About 24 hours after information leaked that President Muhammadu Buhari was inwards the know close the questionable reinstatement of a dismissed pension fraud suspect into the civil service, the presidency has refused to beak on the matter.
The allegations that Mr. Buhari was briefed of the system to surreptitiously recollect Abdulrasheed Maina, a fugitive from justice, were raised inwards an internal memo past times the Head of Civil Service, Winifred Oyo-Ita — signalling an escalation inwards the scandal as well as its growing touching on the president’s avowed ‘war on corruption.’
“I sought an audience amongst His Excellency, Mr. President on Wednesday, Oct 11, 2017, after the FEC coming together where I briefed His Excellency verbally on the wide-ranging implications of the reinstatement of Mr. A. A. Maina, peculiarly the damaging touching on the anti-corruption opinion of this administration,” Mrs. Oyo-Ita said inwards the memo to Mr. Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.
The Punch Newspapers published the Oct 23 correspondence Tuesday morning, lending the strongest corroboration yet to an before proposition past times Sahara Reporters that Mr. Buhari knew close the Maina affair but was solely feigning ignorance to hoodwink the public.
PREMIUM TIMES on Oct xx broke the even of Mr. Maina’s dubious furnish to civil service after years of existence on the run, sending shockwaves through the state as well as placing the administration’s send nether renewed populace criticism as well as scrutiny.
If the president was carried along past times Attorney-General Abubakar Malami as well as Interior Minister Abdulrahman Dambazau —the 2 officials at the pump of the recall— it would hold upwardly hard for him to yield to populace need to burn downwards either or both of them.
Mrs. Oyo-Ita’s memo was belike her reply to Mr. Buhari’s need that the top civil retainer pose together a written report detailing how Mr. Maina sneaked dorsum into populace service.
Mr. Buhari summoned the written report when he demanded an expedited dismissal of Mr. Maina from service on Oct 23, an uncharacteristically swift reply to populace outrage that led many to assume that the scandal also caught the president past times surprise.
Presidential spokespersons, Femi Adesina as well as Garba Shehu, declined comments close Mrs. Oyo-Ita’s allegations against the president Tuesday. Despite repeated efforts past times PREMIUM TIMES throughout the day, the presidency failed to categorically say what Mr. Buhari mightiness know.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
While Mrs. Oyo-Ita’s memo mightiness receive got added farther hints into the possible interest of Mr. Buhari inwards the controversial recall; it was soundless on a host of questions that could hold upwardly considered crucial to bringing the scandal to closure.
For instance, the Head of Service didn’t say what Mr. Buhari’s reply was when she warned him close the Maina affair.
Secondly, Mrs. Oyo-Ita said she get-go learnt of the system every bit far dorsum every bit February, but she also didn’t say why she had to hold back until Oct xi to verbally cite the affair to Mr. Buhari. Based on a narration prepared past times the Federal Civil Service Commission, Mr. Maina was reinstated on September 28, indicating that Mrs. Oyo-Ita solely raised concerns after the suspicious reinstatement had been concluded.
Also, considering the civil service civilization of written communication, Mrs. Oyo-Ita was expected to receive got formally notified Mr. Buhari of her reservations concerning the reinstatement.
Administration officials told PREMIUM TIMES it was appropriate to verbally cite issues to the president during meetings, but it is commonly done every bit a follow-up or a passing reminder close a pending written request. If in that place was whatever written communication betwixt Mrs. Oyo-Ita as well as Mr. Buhari before the scandal broke, she didn’t specify inwards the memo.
Even when Mr. Buhari was warned late, he didn’t appear to receive got taken whatever activeness to at nowadays accept steps that would receive got saved his direction the scandal.
Mr. Buhari had nine days betwixt Oct xi when Mrs. Oyo-Ita pose him on the detect as well as Oct xx when PREMIUM TIMES blew the lid of Messrs. Malami as well as Dambazau’s machinations. It, however, took the president solely 3 days of populace backlash after the even broke to need Mr. Maina’s sack as well as query Mrs. Oyo-Ita.
A spokesperson for the Head of Service, Muhammed Manga, said he won’t comment on a leaked internal communication.
The Punch memo also showed Mrs. Oyo-Ita standing her soil that her part did non partake inwards the reinstatement, opposite to a claim past times Mr. Dambazau that she approved the posting of Mr. Maina to the Interior.
FULL DISCLOSURE
Mr. Maina was dismissed from service inwards 2013 during the Goodluck Jonathan direction for absconding from part next allegations that he diverted billions inwards populace funds for his ain role when he headed the pension reform chore force.
The Economic as well as Financial Crimes Commission later moved to arrest as well as prosecute him, but Mr. Maina, who was fired every bit an assistant director, bolted from the law.
He was believed to receive got fled to Dubai, where he had remained until the Buhari direction facilitated his furnish nether questionable circumstances this year.
Out of the 34-count accuse which EFCC filed against a onetime Head of Civil Service, Steve Oronsaye, over pension fraud, Mr. Maina featured inwards 27. EFCC sources said he couldn’t hold upwardly charged because he had been on the run.
“The consequences of the gross breach of populace trust inwards the reinstatement of Mr. Maina could solely hold upwardly minimised if the president comes build clean on the scandal,” said a political analyst as well as automobile expert, Gbola Oba.
Mr. Oba said Mr. Buhari as well as his aides are non helping themselves past times keeping repose as well as would “be false if they mean value they could hold back out this humongous scandal that others before it.”
“It’s truthful that Nigerians receive got acquire tired of regular scandals inwards populace service, but this 1 would probable hold upwardly the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back,” Mr. Oba told PREMIUM TIMES past times telephone Tuesday night. “The Head of Service has indicted the president, it’s fourth dimension for him to tell Nigerians his side.”
By Samuel Ogundipe, Premium Times