COURT VACATES ARREST WARRANT AGAINST SACKED PENSION BOSS, MAINA

A federal high court sitting in Abuja  Wednesday morning, vacated the arrest warrant issued by Nigerian Senate against the sacked chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, Abdulrasheed Maina.

Justice Adamu Bello, in his one hour judgment held that the arrest warrant issued did not comply with section 88 of the 1999 constitution as amended.

The court held that it was regrettable that the respondents failed to make available the National Assembly journal or the official government gazette, containing the process leading to the issuance of the arrest warrant.

INTERPOL SIGHTS MAINA, PENSION THIEF, IN DUBAI HOTEL

A top operative of the Nigeria Police, International Police Organisation Department (Interpol), said on Wednesday that its counterpart in Dubai, United Arab Emirate, has reported sighting the embattled Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Chairman, Abdulrasheed Maina, who recently fled the country in a hotel in Dubai.

The police source also added that Maina, when he was sighted, spotted a white caftan, with a white cap to match, a sunshade and a brown sandal.

The source said he was seen coming in and out of Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai, but was not accosted because of two armed bodyguards with him.

It was gathered that the development has been communicated to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Abubakar, who is expected to issue further directive on the matter.

HOLD HOS RESPONSIBLE FOR MISSING N195BN – PRTT

The Pension Reform Task Team, (PRTT) said yesterday that the outgoing Head of Service (HOS), Alhaji Bello Sali should be held responsible for  the alleged missing N195billion pension fund.

PRTT in a statement signed by its media Consultant, Mr. Olajide Fashikun, said it arrived at the conclusion based on the grounds that the task team  depended solely on the head of service to deliver on its mandate.

“It is a fact that, for every need, payments and actions of the PRTT, a creation of the office of the Head of Service, including stationeries receives his approval. The nation is aware for too long that the PRTT had no appropriation from any quarters except through his office.”

MAINA FINGERS HOS IN PENSION FRAUD

Head of the presidential team on pension reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, who is currently on the run over alleged complicity in the N195 billion pension fraud, has said the Head of Service of the Federation, Isa Sali, has questions to answer on why 98 per cent of pensioners were denied their benefits in 2012.
Maina said in a statement yesterday that: “It is surprising to note that when the pension team concluded paper-work preparation for the payment of November, 2012 monthly pension, as usual, the PRTT (Pension Reform Task Team) sent it to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bello Isa Sali, who usually approves the payment without delay; but could not attend to it, and with no official communication to date.”

QUESTIONS OVER MAINA’S CERTS

–How he slipped through our fingers, by IGP

A barrage of petitions have flooded the Senate over the academic and working experience claimed by the chairman of the Pension Reforms Task Team (PRTT), Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina.

Maina, who is believed to have escaped from the country to avoid arrest and prosecution over alleged mismanagement of N469 billion of pension fund, is alleged to have presented unsubstantiated certificates and maneuvered his way for promotion without passing through due process in accordance with laid-down civil service rules.

This is coming on the heels of rising public anxiety over the outcome of a disciplinary measure being taken against him by the Head of Service for failure to honour several invitations by the Senate. President Goodluck Jonathan last week directed the Head of Service to commence disciplinary action against Maina for abscondment.

MAINA: FG DISBANDS PENSION REFORM TASKFORCE

THE Federal Government has disbanded the Pension Reform Taskforce headed by Mr. Adulrasheed Maina as the chairman, over fraud allegations rocking the Taskforce.

A credible source in the Pension Reform Taskforce Office told Nigerian Tribune that the Federal Government has communicated the PRTT in a letter to that effect.

When asked about Maina’s whereabouts, the source said: “I can’t tell you the whereabouts of Maina now but the latest we are getting is that the Task Team has been disbanded. One of my senior officials just asked me to come to the office and pack my things. The fact that Oga is not here to give us directive means he might have travelled, I can’t tell.”

Unconfirmed reports said Maina has fled the country to escape arrest by the police and other security agents.

PENSION THIEVES ARE AFTER ME, MAINA CRIES OUT •PROMISES TO REAPPEAR AFTER SORTING OUT PERSONAL SECURITY

WANTED Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina has said he had nothing to hide from the Senate on the allegations levelled against him and would only resurface after sorting out the issue of threats to his life and that of his family members by those he described as agents of pension thieves.

Maina said his non-appearance before the Senate was a deliberate ploy to avoid being pinned to a corner by some Senators who he said have been calling him names and were never prepared to give him a fair hearing, notwithstanding that many of them knew that he did not steal a penny from the pension funds he had so far recovered.