The North-West Coordinator, Centre for Eradication of Hunger, Diseases and Illiteracy in Africa, Muhammed Shinkafi, has called for the release of Abdulrasheed Maina on bail for him to go overseas for medical attention.
Addressing news conference in Abuja at the weekend, Mr Shinkafi claimed that Mr Maina, former Chairman of defunct Pension Reform Taskforce who is being tried for money laundering, is also very sick and have breathing difficulties which is 15 over 100.
He said: “Note that he is also very sick and have breathing difficulties which is 15 over 100, and he has applied to go for treatment abroad after the teaching hospitals said they don’t have the capacity to treat his illness.
“The lawyer had applied for him to be flown abroad to get a comprehensive and better treatment to save his life; and again we hear the application was not granted.
“But with these denial, the question is what were the sins of Maina?. Whatever it is, we have a justice system that should guarantee justice and fair hearing to all citizens of the country,” Mr Shinkafi said.
He said Mr Maina was entitled to facilitation fee and whistle blower fee that has amounted to over 120 billion naira from the over 2.9 trillion that he helped recovered for the Federal Government.
According to him, Mr Maina was alleged to have embezzled over two billion naira from pension fund, adding that if paid his commission, it could offset the two billion naira.
Mr Shinkafi said the committee that Mr Maina headed had no bank account to operate and wonder how the allegation came about in the first place.
He said people would like to hear what Mr Maina has to say and it is the right of the people to know what Mr Maina would say on how he embezzled the two billion naira.
“We call on the Federal Government, the Attorney General of the Federal and Chief Judge to please intervene and get to the root of the matter and solve it once and for all, because Nigerians are eager to know everything about the matter.
“If you may recall, he said he know of 90 bank accounts that were used to perpetrate corruption in the country and President Muhammadu has zero tolerance to corruption. So Maina should be given fair hearing, let Nigerians know the truth.
“There are some shady dealings that President Buhari needs to know to help him win the war against corruption in the country and we are ready to provide detailed information to help Buhari to get corrupt people in the country,” Mr Shinkafi said.
NAN
