By Ken Afor
Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has been invited for questioning by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in relation to his company’s alleged involvement in a contract deal worth N438 million recently uncovered in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
It was alleged that a company, New Planet Projects, reportedly owned by the Minister, profited from the alleged contract scam by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
Although, the minister had claimed that he resigned from company’s board in 2019 when he contested for the House of Representatives.
The minister is expected to appear before the CCB on Tuesday, January 16 at its Headquarters, Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja as stated in a letter signed by the CCB Director of Investigation and Monitoring, Gwimi S.P, according to reports.
Meanwhile, in the letter, the bureau’s invitation to the Minister is based on its authority and jurisdiction as outlined in the Third Schedule, Part 1, 3 (e) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
The letter stated, “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 would be recalled that Tunji-Ojo was a former member of the House of Representatives from Ondo State who represented Akoko North East/Akoko North West.
During his first term in the house of representatives, he was the chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).