By Eric Elezuo
This is not the best of times for another of President Bola Tinubu’s ministers, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, as divergent opinions fill the media space over his alleged involvement in the financial saga surrounding Mrs Betta Edu and the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation ministry.
Tunji-Ojo has been reputed in various quarters as one of the best hands so far in the Tinubu administration, and his performance so far has outweighed his initial status, and lent credence to youth involvement in governance. To many, he is the starboy of the government, and to a few others, he should bite the bullet or dance the same music Edu is dancing presently.
The now embattled Minister for Interior, has been under the radar of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for his alleged link in a N438 million scandal with the ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
Tunji-Ojo has, however, refuted claims suggesting his involvement as a signatory in the company implicated in the N438 million contract allegations linked to the now suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, saying he resigned from the company in 2019.
A leaked memo circulating online indicated that a company, allegedly owned by Tunji-Ojo, received N438 million designated as ‘consultancy fees’ from Edu.
“I am not a signatory to the company.
“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,” the Minister defended.
Until his appointment as Minister of the Interior, alongside 41 others, Tunji-Ojo represented Akoko North East/North West Federal Constituency of Ondo State in the House.
So far, Tunji-Ojo has been termed the ‘starboy’ of the Tinubu-led administration, following various achievements his office had made within six months of appointment. Some of which include: clearing a heavy backlog of passports and implementing a new platform that would allow a renewing of one’s passport from the convenience of one’s home, amongst others.
As the Minister of Interior, Tunji-Ojo oversees the affairs of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Prisons Service, and the Federal Fire Service.
He is also responsible for ensuring the security and welfare of Nigerians, as well as promoting the harmonious coexistence of the diverse ethnic and religious groups in the country.
This recent alleged affiliation with the N438 million scandal has in a way tainted his good record of performance that even won him some awards in 2023.
However, most media platforms have gone down memory lane to relive the event to brought the minister to national limelight. He was the former chairman of the House of Representatives committee on Niger Delta Development Commission of the ‘off your mic’ fame, that clashed with the then Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, over allegations of corruption and mismanagement of funds in the commission.
During the televised probe, Akpabio had accused Tunji-Ojo and other members of the National Assembly of benefiting from contracts awarded by the NDDC, a claim that Tunji-Ojo denied and challenged Akpabio to provide evidence.
The probe also witnessed a dramatic scene when Akpabio was asked to “off his mic” by Tunji-Ojo while he was making some revelations and accusing members of the National Assembly of being beneficiaries of the NDDC fund.
Tunji-Ojo later stepped down as the chairman of the committee, citing the need to protect his integrity and that of the House.
The minister was last week summoned by the president, ostensibly to ascertain yhe veracity or otherwise of his claim of innocence.
Tunji-Ojo, who is a lawyer and a businessman, was first elected into the House of Representatives in 2015. He was also the chairman of the House Committee on NEDC/North East Development Commission.
A flashback detailed noted that the payments was said to have been made to the company founded by the Minister include, N279 million Naira for the verification of beneficiaries on the national social register and an additional N159 million Naira for the same purpose.
The company, which was registered on March 3rd 2009, still has the Minister and his wife, Abimbola, listed on the CAC website as directors.
Again, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, back in 2020, named the Interior minister who was at the time a lawmaker and chairman of the house committee for the NDDC as one of the many National Assembly members who benefitted from numerous NDDC contracts. The minister denied the allegation.
A defence of the minister’s capability and non-involvement in the alleged financial infractions is summarised in the statement of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria, who described the recent strident media campaign calling for the sack of Tunji-Ojo, as “smacks of unpatriotism and insensitivity for Nigerians who have had nightmares attempting to access basic services in their fatherland”.
In a press statement signed by Ajagun Opeyemi, the Coalition observed that the plot against Tunji-Ojo is being sponsored by some cabals to discredit Tinubu’s administration.
The Coalition noted as follows:
“The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria has observed with keen interest the needless sensationalism, unjustified vilification and mass cyber-bullying of the performing Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in recent times over an allegation of corruption which is currently being investigated by the relevant agencies of government.
“From our observation and surface preliminary investigation as a coalition saddled with the responsibility of being the conscience of the public, we discovered with concern, a desperate desire and manipulative orchestration by vested interests to hang the dog, hence it has been branded a bad name. Simply put, Dr. Tunji-Ojo has become a victim of bruised egos who have been cut off from feeding fat in a corrupt system as a result of the giant reforms he has brought to bear in the Ministry of Interior since his assumption of office.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, as a civil society organisation, we are not oblivious of the fact that while many of us pray for the status quo to change in the overall interest of our country, others are working day and night to ensure that the misery of Nigerians does not go away. The contactless passport application and even home delivery being championed by the minister has come with a heavy price against his image, a result of which we are seeing today.
“Tunji-Ojo at the risk of sounding inmodest is the star boy of this administration by the virtue of the record he has has set so far among every member of the cabinet. He has demonstrated an iron-cast capacity that he came prepared for the job and ready to leave a lasting footprint. We are not surprised at the pull-him-down syndrome playing out at the moment. His resignation from the company in question before contesting for House of Representatives is in total compliance with the Federal Civil Service rule of the Federation.
“We must commend President Bola Tinubu for not bowing to the emotions being vaunted out on the media spaces with the intention to stampede him into taking hasty actions and get the very performing Minister of Interior off track. As a leader with a discerning sense of judgment, he has held a closed-door session with the minister which we believe is in connection with this allegation. Additionally, he has ordered the EFCC to carry out a thorough investigation. Instead of the mob seeking to feast on the flesh of the minister to wait patiently, they are busy calling for his suspension, a demand that has no basis in law but just a strategy to bring down the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by labelling his Ministers as corrupt.
“We must also put it on record that it is neither the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu nor the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo that is the prime target. Our source, which we do not wish to disclose here has informed us that insatiable power mongers are stoking these baseless confusions to discredit the government of President Bola Tinubu just for their selfish political interests. They are people who have been serially rejected by Nigerians yesterday, today, and in the future.
“The call for the suspension of the Interior Minister smacks of unpatriotism and insensitivity for Nigerians who have had nightmares attempting to access basic services in their fatherland, including the international passport.
“We are all witnesses to the far-reaching innovations the Minister has brought to bear in the ministry since assumption of office. For the first time in recent history of our country, we saw a minister who mobilized his friends and associates to raise funds, amounting to hundreds of millions of Naira to offset the fines of prison inmates, give them freedom, and decongest the prisons.
“Under his leadership, the Ministry has cleared a heavy backlog of passports and implemented a new platform that would allow Nigerians renew their passports from the convenience of their homes. In the coming weeks, Nigerians will start receiving their passports at their doorsteps. Who would have believed that this would be possible in this country?
“It is therefore our appeal that the President does not succumb to this orchestrated plot to blackmail his government and project it as a corrupt one. He has demonstrated readiness to allow the Rule of Law take its due course and we have no doubt Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo will be exonerated as he continues in his excellent service delivery for our people.
“On behalf of the over seventy Civil Society Organisations in the coalition, we wish to exonerate the Hon Minister of Interior, Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo of all allegations leveled against him and therefore request Mr President to disregard the calls for his removal.”
As President Tinubu has noted that there would no sacred cows, it is imperative that a wholistic investigation be carried out, and whoever is culpable should bite the bullet.
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