TheCable

The Renewed Hope Collective (RHC), a group, has called on President Bola Tinubu to protect Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior because of the reforms that he is carrying out.

In an open letter addressed to Tinubu on Tuesday, Umar Sanda, chairman of RHC, said “passport cabals” are after the minister.

BACKGROUND

Recently, a leaked document showed that New Planet Project Limited, a company founded by Tunji-Ojo got a N438 million consultancy contract from the ministry of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation.

Owing to the development, the interior minister’s name was mentioned in the alleged corruption scandal rocking the humanitarian ministry.

On Monday, Tunji-Ojo said he had resigned from the company since February 2019 when he was elected as a lawmaker in the house of representatives.

The company was registered on March 3, 2009 at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) – 10 years before he was first elected as a member of the house of representatives.

The group in its open letter to the president said Tunji-Ojo incurred the wrath of the “passport cabal” through his reforms of easing passport issuance to Nigerians.

“The moment the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the bold decision to appoint Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as Minister of Interior and the minister declared his intention to implement the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda without fear or favour, we knew he would get into trouble,” the letter reads.

“Tunji-Ojo belongs to an unenviable select group of change-makers who predictably would incur the wrath and ferocious resistance of the sectorial cabals profiting from the existing modus operandi in dire need of cleansing.

“The minister reminds one of the late Chief Bola Ige, who promised to “turn stone into bread” in the power sector, having been appointed minister of power by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“Both his talk and walk suggested that he was, indeed, going to turn things around, but the powerful and desperate energy sector cabal frustrated his efforts until he was eased out.

“Another go-getter who had to fight her sectorial cabal tooth and nail was the late Prof. Dora Akunyili when she was the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

“There was nothing the cabal in the food and drug sector didn’t do either to sabotage her effort or eliminate her. Death threats, charms and attempted assassinations were regular occurrences just because the woman was determined to rid Nigeria of fake products.

“The cabal has been making a mountain of the molehill of the alleged involvement of New Planet Project Limited in the award of contracts by the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu.

“Indeed, Tunji-Ojo founded the company 10 years ago, but he resigned from directorship in 2019 when he contested for the House of Representatives and has not been involved in the Management of the company since.

“The Renewed Hope Collective (RHC) wants the public to know that it’s the Passport Cabal that is behind the campaign of calumny against Tunji-Ojo! Nothing more, nothing less.

“We urge President Tinubu, GCFR, to remain focused and steadfast in the implementation of this Renewed Hope Agenda, but to be mindful of beheaded snakes in the system who do not wish him and the country well!

“The President who sent him on this mission for renewed hope MUST protect him from a monstrous cabal that threatens to swallow him alive.”