From Fred Itua and Okwe Obi, Abuja
Prominent civil society and pro-democracy groups as well as individuals including the Civil Society Groups for Good Governance, the Arewa Voters Assembly (AVA), the Civil Society Groups for Good Governance, the Progressive Action for Justice Unity and Democracy (PAJUD) and Shehu Sani have condemned attempts to smear Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, minister of interior, in the ongoing scandal involving the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu.
The minister had been accused of involvement in the contracts award controversy at the ministry of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation.
A leaked document showed that New Planet Project Limited, a company founded by Tunji-Ojo got a N438 million consultancy contract from the ministry.
Denying any wrongdoing, the minister said he resigned from the company in February 2019 when he was elected as a lawmaker in the House of Representatives. The minister said he was no longer one of the directors of the company but admitted that he was still a shareholder.
On Monday, Betta Edu was suspended as the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation over the controversy.
Former lawmaker, Senator Sani, who represented Kaduna South, said Tunji-Ojo did not violate any law by being a shareholder in the company.
In a message posted on his Facebook page, Sani said the minister has the right to hold shares in the company. Sani said there was no law that barred public officials from holding shares. “Going by the facts presented by Hon Ojo, he had since 2019 resigned from the company mentioned as beneficiary. It could have been a conflict of interest if he had not resigned.
“There is no law that says public officials must sell their shares when they assume public office. Moreover, it’s not his ministry and companies have the right to pursue businesses anywhere.
“Edu’s case is very clear and can’t be equated with that of Hon Ojo. Legally, he can’t be held to account on this matter. Let’s not be distracted. According to section 030424(a) of the civil service rules, “public officers are not prohibited from holding shares in both public and private companies operating in Nigeria or abroad except that they must not be directors in private companies and may only be directors in public companies if nominated by government.”
Also reacting in a statement by Ismail Ibrahim Bakori, the President of Arewa Voters Assembly (AVA) and Segun Adegoke of the Progressive Action for Justice Unity and Democracy (PAJUD), decried attempt to drag the minister into the controversy
“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 groups posited 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 a 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 overdosed with different genres of characters, ranging from the good, the bad and ugly. Sadly, the characters behind the campaign of calumny and distractions against Ojo represents the ugliest part of the Nigerian political elites.
“Their 16 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 Ojo who instituted decorum in the affairs of the Nigerian Interior Ministry at the moment,” it read.
On its part, Ogakwu Dominic, Convener of the Civil Society Groups for Good Governance, told journalists in Abuja that Tunji-Ojo had cleared the air on the matter but wondered why some persons were clamouring for his suspension.
He encouraged Nigerians to focus on the sterling initiative instituted by the minister in the interior ministry, rather than allow critics to paint him in a negative light.
“We would not have responded to the public, media brigandage and concoction of lies spewed out against Tunji-Ojo but for the want of unsuspecting public who might want to take the coloration of lies packaged to smear the hard-earned reputation and integrity of the minister who in few months of assumption into office has significantly shown the highest form of commitment to the mandate of the ministry of Interior in accordance with the tenets of national development.
“We cannot appoint someone who has measured in integrity, uprightness, dedication, commitment and capacity and in just a flick of the moment, still drags him for what is clearly not within his jurisdiction or his involvement.
“The effort put in place by a serving public steward should be at all time applauded, this has not been the case on the social media space, the Minister has shown his capacity by emerging as a beacon of transformative leadership in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, he has in fact orchestrated a symphony of unprecedented reforms, steadily steering and navigating the various agencies under his purview towards a brighter horizon. His stewardship encapsulates a tapestry of achievements across various sectors marked by a resolute commitment to enhancing efficiency, professionalism and progressive change.”
He commended President Bola Tinubu and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for taking drastic action against the suspects.