Minister, Tunji-Ojo fingered in N438Million consultancy fee fraud with Betta Edu
The social register was developed to facilitate cash transfers and other social investment programs.
According to SaharaReporters, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation under Betta Edu paid N438.1 million to a business owned by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for consulting services.
The company, New Planet Project Limited, was one of many consultants handed contracts worth N3 billion by the suspended minister for the National Social Register contract.
The social register was developed to facilitate cash transfers and other social investment programs.
According to a document supplied by the editor of the media portal Pointblank News, Jackson Ude, Tunji-Ojo’s New Planet Project Limited was initially paid N279 million for list verification, followed by another N159 million.
According to an independent review by SaharaReporters, the firm’s directors are the interior minister and his wife, Abimbola.
Gbadamasi Gbadamasi Clement is also named as the secretary of the firm, which was established on March 3, 2009, under the registration number 804833.
The move, however, violates the Nigerian Constitution and the Code of Conduct law.
Sections 5 and 6 of the Code of Conduct law prohibit public authorities from putting themselves in a position of conflict of interest and from engaging in any business other than farming.
Other recipients of the N3 billion deal include Fabunmi Olanipekun & Co., which received N419.5 million. Vintsolve Global Consult also received N558.8 million.
Periscope Consulting received N277 million; Blue Trend Enterprise received N277.8 million; Laitop Dynamics Interlink Services received N277 million; Memak Nigeria Limited received N277 million; MC Van Management Consult Limited received N275.8 million; and Danzinger Nigeria Limited received N275.8 million.
“Other companies that benefitted from the N3billion contracts are: Blue Trend Enterprise-N277.8million.
“Blue trend, has no record of being registered and the owner is unknown. Periscope Consulting-N277million. Periscope Consulting, with registration number 1053019, registered on July 24, 2012, is owned by one Ngozi Maureen Ojiego, known for Interior Decoration. Laitop Dynamics Interlink Services Ltd-N277million.
“Laitop with registration number 1340092, is owned by one Quburat Bolanle Bolanta. It was registered on June 6, 2016. Memak Nigeria Limited with no known ownership and date of registration got NN277million.
“MC Van Management Consult Limited with no records of registration also got N275.8million contract while Danzinger Nigeria Limited with registration number 635448, registered on Sep 23, 2005got N275.8million. Danzinger is owned by one Oladapo Rotimi Mohammed.
“All the contractors claimed they verified 11 million homes in Nigeria under one month,” Ude stated in a Twitter post.
However, a source told SaharaReporters that the interior minister may have got the contract through his former aide and coordinator of the National Programme Manager, Grant For Vulnerable Groups, Thalis Apalowo.
Apalowo served as legislative aide to Tunji-Ojo while he was representing Akoko North Federal constituency at the National Assembly.
“He was the one who lobbied for his appointment as coordinator of programme under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, he is his close aide,” the source told SaharaReporters.
Apalowo was one of the minister’s advanced team who received N2,515,000 for DTA for five nights, local running @30% of DTA, for flight tickets and airport taxis to Kogi — a state with no airport.
Platinum Times had reported how Edu asked the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein to send public funds to a private account which belonged to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, identified as a project manager by the minister.
The minister had approved that N585,198,500.00 should be disbursed into a personal account.
Platinum Times also reported on Sunday that her ministry approved funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for her team from Abuja to Kogi State, even though the latter has no airport.
President Tinubu on Monday suspended Edu and ordered an investigation into the alleged fraudulent activities of the minister.
Credit: Sahara Reporters