President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, summoned his Chief of Staff (CoS), Abba Kyari, and the Head of the Civil Service (HoS) of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, over their clash at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Kyari and Oyo-Ita were reported to have confronted each other shortly before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting over the leaked memo which Oyo-Ita sent to Kyari on the controversial reinstatement and posting of the embattled former chairman of the Pension Reforms Commission, Abdulrasheed Maina.
Maina, whose whereabouts are still unknown, has been accused of embezzling pensioners’ funds running into billions of naira and is currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The altercation occurred in the presence of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, John Odigie-Oyegun; service chiefs and Ministers.
In the memo, it was revealed that Oyo-Ita stated that she warned the President against asking Maina to return to the civil service, saying doing so could affect the anti-corruption war of the Federal Government.
“Please note that the OHCSF was never in agreement with the reinstatement and consequently never conveyed the approval of the FCSC to Mr. A. A. Maina nor approved his posting to the Ministry of Interior or any other MDA,” she wrote in the leaked memo.
“Rather, I sought audience with His Excellency, Mr. President on Wednesday, 11th October, 2017 after the FEC meeting where I briefed His Excellency verbally on the wide-ranging implications of the reinstatement of Mr. A. A. Maina, especially the damaging impact on the anti-corruption stance of this administration.
“However, I have requested the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, to provide any documentary evidence to support the claim of reinstatement and posting of Mr. A. A. Maina by OHCSF, since after his dismissal.
“The letter to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior is attached as Annex VI. The foregoing is accordingly submitted for your information and further consideration.”
It was revealed that the President was embarrassed when he was briefed about the altercation between Kyari and Oyo-Ita further upset that even the presence of the Vice President did not deter the two officials from the clash.