Dambazau Cannot Recall, Promote Maina – Ministry

Abdulrahman Dambazau, Nigeria’s Ministry of Interior, has denied any complicit in the recall and promotion of wanted former Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team Abdulrasheed Maina.

Maina was dismissed in 2013 by the Federal Civil Service Commission over accusation of massive pension fraud scheme amounting to more than N100billion.

He was also dismissed by the Head of Service for allegedly absconding from duty and attempting to evade arrest.

And it was gathered over the weekend that Maina had returned to the country following his purported recalling and promotion by the federal government.

But the minister, in a statement by his press secretary, Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, said Maina was recalled through the office of the Head of Service.

The statement read in part: “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 on 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.

“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 the Head of Civil Service.”