This is coming just as President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Isa Sali, to begin disciplinary action against Maina.
Sali was directed to discipline Maina for allegedly absconding from duties, an offence the Presidency says is punishable by dismissal.
The directive came at the expiration of the two-day ultimatum given the President by the Senate to sack the pension boss.
The upper legislative chamber said Jonathan risked dire consequences if he failed to end Maina’s stay in office.
Senate President, David Mark, said this after a debate on a motion entitled, “Dismissal of Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina for refusal to appear before the Senate.”
The debate was sponsored by the Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), and 107 senators. The Senate has 109 members.
The two-day ultimatum ended on Friday.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, in a statement on Friday, said the President had directed the HOS to commence disciplinary action against Maina for absconding from duty based on a report presented to him by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Muhammed Abubakar.
Abati quoted the police boss as reporting to the President that based on the warrant of arrest issued by the Senate against Maina, his men had been on surveillance in his house and office but have not succeeded in arresting him.
It will be recalled that the Presidency had on Thursday, through Abati, said Jonathan could not sack Maina.
Meanwhile, an Abuja Federal High Court on Friday refused to grant an ex-parte application in which Maina sought to stop the police from arresting him.
The Senate had on February 2, 2013, issued a warrant of arrest directing the IG to produce Maina before it.
The Senate had also called for Maina’s prosecution.
However, in a bid to prevent the planned arrest and prosecution, Maina had dragged the Senate, the Senate President, the Clerk of the Senate, the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, the Senate Committee on State and Local Government Administration, the Inspector-General of Police, Senators Aloysius Etuk and Kabiru Gaya before the Abuja FHC presided by Justice Adamu Bello.
In the ex-parte motion filed by his counsel, Mr. M. A. Magaji, SAN, Maina asked the court to restrain the respondents from arresting him.
Moving the application when the court heard the matter on Friday, Magaji asked the court to order all the parties in the suit to maintain the status quo ante, pending the determination of an earlier suit, with reference number, FHC/ABJ/CS/65/2013, filed by Maina to set aside the warrant of arrest issued by the Senate.
He stressed that the respondents had already been served with the court process of the substantive suit before they commenced attempts to arrest Maina.
However, in a short ruling after standing the matter down for about two hours, Bello refused to grant the application.
The judge noted that even before approaching the court to argue the ex-parte motion, Magaji had appeared on a national television network, NTA, on Thursday night, to announce that he was going to present the motion before the court.
The judge also faulted the procedure whereby Magaji filed and served the substantive suit on the respondents before approaching the court with the ex-parte motion.
“In view of all the reliefs stated, I decline to grant the reliefs sought by the applicant.
“Let him await the motion on notice slated for Monday, February 18, 2013.”
Also, the Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation has directed the Ministry of Interior to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Maina.
The HOS (Sali), according to a terse statement by the director in his office, Mr. Tope Ajakaiye, specifically stated that following the inability of the IG to produce the PRTT chairman, Maina “has absconded from duty without leave.”
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