The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to spare anyone found to have been involved in facilitating reinstatement into service of fugitive Assistant Director in the Ministry of Interior, Abdulrasheed Maina, describing the development as an embarrassment.
The party’s declaration came on a day the two arms of the National Assembly, Senate and the House of Representatives, asked the President to sack and prosecute Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, Interior Minister, Lt. General Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd), and all others involved in the reinstatement of Maina, former head of the Presidential Task Force on Pensions Reforms.
This is even as armed operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday sealed six properties allegedly belonging to the embattled former chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Task team in Kaduna State.
The APC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the incident as a huge embarrassment to the Buhari administration and the ruling party which rode to power on the mantra of “change.”
He told journalists that the party would, however, not dissipate its energy in replicating the actions of the President who had already ordered a probe of the entire scam.
“We are all shocked like any other person. It is almost unbelievable that such a thing can happen. However, we are all delighted that President Buhari has taken a very decisive, punitive action against those that are involved.
“We are also delighted that he has ordered a full scale investigation into the circumstances that led to this individual being reinstated into public office. We believe as a party that whoever that was part of this or found to have been part of this must face appropriate consequences because it is an embarrassment to the party, government and it is unacceptable.
“Previous probe reports Having failed to act on previous probe reports regarding activities of the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency NIA, Ayo Oke, the APC said Nigerians must have faith in the ability of the President to right all wrongs.
“I cannot comment on this because it is the same President that has taken a decisive action on this that still has the other reports. In his wisdom, he must have a reason and unless we know those reasons, we cannot come to the conclusion that he has not acted.
“We have to be willing to admit that in his judgment, he does have all the facts because we are not sitting in that chair. We have no doubt in our minds that the President will do what is necessary and do what is right.
“But he does not have to act because everybody wants him to act. He has to exercise the best judgment at all times. So, if we are satisfied that he is acting in the best interest of the nation, definitely we cannot continue to insinuate that he will shield these people.
“He was the one who ordered that the investigation be carried out and he is the one who ordered that the SGF and NIA boss be removed from office and we have not heard that they have returned to their duty posts.
“So, definitely, action will be taken on them. I think we should just be kind and wait for Mr President to act on that before we come to the conclusion that he has not acted,” said Abdullahi. He added that the party will not set up an independent panel to investigate the incident.
“Why should the party set up an independent investigation team as if it is not our government? There is no need to set up one because it is our government.
“The President as the leader of the party, is not independent of the party. We are confident that the President will do what is necessary.”