The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has chosen not to attend an invitation from the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) regarding an ongoing investigation into an alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers.
Our correspondent, present at the CCB headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, noted that the minister, scheduled for interrogation at 11 am, did not appear between 10 am and 1 pm.
Veronica Kato, the CCB spokesperson, confirmed the development in a telephone interview, stating that the minister’s interrogation would be rescheduled due to his national assignment.
“Yes, the minister’s interrogation has been rescheduled. He wrote, asking that it be rescheduled because he has a national assignment, so it has been rescheduled for a later date,” Kato said.
When pressed for the next scheduled date, she mentioned that there was no specific date yet.
The CCB had invited the minister over his company’s involvement in a ₦438 million contract with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. The company, New Planet Projects, allegedly belonging to the minister, benefited from a contract from the ministry.
Interest groups, including the Coalition of Civil Rights Organisations and Elite Africa, have defended Tunji-Ojo against the allegations, claiming media trial and attributing the accusations to his growing popularity, while alleging political motivations behind the timing of the claims. The groups argue that the allegations lack credible evidence and appear to be a smear campaign rather than a genuine pursuit of justice.
