Another President Bola Tinubu minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo of the Interior Ministry, has been mentioned in the N44.7 billion scandal rocking the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, which minister, Dr. Beta Edu, has been suspended and is busy defending herself with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ojo was on Channels Television defending himself, struggling to explain how a company he founded and where he was director, but where his wife remains a director, got a huge contract of N438.1 million.
His defence come as an expert told Everyday.ng: Why was EFCC asked to investigate the matter and not ICPC which is an independent body unlike EFCC which is made up of statutory bodies?
His position is corroborated by another who cited the statement by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which seemed to point fingers at elements within the presidency as the major players in the unfolding saga.
Details of some of the contracts in the public domain list New Planet Project Limited, a company allegedly owned by Tunji-Ojo, with registration number 804833, registered on March 3, 2009, got a contract for N438.1million as a consultant for the National Social Register contract to verify 11million homes in Nigeria, carried out in one month.
Other curious beneficiaries are an alleged accounting firm, Fabunmi Olanipeku & Co which got N419.5million, with registration number 2524198, registered in July 31, 2017. The company is allegedly owned by a brother to Wole Olanipekun; Vintsolve Global Consult, with no record of registration and ownership, got N558.8million.
Other companies that benefitted from N3billion worth of contracts are: Blue Trend Enterprise-N277.8million. Blue trend, allegedly has no record of registration and the owner yet to be known. Periscope Consulting got a contract of N277million. Periscope with registration number 1053019 was registered on July 24, 2012, is allegedly owned by one Ngozi Maureen Ojiego.
Laitop with registration number 1340092 allegedly owned by one Quburat Bolanle Bolanta was registered on June 6, 2016 got a N277 million. Memak Nigeria Limited with no known ownership and date of registration got NN277million. MC Van Management Consult Limited with no records of registration also got N275.8million contract while Danzinger Nigeria Limited with registration number 635448, registered on Sep 23, 2005 got N275.8million. Danzinger is owned by one Oladapo Rotimi Mohammed.
All the contractors claimed they verified 11million homes in Nigeria under one month.