These are the stories that drove conversation this week.

This week began with another scandal in the Buhari government.

It was reported that President Muhammadu Buhari reinstated a wanted former pension boss, Abdulrasheed Maina.

It did not take time before the Minister of Interior Affairs, Abdulrahman Dambazau said he does not have a hand in the re-appointment and promotion of Maina.

Meanwhile, one of Buhari’s aides, Okoi Obono-Obla said Maina had not been found guilty of any crime and so the fuss should stop.

Upon knowledge of the reinstatement, Buhari ordered immediate disengagement of Maina and that a report is submitted to him before the close of work same day.

In a reactionary manner, the EFCC stormed the properties of Maina and eventually seized a couple of them.

Throwing the buck, the Head of Service, Winifred Oyo-Ita said she was not involved in the reinstatement of Maina but, the Ministry of Interior presented a letter to show Oyo-Ita was actually involved. Oyo-Ita, however, later queried Permanent Secretaries over the reinstatement.

Documents also indicated that Maina was reinstated based on the advice of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. He added that he would not do anything that would breach public interest.

In the light of the attacks from several quarters on the disengagement, the Presidency said due process was followed.

Dambazau, who seemed so intent on clearing his name off the ‘allies to corruption’ list, asked Maina to report to the EFCC immediately and stop being elusive.

Maina’s family have, however, risen up for him, saying he is not corrupt and that he would soon release a can of worms.

Then the week ended with back and forth allegations.

The Presidency said those loyal to former President Goodluck Jonathan reinstated Maina, Jonathan replied saying they work for President Buhari not him. The Presidency also said President Buhari did not invite Maina back into the country.

---

While Nigerians still await the “almighty list” of looters, Senator Shehu Sani has said the list should include players from ‘Broomers FC’ and Umbrella FC‘.

The office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, also, began processing lists of all high-profile corruption cases in Nigeria following the submission of the lists by the heads of federal courts and state chief judges.

---

The Kogi government was also enmeshed in another scandal, where the governor Yahaya Bello has not yet been cleared of the no-salary regime he has been running since he assumed office.

A Kogi director committed suicide after his wife gave birth to triplets but, it was also claimed that the director had been owed up to 12 months salary.

However, while the Kogi government admitted to owing the director, it was claimed that there were reasons for the non-payment.

The Police later said an autopsy would be conducted on the late director to ascertain what really killed him.

In another development, somewhat dramatic, the Senators donated bags of rice to civil servants in Kogi, who are being owed salaries running into several months.

The youth in Kogi, however, said the offer was an insult.

---

Evans, the suspected billionaire who recently reversed his guilty charge to not guilty, was enveloped in fresh charges by the Lagos government.

However, he stopped the attempt by the Lagos State Government to arraign him on fresh charges bordering on murder and illegal firearms possession.

The Court has now adjourned ruling till November 10.

---

President Buhari, this week, attended an ECOWAS meeting in Niger to discuss, with other ECOWAS states a common currency for the sub-region, but he highlighted that they don’t throw caution to the wind and make such adoption, considering the diverse nature of the countries and the failure of same in Europe.

---

In a rather interesting turn, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it is making progress in its bid to ensure that prisoners are allowed to vote in the 2019 general elections.

---

A Nigerian singer, Timi Dakolo, could not hold his voice anymore and so, gave his own opinion on the spate of divorce in the country. He also controversial OAP, Freeze, to stop misleading people with his “DEMONIC TEACHING…”

---

Due to limited spaces in tertiary institutions, only 30 percent out of the 1.7 million candidates who wrote the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will be admitted this year, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, said.

---

Continuing in his allegations, Senator Issa Misau (Bauchi Central), on Wednesday said that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris gave two Sports Utility Vehicles to the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, a claim now denied by her.

The Senator later said he did not make any allegations against Aisha.

---

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) also approved the draft budget estimates for 2018.

This was revealed by the Minister of Budget and Planning, Udoma Udoma, while briefing State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting at the presidential villa, Abuja.