Amid the recent strident media campaign calling for the sack of the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigerian has thrown its weight behind the minister.
They described him as one of the best performing cabinet ministers under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement on Wednesday signed by its Secretary General, Com. Osabinu Olufemi, the coalition observed that the plot against Tunji-Ojo is being hatched by an amorphous clandestine cabal using pseudonyms and phantom organizations, with the aim of mounting concerted pressures on President Tinubu to sack the minister over spurious allegations of financial impropriety and breach of trust.
The Coalition further stated that knowing they have no legal or moral basis to crucify the minister on account of his stewardship to the nation, his detractors elected to link him up with the embattled suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, over a contract awarded by her ministry to a company in which Hon. Tunji-Ojo is currently a mere shareholder.
“While we frown at the calculated attempt to ridicule Hon. Tunji-Ojo’s tireless efforts to serve the nation and contribute his decent quota towards improving the overall security and well-being of Nigerians, we must state that we are not attempting to save his job as a cabinet minister, because his job is not actually under threat. Given the personality, integrity and experience of Mr. President, we know he cannot be swayed by the mendacities and sentiments of Hon. Tunji-Ojo’s masquerading traducers.
“The NIS under Minister Ojo has introduced extensive reforms by deploying IT to drive its operations and equip itself to cope with future challenges of trans-border migration. The service was the first in Africa to key into the latest international reforms in travel documents, which earned it the award of ‘Best Performing Agency in Ease of Doing Business’ by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council in 2023.
“This was in view of the current ease in the issuance of travel documents, international passports to Nigerians both at home and abroad and the issuance of residence permits to foreigners. E-border Management, Passport Reforms and Staff Welfare, the three main focus areas of the NIS, have received unprecedented attention under the current Minister,” the coalition stated.
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