WAHAB Adamu-led Northern Youth Council has called for the immediate removal of Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in the light of the group’s allegations linking the minister to the corruption scandal that resulted in the suspension of Betta Edu as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
In a detailed statement, Mr Adamu expressed the group’s concern over Minister Ojo’s purported connection to the misappropriation of funds related to Betta Edu’s alleged N3 billion social register scam. The statement disclosed that a staggering N438.1 million from Edu’s scheme found its way to New Planet Project Limited, a company exclusively owned and operated by Minister Ojo. The said company, registered on 3 March 2009, under registration number 804833, reportedly received N279 million for list verification and an additional N159 million for the same purpose.
The revelation further unveiled that New Planet Project Limited listed Minister Ojo and his wife, Abimbola, as directors, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest and violation of the Nigerian Constitution and Code of Conduct laws. The Code of Conduct law, as specified in sections 5 and 6, explicitly prohibits public officers from engaging in activities that pose conflicts of interest and restricts them from participating in businesses beyond farming.
The Northern Youth Council firmly asserted its stance against such actions, stating that both Betta Edu and Olubunmi Ojo are impeding the efforts of President Tinubu to alleviate the suffering of the less privileged. The group’s statement, released on Monday, denounced what they described as “ignoble crass corruption and embezzlement” masterminded by Edu and Ojo.
Additionally, a source revealed that Minister Ojo may have secured the contract through his former aide, Thalis Apalowo, who played a pivotal role in Ojo’s appointment as the coordinator of the National Programme Manager under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. Apalowo, a legislative aide to Ojo during his tenure representing Akoko North Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, allegedly lobbied for the appointment.
“He was the one who lobbied for his appointment as coordinator of the programme under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, he is his close aide,”
Apalowo was one of the minister’s advanced teams who received N2,515,000 for DTA for five nights, local running at 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.”
The statement applauded the swift suspension of Halima Shehu and Betta Edu, expressing gratitude for President Tinubu’s prompt action. The Northern Youth Council, however, emphasized the need for consistent and decisive measures by calling for Minister Olubunmi Ojo’s immediate dismissal. The group concluded by reiterating its commitment to monitoring and addressing corruption within the government to uphold the expectations of the Nigerian people.
Eighteen-Eleven Media