Group Demands Suspension, Investigation of Tunji-Ojo

Fidelis David in Akure

A group, South West Integrity Group  yesterday  called on President  Bola Tinubu to suspend the Minister of Interior  Bunmi Tunji-Ojo over his alleged involvement in the recent controversy in the award of contracts at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

The group in a statement signed by the President, Ogunleye Adebowale and Secretary, Adeleye Adetutu and made available to journalists in Akure the Ondo State capital, alleged that  minister’s actions are direct violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“As anti-corruption body, we have decided to join you in the very important crusade to expose and rid our nation of the greedy corrupt political class who only plan how to loot our commonwealth and not to join you to actualise your renewed hope agenda.

“It is against this premise that we have been forced to present this petition to you to intimate to you, reckless looting of our commonwealth by one of your ministers, Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Honourable Minister of Interior. It is certain that Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo’s integrity has been compromised.

“We have come to the inevitable conclusion that corruption is taking a toll on your administration with the shameful conducts of Honourable Olubunmi Tunji Ojo on his alleged forgery of NYSC certificate which is still under litigation in a competent court of law and his recent involvement in the N585 million contracts he secured from the suspended Minister of Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu with his company, First Planets Project Limited which he and wife have interest.”

The group explained that, “It is worth noting that the company which was registered on March 3, 2009, with registration number 804833, has Honourable Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior and his wife , Abimbola Tunji-Ojo, listed as directors with one Gbadamosi Clement as the Company Secretary.

“Like NYSC, the  CAC certificate, up till now it is still on the website of Corporate Affairs Commission that Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and his wife are both directors in the said company but he has been moving from one media house to another with some documents that he has since resigned from the directorship of the company. We are still expecting EFCC and DSS to tell us the direct beneficiaries of the annual income of the company.

“We don’t need a lawyer before we know that Mr Olubunmi Tunji- Ojo’s actions are direct violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which you sworn to defend and Code of Conduct Law prohibit public officers from engaging in conflicts of interest and participating in any business except farming.”

The group  also called on the minister to explain to Nigerians how he wouldn’t have directly influenced the awards of contracts to his company as a member of Federal Executive Council.

“Mr President, unless the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and his company publish the  details of the due process certification documents, the scope of job, the experts modules used and importantly the detail particulars of the 11 million Nigerian households they claimed to have been verified within 25 working days , we would believe APC-led federal government only shared the  money meant for the poor to themselves .

“Mr President, Dr Betta Edu and Hon Olubumi Tunji-Ojo and some other influential politicians in the villa planned the mass looting of the Ministry of Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation treasury from the beginning. Sir, if you think deeply about those who lobbied you to give  the woman portfolio of Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation, you will know the reason Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo planted his former Legislative Aide, one Thalis Apalowo as the National Coordinator for Grants for Vulnerable Groups, as a frontier for himself.”

Besides, the group called on the president to raise a panel to know why the former acting Managing Director of  Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr Daniel Pondei led a walk out on the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta which was chaired  by Tunji-Ojo when he was in House  of Representatives between 2019-2023.

“Mr Daniel Pondei, the then acting Managing Director of NNDC accused the Chairman of NNDC Committee in the House of Representatives, Hon Tunji-Ojo of massive corruption in NNDC. He openly asked Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to recuse himself from the investigation panel on July 16, 2020 because he was part  of the corruption.

“This ugly and shameful incident made the then NNDC management team,  House of Representatives  Committee on NDDC  chaired by Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to plan the sudden  collapse of the then acting Managing Director of NNDC during the ongoing House Committee public hearing of NNDC on July 20, 2020.

“Mr President should please ask Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, the then speaker of House of Reps, Hon Tunji Olubunmi-Ojo, and the then acting Managing Director of NNDC, Mr. Daniel Pondei why the probe panel seized to function from that day and how the whole probe was killed and burned after Daniel Pondei was rushed and discharged from the National Assembly Clinic, Abuja. We hereby also request you to investigate the number of contracts Hon Olubunmi  Tunji-Ojo used the same New Planet Project Limited to take from NDDC throughout his four years in National Assembly.”