Who is behind Maina’s impunity?
THURSDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2013 00:00 BUSINESSDAY

Last year, we extensively reported allegations of financial impropriety involving Abdulrasheed Maina, chairman, Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT). Our expectation then was that appropriate authorities ought to have taken the necessary actions.

On November 2, 2011, the Senate had mandated its Committees on Establishment and Public Service, and States and Local Government to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the management and administration of pension funds and payment of pensioners in the country. The upper legislative chamber had also summoned Maina to clarify on the committee’s findings, but he had refused to honour the invitation.

On December 13, 2012, following Maina’s refusal, David Mark, Senate president, issued a warrant of arrest directing Mohammed Abubakar, inspector general of police, to produce Maina before the Senate, but that was again not heeded.

Rather than honour the Senate invitation, Maina elected to be gallivanting all over the country. He was said to be cruising about in bullet-proof automobiles with a retinue of security details.

We are concerned that while pensioners are suffering and many of them are dying as a result of non-payment of their dues, someone accused of misappropriating the pension fund is walking free. We are also worried that despite the indictment of the KPMG audit report sponsored by the Federal Government and the audit report from the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation which also found Maina culpable, the Federal Government still allowed the man to junket about.

As is always the case with most questionable characters in government circles, Maina has been involved in recruiting praise-singers to confer legitimacy on his job. Last year, a group of federal lawmakers was said to have travelled abroad and there declared that Maina was the best thing to happen to the Nigerian pension sector.

But why has it been so difficult for the police to arrest Maina? We condemn in strong terms a situation where influential people in society declare themselves above the law and security agents apparently oblige them, whereas poor people are subjected to inhuman treatments for minor offences.

It must be pointed out that all citizens are equal before the law. We align with the views of the Senate president that “nobody in this country is bigger than our democracy”.

We are pained that the Federal Government waited until the Senate issued an ultimatum before mandating the head of service to take appropriate action against Maina. We are constrained to think that Maina is being shielded. If this is so, then it confirms the fears in some quarters that the fight against corruption in the country is yet to make headway