Minister of interior Tunji-OJo denies allegations, says ‘I am not a signatory to any company account’

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, debunked involvement in the N438.1 million consultancy deal between New Planet Project Limited and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. According to the Minister, he resigned from the company in February 2019. 

Before this, Allegations in an online report surfaced that Tunji-Ojo’s company, New Planet Project Limited, received payment of N438 million as ‘consultancy fees’ from the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu. 

“The company, New Planet Project Limited, was one of the numerous consultants awarded contracts from N3 billion given out by the suspended minister for the National Social Register contract,” the report stated.

Debunking the report on Monday, Tunji-Ojo stated in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today that he wasn’t a signatory to the company. 

He said, “I have to say this, I saw the reports, and I was shocked. The company in question was a co-founded company where I was the director, and about five years ago, I had resigned my directorship in 2019 when I got to the House of Representatives. I resigned on the 4th of February,  I resigned 4th of February 2019, with a Certified True Copy of Corporate Affairs Commission. I came into Public Office knowing Nigerians will ask questions.”

When asked if he was not informed that the alleged sum of money was disbursed to the company linked to his name, where he remains a shareholder, Tunji-Ojo said, while insisting that he was not involved, “I do not run the company. I don’t have any knowledge of the contract. I am not a signatory to any account. I am not a director of the company.

The Minister also emphasized that the company is a limited liability company, which is a private entity to which he is still a shareholder, capitalizing on the knowledge that the public service rule does not prohibit public officers from being shareholders.

“What public service rule says is that you cannot be a director, of which I had resigned about five years ago,” he said

“I have no business with it, absolutely no business. Because I am not involved in the day-to-day running of the company. I do not pursue jobs for the company. I do not bid for the company. I am not a signatory to the company’s account. I am not involved.” he stated.

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