The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has acknowledged that a company he co-founded with his wife received a payment of N438 million from the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.
Ms. Edu has been suspended for directing the Accountant General of the Federation to transfer public funds into a private account, leading to an ongoing investigation into her ministry.
In response to a leaked memo revealing his company’s contract with Edu, Tunji-Ojo informed Channels TV on Monday that he had resigned from the company’s board nearly five years ago, dispelling any current involvement.
“Yes, I founded the company (Planet Projects LTD) 15 years ago,” he stated. “But in 2019, when I won the election, I resigned as the director of the company almost five years ago.”
“I’m not a director. I resigned as far back as 2019, and CAC certified it,” Tunji-Ojo clarified, presenting the interviewer with relevant documents.
When pressed about the possibility of using his position to influence a contract for a company in which he holds shares within his colleague’s ministry, the minister contended that public service rules do not prohibit him from being a shareholder.
“How could I have done that? I’m the Minister of Interior, not the Minister of Humanitarian. On what basis will I do that? Is a company not entitled to bid for anything?” he questioned.
“Of course, to the best of my knowledge, public service rules do not prohibit public officers from being shareholders. What public service rules say is that you cannot be a director, of which I had resigned about five years ago,” he added.
The minister, praised for his reforms at the ministry, emphasized that the key question should focus on whether the company, if awarded a job, successfully completed the task and if the job was validly awarded.