A House of Representatives ad-hoc committee has determined that Abubakar Malami, ‘fraudulently masterminded’ the controversial reinstatement of wanted ex-pensions reform chief, Abdulrasheed Maina.
Abdulrahman Dambazau; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji; and Head of Service, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, have all been implicated in the scandal.
In the 13-page report laid on the floor of the House a fortnight ago, the committee argued that Malami’s actions regarding the reinstatement contravened Section 158 of the 1999 constitution.
He was rebuked for applying undue interference and pressure on the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) to push Maina’s reinstatement through.
The report read, “Section158 (1) of the constitution states: “In exercising its power to make appointments or to exercise disciplinary control over persons, the Code of Conduct Bureau, the National Judicial Council, the Federal Civil Service Commission, the Federal Judicial Service Commission, the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, the Federal Character Commission, and the Independent National Electoral Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other authority or person.
“The Attorney General knew that Maina is a fugitive, yet he met him in Dubai. Maina’s reinstatement didn’t follow due process and it was fraudulently masterminded.”
Lawal Daura also disclosed that he had told Malami to meet with Maina abroad after the AGF asked for his advice.
He said, “The attorney general of the federation sometime in 2016 or 2015 – can’t remember the exact day because it was not through a formal document – placed a call to me when he was outside the country and requested my advise on a request he got through a source that Maina wanted to meet him.
“He wanted me to advise him whether to agree to see Maina or not in that foreign country.
“I responded to the attorney general that he should accept to see Maina but he should not see him alone. He should see him with a third party.”
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