Alleged Missing N195bn Pension Fund: My Vindication Is Near, says Maina

Maina in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, said his renewed hope is against the revelation of one of his main accusers, Senator Kabiru Gaya, chairman Senate Committee on Establishment and Local Governments, who has admitted that the alleged missing sum of N195bn which has been in the accounts of some MDA’s in the pension sector, has been ploughed into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) of the present government.

The statement reads: “You will recall how the Senate committee headed by Aloysius Etuk and Kabiru Gaya accused me falsely of having stolen N195 billion for whatever their hidden agenda was and to stop the good work of funds recovery and block leakages that the PRTT excelled in. They wanted me out at all costs.

“Now it is the same Senator Gaya that has come out to say that his committee found the same money stuck in MDAs which has now formed part of the TSA.

“Let me quote what he said in The Sun Newspaper of April 12, 2016: “You remember I was a member of the 6th and 7th Senate and I am still a member of the 8th National Assembly. During the 7th Senate, we were able to do a probe of the pension scam. I was a co-chair of that committee. During that investigation, we were able to discover N195 billion stocked in accounts of various Departments, Agencies and Ministries (MDAs) for pension and they were not using those monies. These are kinds of money that form part of the TSA and it is a welcome idea. It is an excellent idea. Now, we can use money we have to achieve what we want.”

According to the former PRTT boss who was declared wanted by the EFCC but quashed by the same magistrate court in Abuja, said it is about time that the present Senate revisits the pension probe and set the records straight.

“I appeal to the Senate to take a second look at the pension probe to finally strengthen that sector for the benefit of our frail pensioners. The Judgement delivered in my favour against the Senate pronouncement not withstanding. I have been maligned, shot at, psychologically traumatised, denied my due entitlements, hounded for serving my country diligently. If this is the reward for serving ones country, I fear for Nigeria because it would be hard to find men of integrity and courage to serve honestly. It’s unfortunate.

“Also, my personal advice for my big brother, Senator Gaya, is that he should be bold and in the spirit of Ramadan tell Nigerians and the Senate the mistake his Committee made by alleging that N195 billion was stolen in 2012 by me and my Team, when nothing of such ever happened,” Maina stressed.