Dambazau is a liar, I never reinstated Maina – Head of Service

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, on Monday said there was no truth in the reports that she approved the reinstatement of a former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, and his subsequent posting to the Ministry of Interior.

In a statement by her Assistant Director, Media Relations, Mohammed Manga, the HoS insisted that Maina’s reinstatement and posting did not emanate from her office.

The three-paragraph statement read, “The attention of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has been drawn to several media reports that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has approved the reinstatement into the Federal Civil Service of Alhaji Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina and his subsequent posting to the Ministry of Interior.

“The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation wishes to inform the public that the reinstatement and posting of Alhaji Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina never emanated from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

“Consequently, the purported reinstatement and posting by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation is totally erroneous and misleading.”

Oyo-Ita’s claim contradicts the position of the Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), who had earlier absolved himself from complicity in the matter.

Dambazau had said Maina, who was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, was posted to his ministry by the Head of Service a few days ago.

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The minister, in a statement signed by his press secretary, Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, in Abuja on Sunday, said Maina was deployed to the interior ministry in an acting capacity following the retirement of the director in charge of the human resources department.

The statement read, “The ex-chairman of the Presidential Task Force Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, was posted a few days ago to the Ministry of Interior by the Office of the Head of Service in an acting capacity to fill a vacancy following the retirement of the director heading the human resources department in the ministry.”

It added, “For the avoidance of doubt, issues relating to discipline, employment, re-engagement, posting, promotion and retirement of federal civil servants are the responsibility of the Federal Civil Service Commission and the office of the Head of Service of the Federation, of which no minister exercises such powers as erroneously expressed.”

The minister said that Maina was probably posted to the interior ministry because that was his last posting before he was declared wanted by the anti-graft commission for the multi-billion naira pension fund scam.