A House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating activities of the defunct Presidential Task Force on Pensions Reforms has invited the Emir of Kano and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Muhammadu Sanusi and former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to clarify issues raised at a public hearing organized by the panel in Abuja on Tuesday.
Also invited are former Head of Service, Steve Orosanye; former chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Ahmed Al-Gazali and current Head of Service, Winifred Oyo-Ita.
The panel is investigating activities of the task force from 2010 to 2013. Others to also appear before the panel are; the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; the Inspector-General of Police; Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The invitees are to appear before the Committee on Monday, March 13, 2018. The invitation followed a motion by a member of the committee, Mohammed Nuhu Sheriff (Borno) and adopted by the committee chairman, Anayo Nebe (Anambra).
Nebe said the invitation was to enable the panel carry out thorough investigation of the controversies that trailed the now defunct task force. “Between 2010 when it was established and 2013 when it was dissolved, over N200 billion of pensioners’ money was allegedly looted.” Nebe said.
The task force on pension reforms was established on February 18, 2010 to carry out holistic reform of the pension system in Nigeria. In 2013, the chairman of the task force, Abdulrasheed Maina, was sacked and the task force disbanded.
Maina had been accused of diverting over N3 billion of pensioners’ money. In 2017, he was reinstated and promoted as a director in the Ministry of Interior. He was later disengaged from service on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari and declared wanted by the EFCC.
On February 4, 2018, the House of Representatives decided to revisit the pension reforms saga.
