•PDP demands Minister’s suspension, probe
By Egena Sunday Ode
Amid the revelations that a firm linked to him had secured a N438 million consultancy contract under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, the Minster of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, was at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.
There were suggestions that his presence in Aso Rock Preaidential Villa was a response to a summon by President Bola Tinubu to explain the controversy.
It was not clear whether he met with the president who had to reschedule many of his Tuesday’s engagements because of other pressing issues such as emerging developments from Niger Republic where the military junta had released some members of the deposed president’s family from detention.
At least three other ministers including Hanatu Musawa (Arts and Creative Economy), Shuaibu Audu (Steel Development) and Adebayo Adelabu (Power) were in the villa but were unable to meet with the president because of his busy schedule.
However, when asked to comment on the controversy, Tunji-Ojo simply told correspondents: “We are too intelligent to be stupid.”
The Interior minister had denied any involvement in the N438 million contract awarded to New Planet Project Limited that he co-founded.
He had explained in an interview on Monday night on Channels Television that he was no longer involved in the running of the firm having resigned as a director in 2019.
