THE Pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, on Tuesday, called on the Federal government to prosecute the former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, and all the officials involved in his secret reinstatement into the civil service.
The group who stated this at the end of its monthly meeting in Akure, Ondo State capital, said the Maina saga is not in tandem with the anti-corruption crusade of the present administration and should not be swept under the carpet.
Reading the group’s communiqué at the end of the meeting, the Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin, stated that Maina’s reinstatement showed that the anti-corruption posture of the present government has been a mere smokescreen to hoodwink those who are not in the good book of those fighting corruption in the country.
He said “we, therefore, state unequivocally that the Mainagate has confirmed the fears that the present anti-corruption war is selective and not evenly handled while some people are giving soft landing perhaps based on their connections and possibly their origin.”
The group described the Maina saga which has attracted wide public debate and outcry as a national embarrassment to the government and said “we ask that the issue of Maina should not be swept with any broom under any carpet.
“He must be arrested, prosecuted and all officials involved in the fraud should be punished no matter their position or origin.”
The Afernifere communique read: “we expressed shock at the recent recall, reinstatement and promotion of the fugitive former Pension scheme commission Boss, Maina, and the involvement of government officials at the highest level in the conspiracy that brought him back into the office.
“The Mainagate is clearly an embarrassment to this government and a sordid development. It has generated angry reaction across the country and jostle every soul.
“But Afenifere is soberer than the Mainagate and other associated cases of massive corruption under a regime that is fighting corruption is confirmation of our positions all along, that most of the problems of Nigeria including corruption are systemic, structural and unfortunately in the almost two and half years they have spent considerable time fighting the symptoms of corruption through all kind of media engagement over corruption and media trial without doing a dent to the architecture of corruption in Nigeria which is very intact today
“It is that architecture that has allowed this kind of reckless impunity that brought back Maina back into the office today at a time we are supposed to be fighting corruption. it was also the same architecture that has allowed it to disappear into oblivion after the lid was blown off his presence within the system
The communique read further, “We state clearly that any attempt to fix Nigeria and reduce corruption without restructuring is a waste of time, we have to deal with the structures that allow the resources to be concentrated at the center as well as the sharing mentality that makes government money to be free money that can be shared and stolen at will.
“We ask that power and the resources should be devolved to the federating unit with all accountable processes to ensure those managing that resources at that level are accountable to the people and that we cannot stop corruption in Nigeria unless we go back to productivity.
“For as long as we are fixed on this sharing culture of collecting money at the center and sharing it, our corruption will be treated with kids gloves while making examples of a few who are not in the book of those fighting corruption.”
Afenifere also called on the south-west governments to give priority to education and should not use to attack the right of the common man in their various states.
“We want to appeal that education should not be the line of attacks, none of our government should attack the right of our people to education and to go to school and should not shift the burden to the parents who are under the yoke of poverty, who cannot afford the basic necessities of life.
“We appeal to all our government in Yoruba land to realize the importance of education in our life as Yoruba people, thanks to the late sage, Chief Awolowo, who brought the torch to our region and which light is now fading.
“We are not oblivious of the challenges of the shrinking economy, based on the mono-product economy with unitary ties which has made resources to be very scarce to make our government meet the needs of our people.”
“School fees and others should not be added to their burden and government should find ways to fund education while we are fighting for Nigeria to be restructured so that states can have more resources to meet the needs of our people.”
The group also frowned over the drafting of military men to the south-west states despite its initial protest against the moves, saying the south-west region is peaceful and does not need a military presence.
The group, however, stated that the moves is an invitation to military and drawing military out of their barracks but said the military should be allowed to perform its primary function and should be drafted to face Boko Haram.
