Buhari reinstates whistleblower wrongfully retired four years ago

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate reinstatement of Maryam Danna who was wrongfully retired in 2016 by the Federal Government.

In a letter of reinstatement signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, he stated that the previous letter of her disengagement has been set aside.

The letter of reinstatement sighted by PRNigeria with a reference No SGF.50/S/4/II/621 and dated November 18, 2020, the SGF wrote thus: “I write to inform you that Muhammadu Buhari, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria has approved your reinstatement as General Manager (Audit & Compliance), Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited with effect from 10th November 2020.

“Consequently, the letter of your disengagement Rf. NoSGF.55/S.4/52 dated 10th June 2016 has been set aside. Please accept my congratulations and best wishes on your reinstatement,” it concluded.

Mrs Danna, a chartered accountant with the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), was a respected whistle-blower who had exposed corrupt practices and other irregularities in the federal agency, for which some of its officials were sanctioned. But rather than be rewarded for this act of patriotism, she was sacked while the indicted officials who had been suspended were reabsorbed and promoted to higher levels in government ministries.

On his awareness of the case, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed that the widow should be reinstated to her position in the agency in a memo from justice minister, Abubakar Malami, to the then Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, dated October 25, 2016. But that never happened.

The eighth Senate of the Federal Republic, under the leadership of Bukola Saraki, had thereafter passed a resolution on May 3, 2018, ordering Mrs Danna’s immediate recall to her position as general manager (Audit & Compliance) of NDPHC.

The current Senate Under the leadership of Senate President Ahmed Lawan on February 20, 2020 also mandated NDPHC to reverse the alleged wrongful termination of the appointment and similarly dispatched a letter in March 2020 to the secretary to the government of the federation, urging him to direct the Managing Director of the NDPHC to comply with and implement its resolution on the case.