.
