The House of Representatives ad-hoc committee set up to investigate the disappearance, return and reinstatement of the embattled former Chairman of the Presidential Pension Task Force Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, has summoned former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala to appear next week Monday to explain their involvement in the alleged misappropriation of the pension funds.
Also to appear before the committee are Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele and former Accountant-General of the Federation, Jonah Otunla.
It will be recalled that Maina was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged N2billion pensions biometric scam in November 2015, a 24-count bothering on procurement fraud and obtaining money under false pretence.
He reportedly disappeared from public glare only to resurface in October 2017, to take charge as an Acting Director in the Ministry of Interior with his return sparking reactions and outrages.
On October 23 he was, however, dismissed from the Federal Civil Service by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, who also demanded a full report of the circumstances of his recall and promotion while the House decided to conduct its own investigations.
The committee believed in its wisdom that not only the fugitive Abdulrasheed Maina should be held accountable but all those who participated in the then Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform alleging that about N2 billion naira was squandered by the team.
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Anayo Nnebe said it would be unacceptable for the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, PTAD, to claim that there was no recoveries made in the period under review and asked them to come with comprehensive reports of recoveries so far made.
In the same vein, the House of Representatives, also agreed to investigate several banks for the loss of over N2 billion Naira and $3.8 million dollars following the alleged non-payment of interests accruing from the sale of proceeds from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, (PHCN) successor companies.
It also mandated its committees on Power, Banking and Currency and Privatization to carry out the probe and report back in six weeks for further legislative action following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Chukwuka Onyema.
