MAINA'S LETTER TO SARAKI REVEALS OVER N3TRN PENSION FUND STOLEN,SAYS 7TH SENATE AIDING THIEVES

Former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina wrote a letter to Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki before he went into hiding revealing that over N3 trillion hidden pension fund is yet to be mopped from 97 pension offices.

Maina, in the letter dated 19th June 2015, which he wrote shortly after his return to the country, was seeking for a review of his case and a probe of the various actions taken against him by people bent on intimidating him to submission, just as he accused the 7th Senate of aiding and abetting "pension thieves" across the country.

The letter addressed to Senator Saraki was titled: "Pension reform task team - Appeal for review of investigation probe by Senate joint committee on establishment and public service and states and local government administration 2011 - 2013."

Maina said in the letter which was made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Friday that, the task team which took off effectively in January 2011, saved the country N1.6trillion from "pension thieves", adding that "we used financial intelligence skills to achieve ground-breaking achievements in our assignment. We recovered and saved cash and properties worth over N1.6trillion."

The leaked letter indicated that the pension boss resurfaced in the country shortly after the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari in May 29, 2015.

Maina maintained that the Senate Joint Committee ended up creating more problems than solutions to the endemic corruption and fraud prevailing in the system because while the Senate haunted them, it favoured the "pension thieves".

Also, Maina disclosed that shortly after he was forced out, the office of the Head of Office was enmeshed in a N35bn fraud. He added that the ICPC conducted investigation into the matter but regretted that "till date, they are yet to commence the prosecution."

Maina also noted that his dismissal process was concluded under 36 hours without giving him the opportunity to be heard.

Maina who is still at large, having been disengaged by President Buhari, sought the following prayers, "We are by this letter appealing to the Federal Government in the spirit of change which the country is witnessing, and the stand of government on corruption, that opportunity be given to us to present the truth about Pension Management in Nigeria.