Prominent lawyers challenge Maina to publish names of beneficiaries of looted pensions funds - Newspaper review

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October 31, 2017 at 10:14AM
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Oluwatobi Bolashodun

The headlines of mainstream Nigerian newspapers for Tuesday, October 31, 2017, are focused on Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), and some other prominent lawyers challenging Abdulrasheed Maina, to publish names of beneficiaries of looted pensions funds among other stories.

The Punch reports that prominent Nigerians and civil society groups have demanded the prosecution of the sacked Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and the former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayodele Oke.

President Muhammadu Buhari sacked the two public officers on Monday. Before the sack, the President set up a panel headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to investigate allegations of financial impropriety levelled against the two.

READ ALSO: Some people are shielding Maina from arrest - EFCC chairman Ibrahim Magu reveals

The panel submitted its findings and recommendations about six months ago but the President despite public criticisms failed to act on the report. He, however, did on Monday by announcing their disengagement from service reportedly in line with the recommendations made by the panel, whose report has yet to be made public.

Reacting to the President’s action on Monday, notable Nigerians and groups said the sack was not enough, demanding more actions against the two.

The Punch newspaper

Vanguard reports that chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption (PACAC) Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), and some other prominent lawyers have challenged ex-head of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, to publish names of beneficiaries of looted pensions funds.

Their challenge followed reactions to trending video on social media wherein Maina claimed he had not fled the country and that he had documents that would expose the real thieves.

In his reaction, Prof. Sagay said: ‘’The first thing is that he should give himself up. All those who were involved in reabsorbing him should be punished because, as far as I am concerned, they were trying to cover up for him and trying to deceive the country and then wreck the image, which this government has built up as total intolerance of corruption.

“Now, as for what happened, seriously he should be arrested, tried, then if he has a list of beneficiaries, he should publish them.

Vanguard newspaper

The Nation reports that presidential spokesman Garba Shehu says President Muhammadu Buhari will not stop the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) from its investigation against Babachir Lawal and Ayo Oke, who were relieved of their appointments.

Shehu, who stated this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, said President Buhari had taken the necessary administrative action against the two officials.

President Buhari, had on Oct. 30, approved the appointment of Boss Mustapha as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and terminated the appointment of the suspended SGF, Babachir Lawal.

The president, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, also approved the termination of the appointment of the suspended Director-General National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ayo Oke.

The Nation newspaper

The Guardian reports that forty-seven years after the Nigerian Civil War, the Federal Government yesterday accepted to pay the victims a total of N50 billion as compensation and spend N38 billion to evacuate abandoned bombs.

A breakdown of the compensation, as adopted by the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, showed that N50 billion is to be paid directly to the victims of the war in 11 affected states in the South-East, South-South and parts of the North-Central regions.

The remaining N38 billion will go for the evacuation of abandoned bombs and other lethal weapons as well as the construction of schools, courts, churches and mosques in the affected areas.

According to a consent judgment read by Justice Friday Chijioke Nwoke in Abuja yesterday, the Federal Government is expected to pay the N50 billion into the United Bank of Africa (UBA) account with number 1018230076 belonging to the nominated counsel for the war victims, Chief Noel Agwuocha Chukwukadibia, while the N38 billion is to be paid into another UBA account with number 1016296801 belonging to Deminers Concept Nigeria Limited for both RSB Holdings Nigeria Limited and Deminers Concept Nigeria Limited, who are expected to evacuate all the abandoned bombs and other dangerous weapons in farmlands, schools, churches and mosques of the war victims, and also, for carrying out construction.

The Guardian newspaper

ThisDay reports that ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Caucus meeting Monday night in the State House, Abuja, and the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party slated for Tuesday also in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari Monday met with Senate President Bukola Saraki, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, National Leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu and the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun.

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While the president was meeting with Saraki, Dogara and Oyegun, Tinubu was in the waiting room in the president’s office. He was ushered into the meeting immediately the trio left.

The meetings with the chieftains of the APC ahead of two critical meetings of the party may not be unconnected to the horse-trading and permutations ahead of the 2019 elections.

Whereas Saraki and Dogara had declined to entertain questions from State House correspondents, Tinubu, after his one-hour meeting with the president, described the perception of a rift between him and Buhari as “fake news”.

ThisDay newspaper

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Source: Naija.ng

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Prominent lawyers challenge Maina to publish names of beneficiaries of looted pensions funds - Newspaper review
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