A company owned by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo allegedly collected the sum of N438.1 million for consultancy services from the money shelled out by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation under the now-suspended Dr. Betta Edu.
The company, New Planet Project Limited was one of the numerous consultants awarded contracts from N3 billion given out by the suspended minister for the National Social Register contract.
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 paid 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 received N275.8 million.
“Other companies that benefitted from the N3 billion 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-N277m.
“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, 2005 got 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.
An ex-aide of the interior minister, identified as Thalis Apalowo, is said to be the National Programme Manager, Grant For Vulnerable Groups, Thalis Apalowo in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. Tunji-Ojo is believed to have lobbied for him to be given the role.
Apalowo was a 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,” a 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.
