UPDATE On N438m Contract: CCB Gives More insight on Interior Minister Tunji-Ojo’s Invitation…details
Recently, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has been facing lot of querries from the public on how N438m got into New Planet Project, a company he said to have divorced sometime ago before the drama of Edu Betta saga.
And even at that the embattled Minister, Tunji-Ojo has decided to shun the invitation by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to appear for an ongoing investigation related to an alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, The PUNCH reports. The minister, scheduled to meet with interrogators at 11 am, did not show up at the CCB headquarters in Abuja between 10 am and 1 pm.
According to the spokesperson for the CCB, Veronica Kato, stated that in a telephone interview that the minister’s interrogation would be rescheduled due to his citing of a national assignment. Kato mentioned, “Yes, the minister’s interrogation has been rescheduled. He wrote, asking that it be rescheduled because he has a national assignment, so it has been rescheduled for a later date,” The PUNCH reports.
The CCB had invited Tunji-Ojo to discuss the involvement of his company, New Planet Projects, in a ₦438 million contract with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. The minister’s company allegedly benefited from a contract with the ministry, leading to the CCB’s interest in investigating the matter.
The document inviting the minister, signed by Gwimi S.P, the CCB Director, Investigation and Monitoring, indicated that the bureau’s invitation is based on its mandate and powers as enshrined in the Third Schedule, Part 1, 3 (e) of the 1999 Constitution. The letter stated, “The bureau is investigating a case of alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers in which your name featured prominently.”
Meanwhile, amidst these developments, some interest groups, including the Coalition of Civil Rights Organisations and Elite Africa, have come forward to defend Tunji-Ojo. They allege a media trial and claim that the minister’s opponents are targeting him due to his ‘growing popularity.’
In a statement, the Coalition of Civil Rights Organisations stated, “There is no doubt that the timing and nature of these allegations appear suspicious and politically motivated, aiming to tarnish the reputation of a public servant known for his commitment to transparency and accountability.” Elite Africa, in a separate statement, criticized the South West Integrity Group for demanding the suspension of Tunji-Ojo over alleged corruption. They argued that the timing of the allegations, coupled with the minister’s reforms, suggests political motives aimed at undermining his anti-corruption stance.
(Punch)