By Sadiq Umar – Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has broken silence on his involvement in the controversial recall of fugitive Abdulrasheed Maina into the Civil Service, saying his action did not “breach public interest.”
Mr. Malami had reportedly written a legal opinion authorizing Mr. Maina’s recall to the Service despite the fact that the former Pension Reform Task Force chairman had been declared wanted by the law enforcement agency over financial fraud.
The trio of Mr. Malami, Head of the Federal Civil Service, Winifred Oyo-Ita, and Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, were fingered in the controversial posting of Mr. Maina to the Interior Ministry.
Both Ms. Oyo-Ita and Mr. Danbazzau have made public statements exonerating themselves from the action which has attracted public condemnations.
The Attorney-General told Vanguard Wednesday that he would always be guided by law and public interest.
“I am a legal practitioner, who is always guided by law and public interest and will therefore not do anything that deviates from the law or breaches public interest.
“I believe that Nigerians are entitled to know the truth in the entire saga and I am ready to speak directly to them when I appear before the Senate since I have been summoned by the legislature, which is investigating the matter.
“I will not however talk until I get clearance from my principal on the matter and I look forward to addressing anxious Nigerians on the matter when I appear before the senators,” the minister said.
President Muhammadu Buhari had directed a probe into the circumstances of Mr. Maina’s re-emergence in the Civil Service.
Meanwhile the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday sealed off four houses and two companies allegedly belonging to Mr. Maina.
