The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has reportedly declined to attend an invitation by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for an ongoing investigation into an alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers.
The Herald gathered that the minister, slated for interrogation at the CCB headquarters at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday by 11 a.m., did not appear between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Confirming the development in a telephone interview on Tuesday with Punch, Veronica Kato, the spokesperson for the CCB, disclosed that the minister’s interrogation would be rescheduled due to his national assignment.
Kato said, “Yes, the minister’s interrogation has been rescheduled. He wrote, asking that it be rescheduled because he has a national assignment, so it has been rescheduled for a later date.”
When asked about the specific rescheduled date, Kato mentioned that there was no precise date yet, stating, “We don’t have a precise date now, but it has been rescheduled to another day.”
The Code of Conduct Bureau had invited the minister over his company’s involvement in a ₦438 million contract with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The company, New Planet Projects, allegedly belonging to the minister, was reported to have benefitted from a contract from the ministry.
A document obtained by newsmen revealed that the CCB invited the minister to appear before it on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at the CCB headquarters, Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja.
The letter addressed to the minister stated, “The bureau is investigating a case of alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers in which your name featured prominently.”
The document further noted that the invitation was in line with the CCB’s mandate and powers as enshrined in the Third Schedule, Part 1, 3 (e) of the 1999 Constitution.