PDP asks Buhari to sack Malami, Danbazzau, wants Maina arrested

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday, demanded the immediate sack of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Abdulrahman Danbazzau and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

It said the sack became necessary due to their alleged involvement in the illegal act of restoring Abdulrasheed Maina to office as a Director in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

A statement by the party’s spokesperson Dayo Adeyeye, also demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of Maina for his atrocities for which he initially ran away from country.

The party also insisted that the government should ensure the arrest and prosecution of those who helped him return to the country and restored to his duty post with added promotion.

The last administration of the PDP gave Maina an assignment to superintend the now defunct Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, where it was alleged that he misappropriated about N100 billion.

Following the allegation, Maina was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and had not been seen in the public since then.

The PDP said that President Muhammadu Buhari should for once, act like a president of a nation and not as a sectional leader whose ideas of right and wrong depends entirely on who is involved.

“The President should understand that this is a moral and criminal issue and should be so treated,” the statement said.The party, which expressed shock at the steps taken by the administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in reinstating a supposed fugitive, pointed out that the action of the Buhari-led government was “a classical example of honour among thieves.

“Birds of a feather flock together. All people of good conscience would not forget in a hurry that Maina, who was given an assignment by the last administration of the PDP to superintend the now defunct Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, dipped his hands into the jar and helped himself to N100 billion of what he was supposed to safeguard.

“With good conscience at fighting corruption, the PDP government then mandated the anti-corruption agencies to perform their constitutional duties. Maina fled, only to resurface in the country four months ago under the Buhari administration.

According to the statement, as a party of good conscience, we wish to condemn in strongest terms the penchant of the administration of Buhari to giving safe haven to known criminals, while hoodwinking Nigerians that it’s fighting corruption.

“While we are growing fatigued shouting ourselves hoarse in protest against nepotism, a clear form of corruption under this administration which has been elevated to state craft, we are appalled that the reinforcement of financial corruption by this government might soon lead to the demise of this nation if the celestial does not intervene,” the statement added.

Daring Buhari’s administration to deny the Maina’s saga, PDP called on Nigerians to demand from the APC government, the civil service rule it relied upon in promoting a wanted criminal who had abandoned his duty post as an Assistant Director, to the position of a Director with all benefits attached.

The statement added that he had been rewarded with the payment of bogus salary arrears amounting to N22 million, which he reportedly collected upon approval and release by the Accountant General of the Federation.