President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday summoned the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to the Presidential Villa, Abuja over alleged award of a consultancy contract of N438 million by the embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, to a company in which the minister allegedly has interest in.
News reports indicated that the consultancy contract awarded to New Planet Projects Ltd, a company Tunji-Ojo is said to be a beneficial-owner, was for the National Social Register for the disbursement of the funds to the vulnerable across the country.
Edu was suspended from office on Monday by the President over allegations of diverting N585 million
meant for the implementation of grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states, into a private account.
Since yesterday, the media had been reporting that a consultancy contract of N438 million was awarded by the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs to New Planet Projects Ltd.
However, the Minister during an interview on Channels TV, debunked the allegations, saying he is no longer an officer of the company.
He described the allegation against him as diversionary and said if the company is found to have flouted any law, it should be subjected to appropriate sanction.
Tunji-Ojo maintained that he was no longer involved in the affairs of the company, which available records showed was incorporated on March 3, 2009 with registration number 804833 and has Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and Abimbola Tunji-Ojo as directors.
