A company owned by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, New Planet Project Limited, has purportedly received a total of N438.1 million from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation under Betta Edu for consultancy services.
Documents sighted by PLATFORM TIMES indicate that New Planet Project Limited was among the consultants awarded contracts from the N3 billion disbursed by the suspended minister for the National Social Register project, designed for cash transfers and other social investment programs.
Initially paid N279 million for verification purposes and an additional N159 million for the same task, the company, whose directors include the interior minister and his wife, Abimbola, has come under scrutiny for its involvement in a project financed by public funds.
However, this action raises concerns about a potential conflict of interest, as it appears to contradict the Nigerian Constitution and Code of Conduct law. Sections 5 and 6 of the Code of Conduct law prohibit public officers from engaging in positions of conflict of interest and participating in businesses other than farming.
Other beneficiaries of the N3 billion contract include Fabunmi Olanipekun & Co. (N419.5 million), Vintsolve Global Consult (N558.8 million), Periscope Consulting (N277 million), Blue Trend Enterprise (N277.8 million), Laitop Dynamics Interlink Services (N277 million), Memak Nigeria Limited (N277 million), MC Van Management Consult Limited (N275.8 million), and Danzinger Nigeria Limited (N275.8 million).
A Twitter post by an individual named Ude revealed that all the contractors claimed to have verified 11 million homes in Nigeria within one month, raising questions about the credibility of the verification process.
Sources suggest that the interior minister may have secured the contract through his former aide and coordinator of the National Programme Manager, Grant For Vulnerable Groups, Thalis Apalowo. Apalowo, previously a legislative aide to Tunji-Ojo, allegedly played a role in lobbying for his appointment as the coordinator.
In related developments, PLATFORM TIMES had previously reported on Betta Edu’s ministry approving funds for flight tickets and airport taxis for her team from Abuja to Kogi State, despite the latter having no airport. President Tinubu has since suspended Edu and ordered an investigation into the alleged fraudulent activities of the minister.
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