A fresh controversy has emerged in the ongoing investigation into the pension scam as a coalition of civil society groups yesterday accused the Senate committee investigating the pension scheme of unhealthy relationship with some accused officials of the pension fraud, and demanded that they should step aside immediately.
But in a swift reaction, the Chairman of the Senate joint committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters and States and Local Government, Senator Aloysius Etok, investigating the pension scam, denied the allegations, adding that the committee will continue with the investigation.
According to the groups, namely; the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the Centre for Democracy and Development, (CDD) and Zero Corruption Coalition, (ZCC) they accused members of the committee of antagonizing the Abdulrasheed Maina-led Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), and serving as advocates for the government officials accused of squandering pension funds over the years.
In a press release jointly signed by the Executive Director of CISLAC Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani); Executive Director, CDD, Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim; and National Secretary, Zero Corruption Coalition, (ZCC) Babatunde Oluajo, the civil societies further alleged that the co-chair of the committee, Senator Kabiru Gaya, is a cousin to one of the accused officials which should automatically disqualify the senator from the committee as he is an interested party and with a clear conflict of interest.
They added that the decision of the committee to enter into a closed door section is an attempt at cover up and deny Nigerians the right to fully know what is happening as well as an opportunity to muscle the course of the hearing to the interest of the committee
The coalition also alleged that the Committee has continued to invite accused persons to its hearing for image laundering, contrary to the dictates of the rule of law adding that “since those persons are already being dragged before a competent court of law, the committee should let them face the charges against them and stop fraternizing with them to the detriment of the sanctity of legislative responsibility.”
They further called on the Senate president, David Mark to wade into issue and redeem the integrity of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, stressing that the “Senate should as a matter of national interest, dissolve the committee and replace the members with more honourable and impartial senators.”
They added that the “Pension Reform Task Team through its work has amongst other achievements saved the country the whopping N159 billion. Part of the recovered funds have already being returned to the federation account and appropriated for national development. The committee has equally discovered 71,000 ghost workers through biometric verification it initiated.”
However, speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP, Sen. Etok rubbished allegations of unhealthy relationship saying “I am not aware of that. We are very friendly with all those that we have invited to give evidence in the course of our investigation.
I am sure it is a calculated attempt to distract the committee. If somebody has any evidence let him place it on the table for all to see?
On Senator Gaya relationship with one of the accused persons,? Etok said “I don’t know which of them is related to him. When we start talking about that person we will ask him (Sen. Gaya) about that person and if it is true we will ask him to step down.
But as for now we are concentrating on the investigation.”He noted that the decision to enter into private hearing was to do more legislative work.
On his part, Gaya who spoke with leadership said, these allegations were because “they (paymasters) know we want to invite them that is why they are coming up with all these antics. I am not related to anyone of them.”
Meanwhile, Senator Etok has alleged that the pension reform task force team tried to bribe the committee.
Sen. Etok yesterday? alleged that the Abdulrasheed Maina led team approached the committee through “big people” with large sums of money which they rejected.”