The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has shunned an invitation by the Code of Conduct Bureau over an ongoing investigation bordering on alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers.
As at 1pm today the minister who was scheduled to meet with officials of the bureau at 11am, has not arrived the bureau.
Spokesperson for the CCB, Veronica Kato, said the minister’s interrogation would be rescheduled for a later date following his memo to the bureau citing national assignment.
“Yes, the minister’s interrogation has been rescheduled. He wrote, asking that it be rescheduled because he has a national assignment, so it has been rescheduled for a later date,” Kato said.
When asked about the next scheduled date, she said there was no specific date yet.
“We don’t have a precise date now, but it has been rescheduled to another day,” she said.
The CCB had invited the embattled minister over the involvement of his company in a ₦438 million contract with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The company, New Planet Projects, allegedly belonging to the minister, benefitted from a contract from the ministry.
A document revealed that the CCB invited the minister to appear before it on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at the CCB headquarters, Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja.
The document signed by Gwimi S.P, the CCB Director, Investigation and Monitoring, on behalf of the CCB Chairman, Murtala Aliyu, revealed that the bureau’s invitation is hinged on its mandate and powers as enshrined in the Third Schedule, Part 1, 3 (e) of the 1999 Constitution.
Meanwhile, some interest groups, the Coalition of Civil Rights Organisations and Elite Africa, have defended the allegations against the embattled minister, while alleging media trial and accusing his opponents of being unhappy with his ‘growing popularity’.
In a statement on Monday, the groups said, “The Coalition of Civil Rights Organisations unequivocally wishes to debunk the purported invitation of the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, by the Code of Conduct Bureau over alleged corruption.
“This latest report by a section of the media is another in the series of the campaign of calumny which has recently been orchestrated by sponsored propagandists who are mainly out to discredit the radical transformation, being undertaken by Tunji-Ojo, and by extension, to undermine the achievements of President Bola Tinubu.
“There is no doubt that the timing and nature of these allegations appear suspicious and politically motivated, aiming to tarnish the reputation of a public servant known for his commitment to transparency and accountability.
“We have thoroughly examined the circumstances surrounding the purported invitation by the CCB and find them to lack credible evidence, resembling a smear campaign rather than a genuine pursuit of justice. We want to strongly believe, that if perhaps, there is a need for any conversation or interrogation to be conducted by the CBB, how did such become a media affair, if it is not a smear campaign, like we suspected?”
