The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has addressed the absence of the Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo during a scheduled appearance over allegations of a N438 million fraud involving the minister.
The Minister’s company was summoned before the Bureau on Tuesday to provide insights into his connection with the company amid accusations that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development awarded a controversial N438 million consultancy contract to the said company.
Dr. Sebastian Gwinmi, the CCB’s Director of Intelligence, Investigation, and Monitoring, clarified the situation, stating that the Minister did not refuse to appear. Gwinmi told Abuja City Journal that the Minister had valid reasons for his inability to attend and had officially requested the Chairman of the Bureau to excuse him on that day while seeking an alternative date.
He said the Minister “did not refuse appearance. He had genuine reasons advanced for his inability to appear and had officially requested the Chairman of the Bureau to excuse today and grant him another date. The chairman will approve a new date for him to appear.”
The allegations of a N438 million fraud have not only cast a shadow on the Minister’s reputation but have also raised broader concerns about the efficacy of anti-corruption efforts and the transparency of investigations involving high-profile individuals.
