Maina: Senate turns back minister’s representative

ASenate panel yesterday turned back the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji, who represented the Minister Abdulrahman Dambazau during the hearing on the return, recall and elevation of Abdulrasheed Maina.

The permanent secretary, who led about 15 directors of the ministry to appear before the investigative panel chaired by Senator Emmanuel Paulker (PDP, Bayelsa), was asked to leave the hearing room when he said the minister was unavoidably absent.

Magaji told the panel that the minister was attending the Federal Executive Council meeting, hence he mandated him to appear.

He also said the minister did not see any correspondence regarding Maina, saying “it came through the office of the permanent secretary even though I wasn’t there then.”

Magaji also said aside representing the minister, he was formally invited for appearance by the panel (displaying the invitation).

But panel chairman said, “We want the minister to be here. He is the political head. We don’t want you to appear in isolation with the minister.”

Paulker said the hearing would be done in a closed session.

The panel went into session with top officials of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) led by the acting chairman, Joseph O. Akande.