The House of Representatives will on Thursday, 23rd November, 2017 commence a two-day investigate public hearing into the allegations trailing the re-appearance and reinstatement of the former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina into the Federal Civil Service, BusinessDay has gathered.
Also invited to appear before the Ad-hoc Committee chaired by Ali Madaki (APC-Kano) are: Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head of Service of the Federation; Abdulrahman Dambazzau, Minister of Interior; Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice & Attorney General of the Federation (AGF); Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance; Accountant General of the Federation; Auditor General of the Federation; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Godwin Emefiele, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Others include: Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); Director, Department of State Security (DSS); Director General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Chairman, Public Complaints Commission; Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission; Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC); Inspector General of Police (IGP); Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Interior; Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS); Director, Pensions in the office of Federal Civil Service Commission, as well as corporate bodies/individuals with useful Information are also expected to submit documents regarding the investigation.
The fresh probe was sequel to the resolution passed on the motion sponsored by Ali Isa (PDP-Gombe) on Tuesday, 4th April, 2017, which sought to investigate activities of the Presidential Task Force on Pensions Reforms from 2010 to the time of its dissolution.
The Adhoc Committee was also mandated to extend its investigation to the successor agency including Pension Transition Administration Department (PTAD) and report back to the House for further legislative action.
In his lead debate, Isa expressed concern that since the dissolution of the Task Force, the public has not been informed of what became of the billions of naira recovered by the Task Force.
He said, instead of the Task Force discharging its mandate, it became embroiled in widespread allegations of looting of pension funds and has been unable to account for over N200 billion as a result of which the Task Force was dissolved in February, 2013.
He alleged that the Task Force took charge of the Police and the Head of Service Pension Funds and that more than N180 billion was alleged to have been recovered from various banks and also that more than 75,000 ghost pensioners were paid while genuine pensioners were left unattended to.
In response to the Adhoc Committee’s invitation, Maina through his counsel, Muhammad Sani Katu, with the Justice Maman Nasir Chambers, affirmed his readiness to appear before the Committee.
BusinessDay also gathered that the House will resume consideration of the report of the House Committee on Financial Crimes on the bill which seek to establish the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Agency (NFIA) which was deferred till the next legislative day last Thursday.
Clauses 1-4 of the NFIA bill were voted and carried by the House during the Committee of the Whole, where the recommendations of the NFIA bill was considered in line with the Standing Rules of the House.
However, the lawmakers resolved to step down the rest of the NFIA bill for proper harmonization, “especially to distinguish its structure as an Agency or a Unit, and the Mode of appointing the individual to head it,” according to the report compiled by the Speaker’s media office.
According to the House bill seen by our Correspondent, the Agency shall be “responsible for receiving, requesting, analyzing and disseminating financial intelligence reports on money laundering, terrorist financing and other relevant information to law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies and other relevant authorities including Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).
Section 2(2) of the bill which provides for ‘autonomy and domiciliation of the Agency’ stated that: “The Agency shall be independent and operationally autonomous in the discharge of its duties and functions under this bill.
While Section 2(3) of the House bill provides that “the purpose of institutional location and logistical support only, the Agency shall be domiciled in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,” however, the Senate in its bill wants the new agency to be domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and report to the National Assembly.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
