October 24, 2017

Mr Josiah Ogungbemi, a chieftain of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), has commended President Mohammadu Buhari over the sack of Abdulrasheed Maina, the former chairman, Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms.

Ogungbemi gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Tuesday.

According to him, the order for immediate disengagement of Maina would strengthen the confidence Nigerians had on Buhari’s ability to fight corruption.

He, however, urged the president to ensure that all accomplices in the Maina’s reinstatement were sanctioned.

”Every patriotic Nigerian will be happy about the directive for the sack of Maina because it further proves that President Buhari means the ongoing anti-corruption crusade.

”The reinstatement of the former pension boss who had been declared wanted by the EFCC since 2015, clearly shows that some unpatriotic Nigerians are behind the scene,’’ he said

Ogungbemi called on EFCC to do the needful on Maina’s case for other corrupt-minded public servants to turn a new leaf.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buhari, on Monday, ordered the immediate disengagement of Maina from the federal service.

The president also demanded a full report of the circumstances of Maina’s reinstatement and posting to the Ministry of Interior.

Maina, who was  appointed by the former president Goodluck Jonathan in 2010, was alleged to have connived with others to misappropriate N100 billion in 2012.

He was subsequently arraigned in 2015 by the EFCC, after declaring him wanted.