Investigations have revealed that a company owned by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, New Planet Project, got N438.1 million from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation under Betta Edu for consultancy services.
The company, was one of the numerous consultants awarded contracts from N3 billion given out by the suspended minister for the National Social Register Contract, according to Sahara Reporters.
The social register was created for cash transfers and other social investment programmes.
In a document posted by the editor of a media platform, Pointblank News, Jackson Ude, Tunji-Ojo’s New Planet Project Limited was initially paid N279 million for verification of the list and another N159 million for the same purpose.
An independent check by SaharaReporters revealed that the firm has the interior minister and his wife, Abimbola as directors.
One Gbadamasi Gbadamasi Clement is also listed as the secretary of the company which was registered on March 3, 2009, with registration number 804833.
The action is however against the Nigerian Constitution and Code of Conduct law.
The Code of Conduct law, in sections 5 and 6, bars public officers from putting themselves in positions of conflict of interest and prevents them from partaking in any business other than farming.
Other beneficiaries of the N3 billion contract include Fabunmi Olanipekun & Co. which got N419.5 million. Vintsolve Global Consult was also paid N558.8 million.
Periscope Consulting got N277 million, Blue Trend Enterprise was N277.8 million, Laitop Dynamics Interlink Services got N277 million, Memak Nigeria Limited was paid N277 million, MC Van Management Consult Limited got N275.8 million while Danzinger Nigeria Limited- N275.8 million.
“Other companies that benefitted from the N3billion contracts are: Blue Trend Enterprise-N277.8million.
“Blue trend, has no record of being registered and the owner is unknown. Periscope Consulting-N277million. Periscope Consulting, with registration number 1053019, registered on July 24, 2012, is owned by one Ngozi Maureen Ojiego, known for Interior Decoration. Laitop Dynamics Interlink Services Ltd-N277million.
“Laitop with registration number 1340092, is owned by one Quburat Bolanle Bolanta. It was registered on June 6, 2016. 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, 2005got N275.8million. Danzinger is owned by one Oladapo Rotimi Mohammed.
“All the contractors claimed they verified 11 million homes in Nigeria under one month,” Ude stated in a Twitter post.
However, a source told SaharaReporters that the interior minister may have got the contract through his former aide and coordinator of the National Programme Manager, Grant For Vulnerable Groups, Thalis Apalowo.
Apalowo served as legislative aide to Tunji-Ojo while he was representing Akoko North Federal constituency at the National Assembly.
“He was the one who lobbied for his appointment as coordinator of programme under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, he is his close aide,” the source told SaharaReporters.
Apalowo was one of the minister’s advanced team who received N2,515,000 for DTA for five nights, local running @30% of DTA, for flight tickets and airport taxis to Kogi — a state with no airport.
SaharaReporters had reported how Edu asked the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein to send public funds to a private account which belonged to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, identified as a project manager by the minister.
The minister had approved that N585,198,500.00 should be disbursed into a personal account.
SaharaReporters also reported on Sunday that her ministry approved funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for her team from Abuja to Kogi State, even though the latter has no airport.
President Tinubu on Monday suspended Edu and ordered an investigation into the alleged fraudulent activities of the minister.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
