Maina may become Borno dep gov

If the elders and youth of Biu community in Borno State have their way, the former chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina would be the next deputy governor of the state.
The deputy governor of the state, Zannah Umar Mustapha, died recently in Yola, Adamawa State, where he had gone to represent the State Government at the convocation ceremony of Modibbo Adama University of Science and Technology, Yola.
Already, some elders and youths in Biu have endorsed Maina as their choice, reeling out what they said was his track record of service as reason for their endorsement.
A statement jointly issued by Biu Emirate Political Leaders and Youths Vanguard for the Promotion of Biu, at the end of their meeting in Abuja, called on Governor Kashim Shettima to be meticulous in the choice of a successor to the late Mustapha, as any wrong choice could have far-reaching socio-economic and political implications for the diverse interests in Borno State.

Read also: Borno Dep. Gov. dies in his sleep

It would be recalled that the EFCC had at one time declared Maina wanted over allegations of fraudulence and stealing of pension funds of about N195 billion from the pension scheme.
Operatives of the commission also arrested a woman, Ann Igwe, who served as Secretary for Maina during his reign as the chairman of the controversial PPRTT.
The anti- graft agency said it was investigating how the biometric contract allegedly awarded to streamline pension administration under Maina actually became a conduit for stealing pension fund.
Maina had tried but failed to secure an order of perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC from inviting, arresting or prosecuting him.
In the wake of the controversies and allegations of scam around him, the federal government had to bow to pressure from the National Assembly to sack him from the public service of Nigeria following his refusal to appear before the lawmakers after several invitations.
He was quietly dismissed from service shortly after the PRTT was dissolved, so as not to be seen as bowing to the dictates of the National Assembly.
Both chambers of the legislature had unanimously voted for the dismissal of Maina, an Assistant Director in the Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pensions Office, CIPPO, who was appointed to run the PRTT for 30 months only to be overwhelmed by scandals involving pensions funds management running into billions of Naira.
Although the Head of Service, Bello Sali, had said the PRTT had been dissolved and pensions funds management transferred to his office, a new Director, Olabisi Jaji, was appointed by the HoS to take over from Maina.

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