CORRUPTION: Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Tunji-Ojo, summoned over alleged link with Edu contract scandal

By OUR REPORTER, Abuja

It will be recalled that Tinubu came to power only some nine months ago precisely on May 29, 2023 and under these months, his administration is already being scandalised by members of the same administration at a time he was presenting his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, a Retired Army General former Military Head of State and former General Officer Commanding (GOC) Three Armoured Division Nigeria Army, as a looter.

Another member of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led cabinet, the Minister of the Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, was reportedly summoned by the President on Tuesday over his alleged involvement in the controversial N438 million contract scandal recently uncovered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

The DEFENDER had earlier reported Monday that the scandal was becoming a public embarrassment to President Tinubu as civil societies especially the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and activist lawyers like Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) made huge cries insisting that the President must suspend the minister and all her accomplices and investigate her for further action.

Tinubu, however, took step on Sunday January 7, 2023 when he ordered through an statement signed by his Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, that the humanitarian ministry be investigated.

The following day of Monday January 8, he suspended the Humanitarian Minister, Betta Edu, as announced by his Special Adviser Ajuri Ngilale and directed the EFCC to to investigate her over the revealed administrative misdeed whereby she directed social investment cash transfer involving over N535 million, meant to be transferred directly from government accounts to individual beneficiaries accounts, to one personal and private account.

She was also revealed to have awarded contract worth N438 million to a company allegedly owned by Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, fir consultancy purposes.

On Tuesday, updates emanating from the scandal had it that the Interior Minister, who was summoned bybtge President, was expected to explain his role in the contract awarded to New Planet Project Limited, a firm linked to him.

A leaked memo being circulated online showed that a firm linked to the minister, received a substantial sum labeled as ‘consultancy fees’ from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Mr Tunji-Ojo had earlier in a television interview denied any involvement in the contract, explaining that he resigned his directorship of the company in 2019.

”I am not a signatory to the company,” Tunji-Ojo, who did not deny the company’s involvement in the receipt of the money, said.

He added that, “And actually, I was shocked because the company in question was a company where I was a director. About five years ago, I had resigned from my directorship.”

Mr Tunji-Ojo said he co-founded the New Planet Project with his wife 15 years ago but resigned as a director in 2019 upon winning a seat in the House of Representatives.

However, he remained a shareholder in the company.

“Of course, to the best of my knowledge, public service rules do not prohibit public officers from being shareholders. What public service rules say is that you cannot be a director of which I had resigned about five years ago.”

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo was Chairman House panel probing corruption in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), who was accused of being part of the corruption and so criticised for presiding on the same case of which he was an interested party, when President Muhammadu Buhari’s forensic investigation of NDDC ignited probe at the National Assembly. It led to the popular mantra: “Honourable Minister, please off your mic”

It will be recalled that Tinubu came to power only some nine months ago precisely on May 29, 2023 and under these months, his administration is already being scandalised by members of the same administration at a time he was presenting his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, a Retired Army General former Military Head of State and former General Officer Commanding (GOC) Three Armoured Division Nigeria Army, as a looter, who looted the nation’s economy leaving nothing behind for him (Tinubu) to run inherited Nigeria.

In furtherance to nailing Buhari, Tinubu moved a step further to quiz his Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, after Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claimed an arrested contractor indicted her of having awarded him the contract he was arrested for. Sadiya Farouq had since rejected the allegation, saying she does not know the arrested contractor and currently is being quizzed after honouring invitation of the anti-corruption agency.