The Young Progressive Party (YPP) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, amid the ongoing heated debates surrounding his involvement in the scandalous contract at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
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The party vowed to organise young people nationwide to shut down Abuja on Monday, January 15, 2024, if Tunji-Ojo was not suspended within 48 hours.
The YPP called for the head of Tunji-Ojo in an open letter to President Tinubu on Tuesday night, citing alleged “abuse of office” as justification. The letter was signed by the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Bishop Amakiri, and said it would dissuade Tinubu from abusing public office in the future.
We have evidence that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, led by Dr. Betta Edu, paid a company owned by Minister Tunji Ojo, New Planet Project Limited, N438.1 million in total for consulting services.
This payment was a portion of the N3 billion that was given to multiple consultants for the National Social Register contract. The money was meant for social investment initiatives and cash transfers.
“N279 million and N159 million have been paid to Minister Tunji Ojo’s company, New Planet Project Limited, for the verification of the list and the same purpose, respectively.
Notably, Minister Tunji Ojo and his wife Abimbola are identified as directors of the firm, which was incorporated on March 3, 2009, with registration number 804833. Gbadamasi Gbadamasi Clement is listed as the secretary of the company.
“We firmly feel that the Code of Conduct law and the Nigerian Constitution are being directly violated by Minister Tunji Ojo’s conduct. Public officials are expressly forbidden from participating in any business other than farming and from having conflicts of interest by Sections 5 and 6 of the Code of Conduct statute.
“As Minister Tunji Ojo is a member of the Federal Executive Council Meeting, it is a recognised truth that this kind of contract could not have been accepted by any other body.
“Minister Tunji Ojo, aware of his stake in New Planet Project Limited, had tricked the Federal Executive Council into granting him the contract without even disclosing to the FEC that he is a shareholder in the aforementioned company; this is dishonest, cunning, and acquiring under false pretence,” a portion of the letter reads.
Additionally, the party claimed that Tunji-Ojo was assisted in obtaining the contract by one Thalis Apalowo, the Coordinator of the National Programme Manager for Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
A total of N2,515,000 was allegedly paid to Apalowo, a Legislative Assistant to Hon. Tunji-Ojo during the 9th House of Representatives, for his participation in the advance team of Dr. Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, “for DTA (Daily Travel Allowance) for five nights, local running expenses at 30% of DTA, flight tickets, and airport taxis to Kogi State, which does not have an airport.”
A “comprehensive and independent investigation into the alleged misconduct, involving the appropriate authorities and agencies” was demanded by the party, along with an immediate suspension of Tunji-Ojo by the President.
The Young Progressive Party (YPP) recommended Tinubu to take “appropriate legal actions against Minister Tunji Ojo” in order to discourage others.
Recall that a business controlled by Hon. Tunji-Ojo was connected to the contract award for the verification of the beneficiary’s list in the empowerment programmes run by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The Interior Minister has clarified, nevertheless, that he gave up ownership in New Planet Project Limited after being elected to the House of Representatives in 2019.
