Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, did not show up on Tuesday at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) headquarters in Abuja with regard to an investigation on the alleged involvement of a company linked to him in a N438m contract awarded by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The minister, who was supposed to appear before the CCB at around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, was said to have written to the Bureau requesting another date.
The minister informed the Bureau that he had a prior formal obligation that he needed to attend.
Our correspondent who was at the CCB headquarters did not see the minister appearing as at 11am when he was billed to face CCB officials.
After two hours of waiting, our correspondent later learned from officials of the bureau that the minister would no longer appear due to “pressing national engagements”
This was, confirmed by the Head of the Press and Public Relations Department of the CCB, Veronica Kato.
She told Daily Trust that the minister wrote to the bureau requesting for a new date citing prior national assignments.
“Yes, the minister is not appearing today (Tuesday) again. He wrote to the management (of CCB) for a reschedule of his appearance. The management would meet to fix a new date for the minister to appear. We would communicate further updates,” Kato said.
The humanitarian affairs ministry had allegedly awarded New Planet Projects Limited reportedly belonging to Tunji-Ojo an N438 million consultant contract.
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He was was dragged into the alleged fraud following the suspension of the humanitarian affairs minister, Dr Betta Edu, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tunji-Ojo was at the Aso Villa in Abuja last week alongside his colleagues to meet with the president shortly after the allegation went viral. He, however, said the meeting had no connection with the allegation which he had also denied.
The CCB in a letter obtained by Daily Trust on Monday had invited Tunji-Ojo for an investigation, asking him to appear before it on Tuesday, at the CCB Headquarters, Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja.
The letter was signed by the CCB Director, Investigation and Monitoring, Gwimi S.P on behalf of the CCB Chairman, Murtala Aliyu.
“The bureau is investigating a case of alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers in which your name featured prominently. Consequently, you are invited for an interview scheduled as follows:
“Date: Tuesday, 16th January, 2024. Time: 1100hrs prompt. Venue: CCB Headquarters on 5th Floor, Annex III, Phase I, Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja.
“This invitation is pursuant to the mandate and powers of the Bureau as enshrined in the Third Schedule, Part I, Paragraph 3 (e) to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. Please be properly guided,” it read.
