Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, has refuted any involvement in the controversial N438 million consultancy contract between New Planet Project Limited and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. Emphasizing his role as the Minister of Interior rather than Humanitarian Minister, he highlighted the impracticality of the company operating under the Interior Ministry to prevent conflicts of interest and potential abuse of office.
Tunji Ojo confirmed his current status as a shareholder in the company, noting that public service rules do not prohibit officers from holding shares. He clarified his separation from the day-to-day operations, asserting his resignation as a director five years ago. Tunji Ojo stressed the importance of evaluating whether the awarded company fulfilled the contract’s requirements and expressed reluctance to delve into the ongoing investigation while reiterating that he does not actively manage the company.
He clarified that the public service rule specifies the prohibition of public officers as directors, a position he resigned from five years ago. Tunji Ojo, drawing on his private business experience of nearly 20 years, refrained from delving into the ongoing investigation and underscored that he does not actively manage the company.
PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO 04:16
Hear him: “I’m still a shareholder in the company and to the best of my knowledge, public service rule does not prohibit public officers from being shareholders. What the public service rule says is that you cannot be a director of which I had resigned about 5 years ago. Then secondly, I don’t want to defend the company but the simple truth is that if the company were given the job, did the company do the job? Was the job validly awarded? I was in private business for close to 20 years and I resigned already. I don’t want to dabble into the affairs of investigation. But I don’t run the company.”
