TheCable

Dino Melaye, senator representing of Kogi west, says President Muhammadu Buhari is surrounded by caterpillars.

Melaye said this on Tuesday while contributing to a debate on the reinstatement of Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the presidential task force team on pension reforms, into the federal civil service.

The motion was sponsored by Isah Misau, senator representing Bauchi central.

TheCable published documents which showed the roles of Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation; Abdulrahman Dambazau, interior minister; and Winifred Oyo-Ita, head of the federal civil service, in Maina’s recall.

Although Oyo-Ita and Dambazau have denied any wrongdoing, Malami is yet to make a statement on it.

Speaking on the matter on Tuesday, Melaye alleged that Malami has been abusing his office.

He described Maina’s reinstatement as “pathetic” and said the AGF “will run us into a constitutional crisis if we don’t check it on time”.

“It is pathetic. I want to ask this question to the executive; should we continue in sin and ask grace to abound? Time after time, the AGF and minister of justice has abuse dthis office. We are not talking about Maina,” he said.

“We should talk about the integrity of the AGF and minister of justice. If the law officer has his hands stained then the entire nation is one a stained.

“Mr President is a good man and he means well but he is surrounded by cankerworms and caterpillars. We should have the audacity to take strong decisions. Nigerians would understand why the office of AGF and minister of justice is separated. We must recommend to the president that the AGF has displayed gross incompetence for the office it is occupying.”

Moving the motion earlier, Misau said the issue is an embarrassment to the Buhari administration.

“So I understand why a government that is always talking about fighting corruption, then the same people who are close to the president are covering people who are highly corrupt in the society,” he said.

“The office of the attorney-general was stated in this controversy and I think the senate in the 7th assembly and the person was declared wanted. I think in a government where we are preaching that the right things to be done and I think it is a deep embarrassment for this government.

“I think this senate should investigate this matter and find out, how did the person come back, how is that security men are attached to him and nobody has arrested him? Someone who is on wanted list of the EFCC and now a director, I think it is unfortunate.”

The senate mandated its committees on public service, internal affairs, anti-corruption, establishment and judiciary to probe the circumstances of Maina’s return to the country and the public service.