Pensioners Jubilate Over Maina’s Conviction

Pensioners have cheered the conviction of the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina saying it would help to discourage similar thieves in the system.

While thanking the judiciary for slamming the right punishment on Maina, they called for speedy dispensation of justice to discourage those interested in short-changing the weak in the society.

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja convicted and sentenced Maina to 61 years in prison for offences bordering on money laundering.

The judge sentenced the ex-pension boss to three years in count one, five years in count two, eight years in count three, eight years in count four, two years in count five, five years in count six, and eight years in count seven.

Justice Abang, who also sentenced Maina to three years in count eight, five years in count nine, eight years in count 10, three years in count 11 and three years in count 12, ordered that the terms of imprisonment shall run concurrently beginning from October 25, 2019, when Maina was arraigned before the court.

This means he will be in prison for eight years.

Reacting to Maina’s conviction yesterday in a telephone interview with Daily Trust, the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) described the conviction as a “welcome development”.

The senior citizens, who spoke through the Head of Information Unit of the union, Bunmi Ogunkolade, appealed to judges handling various corruption cases especially the ones related to pension, to hasten judgement delivery, saying the same treatment meted out on Maina would serve as a deterrent.

Ogunkolade said, “The law should take its course. NUP has no reservation about it or whatever that to say any criminal involved in pension fraud by stealing people’s life, should have a taste of law.

“However, we expected the judgment, the will of justice to move a bit faster. When someone steals money in Ghana, Korea, South Africa or Brazil, three months, six months and judgment is delivered. But in Nigeria, after 10 years, we are still on it. People might have even forgotten.

“That is the only thing the government can please do for us so that in our lifetime, pensioners could see the punishment meted out on the people that stole their sweat that made life difficult for them, not when you now allow the will of justice to go for 10 to 15 years.”

“So, it is a welcome development, and it will serve as a deterrent for others. Justice should take its course.”

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