…cites new facts vindicating the Minister
A front line civil society organisation (CSO), Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 in Abuja, announced that it has suspended its planned protest against the Minister of Interior Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
It should be recalled that the CSO had on Wednesday January 10, 2024 issued a press statement asking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend the Minister of Interior, Honourable Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo with the allegation that a company he founded was involved in executing a contract with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
In a press release duly signed and made available to journalists in Abuja by the CSO’s Publicity Secretary, Comrade Suleiman Musa, the group revealed that the plan to shelve their planned protest was premised on new facts which have exonerated the Minister in the interim.
According to the release, “while we insist that a thorough investigation be carried out, further findings have failed to support the premise upon which our earlier position and planned protest was anchored on. For instance, we discovered that contrary to the allegation, Hon. Tunji-Ojo is no longer an active Director with New Planet Projects Ltd as was alleged, having resigned his directorship and active participation in the said Company since 2019.
“Our organisation regrets its earlier position and has wowed not join any bandwagon to fight against any patriotic citizen or public office holder without substantial facts. We are known to fight injustice and demand transparency and cannot continue to go against our mandate by playing to the gallery”.
While dissociating itself from any media or civil society mob and pledging their unalloyed support to the Minister of Interior, the CSO contended that, it would patiently await the outcome of the investigation empaneled by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ascertain the true situation of the matter, trusting that the panel will do justice to the investigation and due process.
“It should be on record that we are not in any way affiliated to the mob action against the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. We therefore, urge the him to remain focused on his job at the Ministry of Interior where there is a consensus that he is doing a great job. He is unarguably one of the best appointees of Mr. President in terms of verifiable performance and practical value addition to the renewed hope agenda. Without any clear infractions against the law by the Minister, we shall continue to defend him and other high performing public officials who are doing our country proud”, the statement concluded.