The minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has been linked to the N438M contract awarded by the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu to New Planet Project, a company co- founded by the interior minister in 2003, in which he is a significant shareholder.
The Minister who was seen at the presidential villa on Tuesday, confirmed ownership of the company on live television, stating that he had resigned from the company as director in 2019. However, civil society groups have called for the minister’s suspension, for violating public service rules.
The payments said to have been made to the company founded by the Minister include, N279 million Naira for the verification of beneficiaries on the national social register and an additional N159 million Naira for the same purpose. The company, which was registered on March 3rd 2009, still has the Minister and his wife, Abimbola, listed on the CAC website as directors. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, back in 2020, named the Interior minister who was at the time a lawmaker and chairman of the house committee for the NDDC as one of the many National Assembly members who benefitted from numerous NDDC contracts.
Adesuwa Giwa Osagie interviewed the minister for her untold story project, as he tried to clarify the allegations. The presidency has retracted the word dismissal used to describe the removal of former FCCPC CEO, Babatunde Irukera, and BPE DG Alexander Okoh who on Tuesday, were directed by the presidency to hand over to the next most senior officer at their agencies pending the appointment of new Chief Executive Officers.
Bayo Onanuga in a statement on Tuesday said the President’s directive did not intend to use the word dismissal but that the two men who have served the country were relieved of their duties as the president scouts for their successors. According to the Federal Protection and Competition Act 2018, as it concerns setting up the FCCPC, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may have erred in law, in his decision to remove Irukera without resorting to the Senate.
The section dealing with removal from office in the Act, states that once a good case is established against any commissioner or the head of the organisation the exercise of the powers of the president under the relevant section must be subject to the approval of the upper chamber. In Ecuador a group of armed men broke into a live television studio on Tuesday and threatened staff of the network.
The gunmen who were wearing hoods and carrying guns, interrupted a live broadcast. The incident occurred in the wake of a 60-day state of emergency which began on Monday after a convicted gang leader vanished from his prison. CNN News anchor, Sara Sidner shared the news about her stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis with a poignant and emotional reflection about life on Tuesday.
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