The embattled former Chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Team (PPRT), Abdurasheed Maina, has challenged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to an open debate over the allegations pencilled against him.
He said that he was innocent of the accusations against him and contrarily to the widely held opinion that he stole N2.1 billion from the pension fund, he is, in fact, owed a large sum of money by the Federal Government. He, therefore, challenged the EFCC to open an open debate into the alleged fraud and promised to reveal the unknown to Nigerians.
Maina made these known on Monday via a statement by his lawyer, Sani Katu.
“In 2011, we stopped the stealing of N300 million daily from police pensions. Also, in 2011, we stopped the stealing of N1.04 billion monthly from police pension allocations. Same 2011, we were able to stop the yearly stealing of N52.5 billion at the head of the service pension.
“It would interest you to know that between 2011 and 2012, the PRTT recovered cash and asset worth N1.63 trillion which has been with the EFCC.
“Nigerians are not stupid and cannot be deceived. They want to take our attention away from all these recoveries because they have repeatedly failed to account for them.
“Our attention cannot be diverted away from about N4 trillion to a mere N2.1 billion, which is less of all the recoveries.
“Let’s meet at an open panel of an investigation if the EFCC is truly straightforward. We urge the government to appoint an independent panel of investigation and see who will run out of Nigeria.
Maina also accused a prominent Lagos lawyer of buying one of the property seized from pension fraudsters. He added that it was because the said lawyer was a beneficiary of the recovered assets that he has resorted to attacking him, fearing that he would be exposed.
“During the assignment of the Maina Led Pension Reform Task Force Team, it recovered assets and funds worth N1.6trillion. Amongst the real Estates recovered from pension thieves is a Maitama mansion worth N1billion situated at No 42 Gana Street, Maitama Abuja. Recently, the lawyer has been vociferous in asking for Maina’s arrest and crucifixion, because he is afraid that Maina will expose him as a party to the stealing of what Maina Team recovered assets.
“When people raised alarm, the lawyer and a former EFCC arranged a fake scenario that Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar owner of AA Oil was said to have sold the mansion to Falana at N1billion. So, this is one (of the) reasons why they are trying to implicate me by all means.
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