The Management of Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) led by Abdulrasheed Maina has petitioned the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, accusing the Senate joint committee on Establishment, Public Service, State and Local Government Administration of witch-hunt.
The Senate joint committee has been probing allegations of mismanagement of pension funds by the PRTT. Over 20 billion naira is believed to have been siphoned from the pensions fund.
In the petition titled, “Letter of protest against the Senate joint committee on Establishment, Public Service, State and Local Government Administration”, the PRTT said it has lost confidence in the ability of the Senate committee to conduct a fair and equitable investigation in view of “display of glaring persecution” exhibited by it.
“We have received yet another invitation dated October 3rd 2012 requesting that we appear before the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, State and Local Government Administration for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive investigation into the management/administration of pensions in Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Office (CIPPO) which was addressed during the public hearing earlier conducted during the year by the same committee,” the PRTT wrote.
Though it acknowledged the constitutional right of the Senate to investigate matters of interest, the PRTT however noted that where a Senate Committee has failed in its constitutional duties and responsibilities, the Senate has a duty to critically review same, in order to protect justice, fairness and equity and the integrity of the Senate as an institution.
The petition in part said, “During the Senate hearing, Nigerians witnessed through a live TV transmission the high level of persecution against the task team.
“From the first day of our appearance before the Senate committee, our chairman was declared ‘wanted’ and was ordered to be arrested by the police, while the committee embarrassed and vilified him as if it is a crime to sincerely sacrifice for this country.
“Senator Aloysius Etok used the police to harass and prevent the chairman of the Pension Task Team from going to the mosque for Friday prayers, a serious breach of personal religion rights, as a Muslim.
“He also asked on one occasion that the legal adviser of the Task Team to be detained by the police for presenting a medical report showing that the Task Team chairman was ill.
“Even during the Senate committee’s hearing in Abuja, the Senate Committee had already convicted the Task Team as guilty when the duo of Senators Etuk and Kabiru Gaya appeared on television studios and press conferences condemning the PRTT while their investigations were still going on.
“That there are elements of vindictiveness because the investigation has now changed to a personality affair as the committee demanded in writing that the chairman PRTT should present his educational qualifications, letters of appointment, and all letters of promotion for investigation.
“This SHOWS a personality attack on the person of our chairman.
“To our utmost surprise, the leadership of the Senate probe committee was very polite, accommodating and so friendly to Dr. Shuaibu Teidi Sani, this is a suspect who was arrested for pension loots running into billions of naira seized from him.
“Shuaibi Teidi Sani was protected by the Senate committee and given ample time to talk and present his position without interference unlike the chairman of PRTT (Maina) who was also hosed down each time he wants to explain very important point thereby making the ‘hunter to become the hunted.’
“Senator Aloysius Etuk sought protection of the police for Dr. Shuaibi teidi Sani during the public hearing on 9th March, 2012. Senator Aloysius Etuk verbally queried the former Head of Service of the Federation, Prof. Afolabi for suspending Dr. Shuaibu Teidi.
“Throughout the report of the committee as presented to the Senate there is no single place that the committee mentioned one single pension thief that the Task Team caused its arrest, seizure of their pension loot and subsequent persecution.
“The committee report did not ask or explain to Nigerians who stole N5.25 billion on monthly basis in the Police and Head of Service Pension Office before the Task Team came in to stop the looting and subsequently restructure the offices
“Why is the Senate Committee report so silent on the over N19 billion stolen through the withdrawal of N300 million daily that our forensic experts detected? Some of the suspects are presently facing trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja.”
It insisted that members of the PRTT have “no faith or confidence on the Senate Joint Probe Committee as currently constituted especially its leadership, given the level of bias displayed throughout the public hearing as also evidenced in its report.”
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