The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has denied being a signatory to New Planet Project Limited, a company involved in the N438.1 million contract allegations linked with the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Betta Edu.
A memo circulating online indicated that New Planet Project Limited, allegedly owned by Tunji-Ojo, received N438 million designated as ‘consultancy fees’ from Edu for the National Social Register contract.
The document posted by the editor of online media platform, Pointblank News, Jackson Ude, showed that Tunji-Ojo’s company was initially paid N279 million for verification of the list and another N159 million for the same purpose.
Another online platform, Sahara Reporters said it found that the firm has the interior minister and his wife, Abimbola, as directors.
One Gbadamasi Gbadamasi Clement is also listed as the secretary of the company which was registered on March 3, 2009, with registration number 804833.
Sections 5 & 6 of the Code of Conduct law bars public officers from putting themselves in positions of conflict of interest and prevents them from partaking in any business other than farming.
Reacting to the allegation in an interview on Channels TV on Monday, Tunji-Ojo said, “I am not a signatory to the company.”
“And actually, I was shocked because the company in question was a company where I was a director. About five years ago, I had resigned from my directorship,” he added.
He explained, “I and my wife founded the company 15 years years ago. Well, in 2019, when I got to the House of Representatives I won the election precisely, I made a change.
“I had resigned as director of the company to hold office.
“Of course, and to the best of my knowledge, the public service rule does not prohibit public officers from being shareholders.”