Sacking Maina Not Enough, Nigeria Not Banana Republic, Group Tells Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has been asked to stop embarrassing Nigeria before the international community by going beyond sacking Abdulrasheed Maina, the “wanted” ex-pension boss.

The call was made by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN).

President Buhari had in the light of the heavy criticisms he received due to Maina’s reinstatement into the Federal Civil Service, directed the Head of Service to immediately fire the ex-Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms.

But in its reaction to the matter, the ASCSN said ordering Maina’s sack was not enough.

The group said that those involved in the ex-pension boss` recall should be decisively dealt with.

ASCSN’s Secretary-General, Alade Bashir Lawal, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed regret that Mr. Maina could find his way back to Civil Service after allegedly stealing pension funds running into N2 billion.

The statement reads in part:

‘’Information at the public domain shows that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the Minister of Interior, Lt-General Abdulrahaman Dambazau, cannot be entirely extricated from the conspiracy that led to the illegal re-absorption of Maina into the Federal Civil Service.

‘’Thus, the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has again dismissed Abdulrasheed Maina from Service is good news but what the public now expects is for Mr President to instil sanity into the inner core of his administration by sacking those who are bent on ruining his reputation as a man of integrity,’’ the Union emphasized.

‘’If the President does not act to replace some of his personal aides that are besmearing the image of his government, the impression will continue to be created that he may be privy to their ignoble acts.

‘’Besides, apart from dismissing Abdulrasheed Maina from Service, relevant Government Agencies should take necessary steps to bring him to justice.

‘’It is this type of impunity that continues to create the impression before the international community that Nigeria is a lawless country. This is very unfortunate.

‘’This is the more reason why those who conspired to reinstate Abdulrasheed Maina into the Federal Civil Service and gave him double promotion must be disciplined and brought to account so as to act as deterrence to others.

‘’We cannot continue to behave as if Nigeria is a Banana Republic where anything goes.’’