Mainagate: Senate slams AGF over litigation

Taiye Odewale Abuja

The Senate yesterday descended heavily on the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami for litigating against it and the House of Representatives on investigative hearing being conducted by both chambers on botched reinstatement and promotion saga of the former Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Pensions reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina.

Maina, who had earlier disappeared from the public domain since 2013 over alleged N15billion pension fund fraud for which he was declared wanted by the 7th Senate and dismissed from public service, resurfaced in October last year in controversial circumstances as Director, Personnel in the Ministry of Interior before hurriedly dismissed again by President Buhari in the wake of public outcry.

Consequently, both the Senate and the House of Representatives swung into action to unravel the circumstances that led to Maina’s sudden reinstatement, promotion and dismissal through public investigative hearings from affected public officials.

However, the Attorney General of the Federation, even after attending the sessions at both chambers, went to a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to stop the investigative hearings from which his exparte motion on the case was rejected on Monday.

In its reaction to the court ruling, the Senate in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger North) asked Malami to explain to Nigerians why he is afraid of the investigative hearing over the national embarrassment.

The upper legislative chamber wondered why the Chief Law Officer of the country suddenly started running to court after appearing before the committees at both chambers and stated his own side of the national embarrassment.

Sabi in the statement the said the Senate was surprised that the AGF who had utilised the ample opportunity given to him by both chambers of the National Assembly to state his case on the Maina issue is now the one going to court to stop the legislature’s investigation.

He said: “We are wondering what the AGF is afraid of. When he appeared before our committee, he was well received and fairly treated. “He indeed expressed his happiness with the protection given to him by the committee handling the Maina case.”

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