Senate declares war with Jonathan over Maina

THE battle line appears to have been drawn between the Senate and President Goodluck Jonathan as the Senate yesterday accused the president of protecting the Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina for alleged mismanagement of over N195 billion pension funds.

The Senate has therefore asked the president to sack Maina saying it has been pushed to the wall over the matter

Asking President Jonathan to arrest, investigate and prosecute the embattled Maina, the Senate also warned President Jonathan that if he fails to carry out its resolutions on Maina, the episode will be a test case between the Executive and the Legislature, even as it vowed that it will not fail to react appropriately.

Anger and emotion high

Anger and emotions were high yesterday on the floor of the Senate when the lawmakers condemned in very strong terms the continued refusal of Maina to appear before the Senator Aloysius Etok, led Senate Joint Committee on Public Service and Establishment and State and Local Government Administration.

Following discussions on a motion titled, ‘’Dismissal of Mr Abdulrasheed Maina for Refusal to Appear Before the Senate by Senate Leader Victor Ndoma- Egba, PDP, Cross River Central and 107 senators, the Senate yesterday called on President Jonathan to immediately sack Maina from the Public Service of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and be disengaged from all acts relating to public duty”, just as the president was asked to either dismiss him or choose to work with the Senate.

We have teeth to bite — Mark

Meanwhile, Senate President David Mark warned yesterday that the Senate has teeth to bite and was prepared to bite when the occasion arises. He said, ‘’We have been pushed to the wall. Nobody in this country will be left to go scot-free if he is associated with Maina. It doesn’t matter who is behind Maina, it is not for me to know whether somebody is behind Maina or not, but no matter who is behind Maina, we are not going to accept it.

‘’The Senate has given him ample time, Maina is just an individual who perhaps said more than he can manage and he has therefore crucified himself. That is the bottom line and the executive has to choose between Maina and the Senate. If they choose to go along with Maina, fine, we will react accordingly. There is no running away from it. It is a test case, if Maina remains, then the Senate will react appropriately and I don’t think we are short of ideas nor are we short of what we want to do. We know the step to take.

‘’Let me emphasise, nobody in this country is bigger than our democracy.  I have been extremely patient with Maina, very patient, very understanding so that when we react, Nigerians will appreciate the steps that we have taken. So I don’t think that what we have done is out of place because we gave him enough time and he crucified himself. He is wanted by the police, now, whether the police is serious or not in looking for Maina is the next step we are going to take because Maina cannot be briefing the press somewhere and the police will say they cannot find him.

IGP summoned

The Senate also yesterday summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to appear before it to explain what happened following his failure to produce Maina when Senate President issue a warrant for Maina’s arrest.

The resolutions of the Senate read, ‘’that Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina be dismissed from the Public Service of the Federal Republic of Nigeria immediately and be disengaged from all acts relating to public duty.

‘’That Maina should be immediately arrested, investigated and prosecuted and that the Inspector- General of Police appears before the Senate to give reasons why he did not act on the Warrant issued by the President of the Senate and failure to do so.”


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