Fraud: Why Interior Minister Tunji-Ojo must be probed after Betta Edu – NANS

Jan 9, 2024

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Following the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has asked President Bola Tinubu to also investigate the Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

NANS said Tunji-Ojo should be investigated over his alleged involvement in a N438.1 million consultancy contract with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

This was contained in a statement signed by NANS President, Pedro Obi, on Tuesday.

Betta was suspended for allegedly paying the sum of N585 million Federal Government funds into a personal account.

However, there are allegations that a company said to be owned by Tunji-Ojo, New Planet Project Limited, at a time took N438.1 million as consultancy services from Edu’s ministry.

Speaking on a TV programme on Monday, Tunji-Ojo admitted connection with the company, but said he resigned in 2019 when he contested for the House of Representatives.

The minister who described the report as shocking, added that since his resignation from the company, he has remained a shareholder but not involved in the day to day running of the business.

The NANS President is insisting that the involvement of Tunji Ojo in the N438.1 million consultancy fee should also be investigated.

Parts of the statement issued by the NANS president read, “We have been following with keen interest the revelation coming from the financial misdoings at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. We must state that we feel so embarrassed that the Ministry could be enmeshed in such a scandal.

“However, the latest revelation which is all over the media that a company owned by the Minister of Interior got N438m from the Humanitarian Ministry under the suspended Minister leaves so much to ask.

“And, we call on the President to order an extensive investigation into how every penny was spent under the supervision of the suspended Minister, Betta-Edu. And, it must not stop at that, the President must ensure that everyone found wanting is prosecuted in accordance with the law of the land.”