Mainagate: Senate Vindicates Oyo-Ita, Says Hos’ Dealing Was ‘Tidy’

The Senate ad hoc Committee set up to investigate the controversial re- appointment of former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Returns, Abdullahi Abdulrasheed Maina as a director in the Civil Service has cleared the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita of any wrong doing.

The Hos, in a leaked memo, had said President Muhammadu Buhari was aware of the reinstatement of Maina, adding that she warned him against it.

Oyo-Ita’s admission had generated back lashes from the presidency, even as she was seen in a hot argument with the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Abba Kyari seemingly over the issue.

Defending his involvement in the Maina scandal while appearing before the Senate panel, the Attorney-General and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami agreed that he wrote letters to the Federal Civil Service Commission (FRSC) on the recall of the sacked chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team.

According to the Nation, “There is no record that the questions were answered by the FCSC in any correspondence.

“The fourth letter was written by the Attorney-general in January as a directive to the Civil Service Commission to reinstate Maina. In the letter, the AG asked for Maina’s status, his position, rank and next rank.

“There was another letter in February where the AG directed the Civil Service Commission to reinstate Maina. The committee frowned at this because under the constitution, they felt the AG cannot issue that kind of directive,” the source had said.

“The committee was satisfied that the Head of Service (HoS) of the Federation documented everything.

“The Committee observed that she was tidy. It was learnt that at the sitting, the HoS did not release the purported letter written by the Civil Service Commission to Maina. The question the committee will be finding answer to on Thursday is where the Ministry of Interior got the letter it relied upon to reinstate Maina,” the source reportedly said.