N1.6 Trn Pension Assets: Bring Okonjo-Iweala, Larmode, Others To Testify, Maina Appeals To Buhari

Embattled former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute a high powered committee to investigate into what happened to the N1.6 trillion pension assets that his team recovered.

He also requested that the committee of inquiry should be made up of people of integrity which should be able to summon former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former chairmen of the ICPC, EFCC, Ekpo Nta and Ibrahim Lamorde, respectively as well as former Accountant General of the Federation, Jonah Otunla, Senator Kabir Gaya and Senator Aloysius Etuk, to shed light on the N1.6trillion assets and funds recovered by the task team under his watch.

In an email to our correspondent, Maina, whose where about remains unknown after being declared by the EFCC, insisted that the PRTT did not have operational accounts and no appropriation by the National Assembly, “hence, how could it have been possible for the team to misappropriate any funds.”

According to him, all allowances and travel expenses were approved by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, therefore he could not as “an ordinary Assistant Director’ approve for himself N17bn to steal.”

Maina maintained that the claim of N17billion traced to him was fictitious and an extract from the vindictive investigation report of the 7th Gaya/Etuk Senate Pension Committee that investigated Maina Pension Team Force.

Maina, whose recall has generated wide public debate, stated in the email that once his security could be guaranteed and once the committee is put in place, he would make himself available to the federal government.