The Equity and Transparency Initiative (ETI), a non-governmental organisation, has dragged the chairman of the Pensions Reform Task Team [PRTT], Alhaji Abdul Rasheed Maina, before the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar on allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office.
In a letter of complaint to the IGP dated April 16, 2012, and made available to LEADERSHIP the group urged the police to launch a full scale investigation into several allegations? against Maina bordering on fraud, abuse of office, as well as the on-going accusations and counter- accusations of bribery, theft and fraud between some directors of police pension board and some senators on one hand and between the Senate Joint Committee on Establishment and Public Service, States and Local Governments, and the PRTT? on the other hand, over a N2billion bribe.
Part of the petition, signed by the National Secretary of the organisation, Alhaji Isa Dansarki Mohammed, reads: “We do not have to forget that Alhaji Rasheed Maina accepted to have spent N450million to screen 20 pensioners. He claimed to have spent the money in Atlanta, New York, UK, etc.
“He is a signatory to accounts where billions of Naira is kept. These accounts, he has been found to manage without due authorization from either the Accountant General of the Federation, or the Minister of Finance. Alhaji Maina alone, without any system for checks and balance, manages four pension offices including the State Security Service, police pensions, and pensions in the Diaspora offices. He should be investigated on his allegations of graft and bribery against the Senate Joint Committee, Police and the EFCC”.
In the same vein, the group asked the IGP to probe the PRTT boss on an allegation that he spent a sum of N5million in two weeks for the upkeep of 25 policemen and 10 Customs personnel attached to him for security.
“You may wish to recall that this same man [Maina] who is currently employing very dirty antics of distraction and diversion to avert, forestall or wriggle himself out of the on-going pension funds probe by the Senate, has by his actions, negated the values and virtues of the current transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan. In view of the forgoing, we hereby call on you to carry out full investigation into the above, in the best interest of the Nigerian nation”, the group told the IGP.