Why Tunji-Ojo Was In Aso Rock – Presidency

By Ayodele Oni

President Bola Tinubu has summoned the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to report at the Presidential Villa.

The summons was consequent upon the controversy that has rocked the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, over the award of a N438m consultancy contract for the National Social Register to New Planet Projects Ltd, a company the Minister is said to have a strong interest in.

However, the Presidency denied the report stating that the Minister was in Aso Rock for a discussion with the President.

The Interior Minister had come under fire for his alleged involvement in a N438.1m consultancy contract.

The suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu is with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC assisting operatives in their investigations

The Interior Minister met with the President on Tuesday afternoon but the  agenda was not made public.

Sources close to the Minister denied the report that he was summoned.

According to one of the sources, “We are too intelligent to be stupid.

Meanwhile Tunji – Ojo has explained his role in the humanitarian fund’s alleged scam.

It was reported that a firm allegedly owned by the Minister had received N438 million as “consultancy fees” from the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Betta Edu.

The Minister, who denied  owning the said firm said “I am not a signatory to the company’, responding to the contract allegations linked with his former company and the Ministry of humanitarian affairs.

“I am not a signatory to the company,” the Minister said on Monday during a live appearancen Channels Television’s Politics Today.

“As I’ve always said, I came into public office with a commitment to base my service on sincerity of purpose and openness. I believe that Nigerians don’t deserve to be kept in the dark in terms of public office operations.”

“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”.

While admitting to founding the company alongside his wife, the Minister said his resignation from the firm is a consequence of his  political ambition.

“I and my wife founded the company 15 years years ago. Well, in 2019, when I got to the House of Representatives, when I won election precisely, I made a change. I had resigned as Director of the company to hold office.”

The Minister said he is only a shareholder of the company which is not in violation of the law.

“Of course, and to the best of my knowledge, the public service rule does not prohibit public officers from being shareholders.”