Akin Akinola
A group, Northern Youth Council has called for the sack of the Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo following his company’s link to the N3 billion contract awarded by the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.
The President of the group, Wahab Adamu, in a statement issued Monday said the call for his sack became imperative after it was revealed that a N438.1 million from Edu’s N3 billion social register contract was awarded to New Planet Project Limited company owned and operated by Tunji-Ojo, with registration number 804833, registered on March 3, 2009.
The group explained that Tunji-Ojo’s New Planet Project Limited was initially paid N279 million for verification of the list and another N159 million for the same purpose.
It added that the firm has the interior minister and his wife, Abimbola as directors.
The group added that the action was however against the Nigerian Constitution and Code of Conduct law.
It explained that the Code of Conduct law, in Sections 5 and 6, bars public officers from putting themselves in positions of conflict of interest and prevents them from partaking in any business other than farming.
It noted: “After the suspension of Betta Edu on Monday, for requesting payment be made into a private account for some projects while also approving payments for flight tickets for herself and some staff of the ministry to travel to Kogi State which has no airport, it is reasonable to also suspend Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in order to completely wash out corrupt eggs from the yet-to-be-matured system.
“For an administration that has taken a bold step to letting go of corrupt Betta Edu, identifying with a man of questionable character like Tunji-Ojo is a direct mockery of the expectations of Nigerians and as believers of President Tinubu’s vision.
“We cannot fold our hands and watch this ignoble development continue to fester. Lastly, we thank Mr President’s swift action on the suspension of Halima Shehu and Beta Edu.”
