Northern youths seek Tunji-Ojo’s sack over link with Edu’s fraudulent N4billion contract

The Northern Youths Council has demanded the sack of Interior Minister Olubunmi Ojo.

In a statement issued by its President, Wahab Adamu, the group criticized the minister’s involvement in the suspected corruption that led to Betta Edu’s suspension as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs.

The group bases their call for his dismissal on the discovery that an N438.1 million from Beta Edu’s fake N3 billion social register scam was sent to New Planet Project Limited, a company wholly owned and operated by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, with registration number 804833, registered on March 3, 2009.

Tunji-Ojo’s New Planet Project Limited was initially paid N279 million to verify the list, followed by another N159 million for the same purpose.

According to the report, the firm’s directors are the interior minister and his wife, Abimbola.

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.

The group, in a statement issued by its president on Monday, stated that Betta and Tunji-Ojo are greedy individuals who impede Tinubu’s ability to ease the miseries of the less fortunate.

It also stated that it took the daring step of speaking out against “the ignoble crass corruption and embezzlement that was carefully designed and masterminded by Betta Edu and Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.”

However, a source revealed that the interior minister may have obtained the contract through his former aide and coordinator of the National Programme Manager, Grant For Vulnerable Groups, Thalis Apalowo.

Apalowo worked as Tunji-Ojo’s legislative aide in the National Assembly, where he represented the Akoko North Federal seat.

“He was the one who lobbied for his appointment as coordinator of programme under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, he is his close aide,”

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.

“After the suspension of Betta Edu on Monday, for requesting payment be made into a private account for some projects while also approving payments for flight tickets for herself and some staff of the ministry to travel to Kogi State which has no airport, it is reasonable to also suspend Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in order to completely wash out corrupt eggs from the yet-to-be-matured system.

“For an administration that has taken a bold step to letting go of corrupt Betta Edu, identifying with a man of questionable character like Tunji-Ojo is a direct mockery of the expectations of Nigerians and as believers of President Tinubu’s vision”, the groups said, adding that ” We cannot fold our hands and watch this ignoble development continue to fester.”

Lastly, we thank Mr President swift action on suspension of Halima Shehu and Beta Edu.