Mrs Ekanem: Head of Service of the Federation

Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita has denied claims by the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, that she, and the Federal Civil Service Commission should be held responsible for the reinstatement of the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, to office.

While denying the claims, Mrs Oyo-Ita in a statement issued on her behalf by her Assistant Director, Media Relations, Mohammed Manga said, “The attention of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has been drawn to several media reports that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has approved the reinstatement into the Federal Civil Service of Alhaji Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina and his subsequent posting to the Ministry of Interior.

“The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation wishes to inform the public that the reinstatement and posting of Alhaji Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina never emanated from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

“Consequently, the purported reinstatement and posting by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation is totally erroneous and misleading.”

Following controversies which followed information that Maina, who is on the wanted list of the EFCC has been recalled to the civil service, the Minister had in a statement by his Press Secretary, Ehisienmen Osaigbovo claimed that Maina “was posted to his by the Office of the Head of Service on an Acting capacity to fill a vacancy created following the retirement of the Director heading the Human Resources Department in the Ministry.

The minister said the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and the Federal Civil Service Commission are responsible for “issues relating to Discipline, Employment, Re-engagement, Posting, Promotion and Retirements of Federal Civil Servants,” and as such,e responsible for the recall of Maina.

“It is understood that Maina’s last posting was with the Ministry of Interior, and that is probably why he was re-posted back to the Ministry,” the statement added.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday ordered the immediate sack of Maina and directed Mrs. Oyo-Ita to provide a detailed report on the matter to his office by the close of work on Monday.