The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the Head of Service, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita Ekpeyong, and the Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazau (rtd.), in connection with the reinstatement of Abdulrasheed Maina, a former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, insisting that his dismissal is insufficient atonement for his alleged crime.

Maina was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of pensions fund related scam amounting to about $2 billion.

In a media statement endorsed jointly by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA said the atrocious and unethical conducts of top public servants connected with the reinstatement of Abdulrasheed Maina into the civil service of the federation long after he had been recommended for dismissal by a panel, following which he went under and resurfaced to vie for the post of Deputy Governor of Borno State when the last occupant died in a hotel room, are weighty enough to warrant a clean sweep of the hierarchy of the nation’s civil service and indeed any Cabinet level official found wanting in the unfolding scenarios.

HURIWA is demanding his arrest, prosecution and retrieval of all allegedly siphoned public pension funds.

HURIWA said the President should also probe the officials of the EFCC which made cosmetic or no effort at all to apprehend the now dismissed Director in the Ministry of Interior when he openly reportedly declared his interest to replace the late Deputy Governor of Borno State but was turned down by the Governor of Borno State Alhaji Kashim Shettima.

“We think there is more to it than meets the eyes and we think there is a syndicate that specialises in providing classified information to fugitives from the law especially relating to charges or intentions of EFCC to institute charges before a competent court of law. Apart from Maina, there are dozens of top level graft suspects that have gone underground in what looks like a choreographed scheme to undermine the sanctity of the anti-corruption battle.

“We believe that the Abdulrasheed Maina’s emerging scandal should be the best opportunity to comprehensively reorganise the apparatus of anti-corruption fight because the now dismissed erstwhile Director of Public Pensions who was declared wanted was, however, known to be hibernating around major cities of the globe including when he openly dabbled into the political fray in Borno State. The Nigerian people should be told why the EFCC failed to pin him down only for the same fugitive to be railroaded into a higher office which has brought so much opprobrium and disgrace to the people of Nigeria.”

HURIWA recalled that President Buhari had directed the immediate disengagement from service of Maina. In a memo to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the President equally demanded a full report of the circumstances of Maina’s recall and posting to the Ministry of Interior.

The report is to be submitted to the office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari.

HURIWA said the action of the President, although commendable, amounted to an afterthought and is insufficient to serve as atonement for the enormous damage that the issue brought to Nigeria and created the impression that the Nigerian government tolerates high level of official theft of pensions belonging to senior citizens who toiled day and night for years to serve Nigeria.

The rights group said the Head of Service and the Interior Minister should be suspended pending the complete investigation of the remote and immediate circumstances surrounding the reinstatement of Maina.