From Fred Itua, Abuja
Prominent Civil Society and pro-democracy groups have condemned the recent attempt to drag the name of Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Minister of Interior in the ongoing accusation against the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu.
According to the statement, it said: “Let us first of all commend President Bola Tinubu for his prompt handling of the EduGate in the best interest of the nation and by allowing the relevant agencies to investigate the matter to its logical conclusion devoid of interference from any quaters.”
In the statement authored by Ismail Ibrahim Bakori, the President of Arewa Voters Assembly (AVA) and Segun Adegoke of the Progressive Action for Justice Unity and Democracy(PAJUD), stated that the democratic handling over of power on May 29, 2023, opened up fresh possibilities for a renewal of our political and socio economic life on the foundation of accountability and transparency on the part of elected public office holders.
“Our attention has been drawn to the barrage of mischievous accusations being labelled against Hon Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Minister of Interior by hirelings of mischief and failed politicians from the People’s Democratic Party( PDP) in their desperate attempt to link him with Edu Gate,” the statement read.
The groups posit that in less than eight months that President Tinubu assumed office, Ojo has come out with a well defined mission, vision, blueprint and seriousness of purpose in the onerous task of addressing the multifarious problems and challenges confronting the Interior Ministry.
“The promptness with which he tackled the international passport scarcity and other matters are eloquent testimonies that he is a star boy of the Tinubu’s administration and that he is focused and seriously minded political appointee of the government.
“We posit that since the beginning of the Nigerian democracy, the political firmament and landscape is over dosed with different genres of characters, ranging from the good, the bad and ugly. Sadly, the characters behind the campaign of calumny and distractions against Hon Ojo represents the ugliest part the Nigerian political elites.
“Their sixteen years of wasteful, fruitless, misrule and of the Nigerian state speaks negatively of them. They lacked the moral responsibility to launch any smear campaign, mudslinging and mischief making against Hon Ojo who instituted decorum in the affairs of the Nigerian Interior Ministry at the moment,” it read.