By Cross Udo, Abuja
Contrary to the report that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, was summoned by President Bola Tinubu over the controversy surrounding alleged financial infractions by the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, a presidency source has denied that the minister was summoned.
The Interior Minister has been linked to some financial transactions with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs through a company he was said to be interested in.
It was alleged that a firm linked to him secured N438m consultancy contract under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The Interior Minister met with the President yesterday afternoon but the agenda of the meeting was not made public.
There were conflicting reports concerning his presence in Aso Villa as some had suggested that he was summoned by President Bola Tinubu to explain the controversy while others maintained that he was there on a routine ministerial visit.
It was not clear whether he met with the president who had to reschedule many of his yesterday’s engagements because of other pressing issues such as emerging developments from Niger Republic where the military junta had released some members of the deposed president’s family from detention.
Apart from the Interior Minister, about three other ministers, Hanatu Musawa (Arts and Creative Economy), Shuaibu Audu (Steel Development), and Adebayo Adelabu (Power) were in the villa but were unable to meet with the president because of his busy schedule.
Sources close to the Minister denied the report that he was summoned.
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However, when asked to comment on the controversy, Tunji-Ojo simply told correspondents: “We are too intelligent to be stupid.”
The Interior Minister had denied any involvement in the N438 million contract awarded to New Planet Project Limited that he co-founded.
He had explained in an interview on Monday night on Channels Television that he was no longer involved in the running of the firm having resigned as a director in 2019.
However, another source hinted that the Minister was summoned by the President to give his account of his involvement in financial transactions with the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu.
Recall that President Tinubu had on Monday suspended the Minister, who was said to be one of the star ministers in his cabinet.
The President also directed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, should carry out a thorough investigation of the alleged financial infractions involving the embattled minister and the ministry.
