President Muhammadu Buhari’s
anti-corruption adviser, Itse Sagay, has said the anti-graft war of the
administration is “pure”, regardless of growing criticisms over the
government’s handling of corruption allegations against top officials.
Mr. Sagay said this in the wake
of the the controversial re-integration of Abdurasheed Maina, futigitive former
pension chief, into the civil service.
Mr. Sagay said critics were being
“extremely unreasonable” and desperate to find fault.
We had last week broken news
of the shocking recall and promotion of Mr. Maina, which had been shrouded
in secrecy by the authorities, including the Ministries of Justice and
Interior, and the Office of Head of Service of the Federation.
Mr. Maina was in 2013 dismissed
by the Federal Civil Service Commission following allegations of leading
massive corruption to the tune of N2 billion in his capacity as chairman of the
Pension Reform Task Team.
Afterwards he turned fugitive, as
the Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission sought his arrest.
Since the news of his secret
recall was broken, the Buhari administration has faced harsh criticisms of its
major boast – anti-corruption fight – with many accusing Mr. Buhari of lacking
the will to act against officials of the government under serious allegations
of corruption and abuses.
But Mr. Sagay, a senior lawyer
and professor of Law, disagreed, saying critics were being unreasonable and
only desperate to find fault in Mr. Buhari’s anti-corruption commitment.
“People who are determined to
find wrong will find it no matter how pure the situation is,” said Mr. Sagay in
interview with Premium times on Saturday.
He continued: “Maina escaped out
of this country under Jonathan. When he was sneaked back into the country, did
Buhari know about it? The first time he knew he ordered that the man be dismissed
and arrested. What more do you want him to say? I think people are extremely
unreasonable.”
Although Mr. Buhari was assessed
as acting quickly enough to “order immediate disengagement” of Mr. Maina, a
lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, said the president lacks such powers.
“That was a populist extrication
from a hot scandal,” said Mr. Ogunye.
Speaking further, Mr. Sagay
faulted the demand that the Interior Minister, Abdulrahman Dambazzau and the
Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami, be fired for their role in the recall.
“These are early days. Inquiries
are going on to find out the role of everybody. He is not going to fire anybody
without getting all the sides. Do you know he even wrote the Head of Service?
It is when investigation is concluded, that you start hearing action being
taken,” said Mr. Sagay.
Mr. Buhari has since Monday
received report on the process of the recall from Head of Service, Wilfred Oyo.
But he is yet to act.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sagay has denied
resigning from his role as the chairman of the Presidential Anti-Corruption
Advisory Committee, PACAC.
“It is absolutely untrue,” he
said. “I dey kampe!”
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This man is the dollest professor, dead or alive.
ReplyDeleteWell said. But it's important to note that certain issues need very quick action because if FG is too slow Maina will escape - he will find his way out the shores of Nigeria.
ReplyDelete