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Published on 2024-03-18 18:02:40
President Bola Tinubu’s minister of the interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has been making significant strides in his first six months in office, gaining recognition for his achievements such as clearing passport backlogs and implementing a new platform for passport renewals. Despite his success, he has found himself embroiled in three major scandals that many Nigerians may not be aware of.
One of the scandals involves an accusation of receiving a contract worth N438.1 million from the suspended minister of humanitarian and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu, through a company called New Planet Project Limited. The company was reportedly paid for consultancy services by the ministry of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation. Tunji-Ojo denied any involvement with the company, stating that he was no longer part of its hierarchy and did not have a role in its operations.
Another scandal revolved around discrepancies in Tunji-Ojo’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate during his ministerial screening by the Senate. Questions were raised about the timing of his NYSC scheme at the age of 37 and the suspicious dates on his discharge certificate. Tunji-Ojo defended himself by explaining that qualified NYSC members could participate in the scheme after graduating as long as they did so before the age of 30.
Prior to his appointment as minister, Tunji-Ojo was a member of the House of Representatives and famously clashed with the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, over allegations of mismanagement of funds in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Akpabio accused Tunji-Ojo and other national assembly members of receiving contract awards from the NDDC, prompting Tunji-Ojo to challenge Akpabio for evidence to support the claim.
Despite his achievements in office, these scandals have tarnished Tunji-Ojo’s reputation and raised concerns among Nigerians about his integrity. It remains to be seen how these controversies will impact his tenure as the minister of the interior under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
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