An angry Head of
Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, reacted in a very unusual manner
at the Council Chambers apparently over her leaked memo to President Muhammadu
Buhari.
Her reaction was
witnessed by all those who were in the Council Chambers for the twin ceremony
of the swearing-in of the Secretary to the Government or the Federation, Boss
Mustapha, the launch of 2018 armed forces emblem and the council members who
were seated for the Federal Executive Council meeting.
Vice-President
Yemi Osinbajo and Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari were seen talking
to Oyo-Ita, shortly before the commencement of the event which kicked off the
twin ceremony at 10:55am.
The
shocking drama, which lasted for about 10 minutes, was witnessed by Senate President
Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Chief Justice of
Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, the Governor of Adamawa, Jibrilla Bindow, APC
National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, Chief of Defence Staff, other service
chiefs, Inspector General of Police as well as heads of paramilitary service,
among others.
Oyo-Ita,
who is usually reserved and graceful, was seen angrily gesticulating while
trying to make her point in what was obviously a heated argument with Kyari.
The Head
of Service went back to her seat and then rose again and headed straight to
Osinbajo, who also engaged her in a tête-a-tete over the issue.
The
National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, later joined the conversation
after which the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation was seen
calming down the Head of Service.
She was
later asked to return to her seat by the Deputy Chief of Staff Femi Ipaye, when
it was obvious all eyes were fixed on them.
A
national daily had quoted Oyo-Ita, in the leaked memo, as saying that Buhari
was aware of the reinstatement of the former chairman of the Presidential Task
Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina.
Oyo-Ita
was also quoted to have stated that she had warned the president against the
controversial recall of the embattled former pension boss.
President
Buhari ordered the immediate disengagement of former chairman of the
Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdullahi Abdulrasheed Maina, 24
hours after Minister of Interior, Lt Gen (retd) Abdulrahman Dambazau, admitted
that Maina, was posted to the Ministry of Interior by the Office of the Head of
Service on an Acting capacity to fill a vacancy created following the
retirement of the Director heading the Human Resources Department in the
Ministry.
Maina
was in 2013 recommended for dismissal by the Federal Civil Service Commission
following a recommendation by the Office of the Head of Service.
In 2012,
Maina was accused of leading a massive pension fraud scheme amounting to more
than N100 billion.
He was
drafted by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2010 to sanitize a corrupt
pension system.
Based on
the allegation of corruption, Mr. Maina was invited by the Senate Joint
Committee on Public Service and Establishment and State and Local Government
Administration.
The
Press Secretary to the Minister of Interior, Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, in a
statement exonerated the minister as having a hand in the controversial
posting, saying Maina was posted few days ago to the Ministry of Interior by
the Office of the Head of Service on an Acting capacity to fill a vacancy
created following the retirement of the Director heading the Human Resources
Department in the Ministry.
The Head
of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, in compliance with
President Buhari’s directive had submitted a report on the recall of former
chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms.
Buhari
had in a memo demanded a full report of the circumstances of Maina’s recall and
posting to the Ministry of Interior before the end of the day’s work.
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