EDUGATE: ‘Tinubu Will Not Remove Tunji-Ojo After Explaining Himself’ In Humanitarian Affairs Ministry Fraud

President Bola Tinubu will not remove the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, as he has explained everything to the president during his visit to the presidential villa in the past week, THE WHISTLER has been told.

An ally of the minister with adequate knowledge of the development said although he was not with the minister when he visited the president, he met with him immediately after his meeting and he got “first hand” information about the discussion at the villa.

The discussion with the president lasted barely 30 minutes, this paper was told and the minister “explained to the president that he resigned in 2019” when he “ceased being in direct control of the company, New Planet Project Ltd.”

The ally said he met the minister throughout last week and the issue is “dead, his removal or suspension is dead, I can confirm that.”

He further explained that the president’s action was informed by the constitution and the 2008 Federal Service Rules, which guide the conduct of public servants.

He said going by the law, “public servants are not barred from owning shares in public or private companies provided they are not directly managing or are not directors in the company.”

The 2008 Federal Service Rules Chapter 4, states that “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.”

His position was corroborated by a senior presidential aide, who told this paper on phone, preferring not to be named that “everyone can carry his cross. As far as I know, it’s dead.

“Was it not both of them ( Betta Edu and Tunji-Ojo) who were doing lovey, lovey?

“Now Betta is angry that Tunji-Ojo has denied her,”he stated.

He wondered why the suspended minister expected Tunji-Ojo to swim along with her “in troubled waters” when they were not in the same ministry.

Recall Edu was suspended from office as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation when a memo written by her to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation exposed her request to transfer N585 million to a private account.

Less than 24 hours later, the minister was again exposed for receiving money and paying the same to some staff of her ministry to travel by flight to Kogi State.

Kogi has no airport and the minister refused to explain why she approved over N72 million for a single trip to the state.

The outrage which followed her financial sleaze forced the president to sanction her suspension and she has been undergoing questioning at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before being arraigned in court for prosecution.

Over the weekend, THE WHISTLER gathered that the EFCC is probing Edu and the embattled Coordinator of the suspended National Social Investment Programme Agency, Halima Shehu, over alleged N81.6 billion.

Both Edu and Shehu have so far failed to provide useful explanations to the anti-graft agency about the whereabouts of the N81.6 billion, this paper gathered.

For Tunji-Ojo, the aide said the administration has not seen any law the minister has flouted as extant laws concerning being a public servant and conduct of business not related to government are clear on that.

He confirmed to THE WHISTLER that the president, having heard “directly from the minister, is satisfied” that no infraction has been committed.