Ebun Francis || The family of the embattled former chairman of the Presidential task force on pension reform, Abdulrasheed Maina came out forcefully on Wednesday to defend their son insisting that he is not a fraudster as being portrayed in the media.
The family described Maina as a messiah who saved billions of naira for the country through the reforms he initiated as chairman of the presidential task force on pension reform.
It was based on such glittering credentials, the family said that lead to his invitation by the Buhari administration to join the change agenda.
Aliyu Maina, the spokesman for the family also claimed during the press conference that it was the DSS that provided Maina with security since his return to the country and wondered why the same officials are washing their hands off the fugitive former pencom boss.
Aliyu said, ”It is on record that Abdulrasheed Maina’s reform put to a stop the fraudulent withdrawal of huge sums from both the Nigerian Pension Board, the Nigerian Police Pension Board, etc. Perhaps it is his noble efforts that made him enviable to the present administration when they came into power to convince him to come back and assist in its ‘CHANGE’ agenda.”
“Abdulrasheed was in fact invited by this administration and he was promised security to come and clean up the mess and generate more revenue to government by blocking leakages.
“He succumbed to the present administration and came back to Nigeria. He has been working with the DSS for quite some time and he was given necessary security.
“There is a letter from the attorney-general of the federation where he gave his own legal opinion regarding the court verdict which was submitted to the Civil Service Commission and the head of service respectively. So, one wonders why all the agencies and various individuals responsible for his return are now denying.”
“As you know Abdulrasheed Maina had been a target of in the past, so experience is the best teacher. But when his security is guaranteed, he will surface from wherever he is and tell Nigerians the truth.”
“All the same, we have contacted our solicitors, Messrs Mamman Nasir & Co and instructed them to act appropriately. We equally know that Abdulrasheed Maina is in possession of so facts that are against the cabal and interesting to the Nigerian populace, which he will disclose soonest. One must ask whether it is an offence for somebody to serve his fatherland,” he said.
The former indicted Pencom boss who was recently reinstated into the civil service in controversial circumstances is currently on the run following President Buhari’s directive that he should be dismissed from the service.