*Minister is not involved in any crime, it’s corruption fighting back – Minister’s aide
Protests erupted in Abuja as youths demanded the resignation of the Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, over allegations surrounding his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
The protesters, who marched to the NYSC headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, made strong allegations against the minister, claiming that the minister’s NYSC Discharge Certificate is fake and therefore, not qualified to hold public office .
The protest on Wednesday was led by Comrade Isaiah Davis Ijele, a civil society activist, who is also demanding the immediate resignation of the interior minister insisting that there should be no sacred cows in government office.
The group have alleged that Tunji-Ojo’s NYSC Discharge Certificate, presented when he was nominated, screened and confirmed as minister, contains irregularities or may be forged.
However, an aide to the minister dismissed the claims as the handiwork of disgruntled contractors and their collaborators who wanted to engage in business as usual in the ministry, which is no longer tenable.j n
This claim centers on questions about the timing of his NYSC mobilization, the late issuance of his discharge certificate, and whether all procedures were properly followed.
Tunji-Ojo’s service records, including claims that he was first mobilized into the NYSC in 2006, later absconded, and was then remobilised with discharge documentation ready only years later.
NYSC and other agencies have responded to press queries, but details about the sequence of events are still points of debate.
The protesters explained that in early 2024, Dr. Betta Edu, then Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, was suspended by President Bola Tinubu amid allegations of financial misconduct involving the use of public funds, including directing a large transfer of government money to a private bank account linked to a staff member, which critics said violated public service rules.
A company named New Planet Project Limited was reported to have received approximately ₦438 million from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs for “consultancy services” under Betta Edu’s leadership.
The payment was improper and part of a broader misuse of public funds tied to Betta Edu’s ministry.
New Planet Project Limited was at one time co-founded by Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior and his wife, raising concerns about a conflict of interest.
This matter also has since been swept under the carpet, without appropriate public investigation agencies instructed to verify the claims.
These are the reasons the civil society hit the streets of Abuja to demand his suspension, insisting that no one is above the law .
Controversy surrounds Tunji-Ojo’s NYSC certificate, issued in 2023, despite him allegedly completing his service in 2020.
Critics argue that this is a clear case of forgery and abuse of power.
The NYSC has however, confirmed the certificate’s authenticity, but the protesters remain unconvinced, citing discrepancies in the certificate’s issuance date and signature.
On his part, an aide to the minister, who would not want to be named since he was not authorized to speak on the subject matter, exonerated the Minister of all the allegations.
He threw back the allegations and the putting together of the so-called civil society groups to “the handiwork of unscrupulous elements both within and outside the ministry as well as contractors who feel shortchanged since oga insisted that due process must be followed in all activities in all the parastatals in the ministry.
“So, what you witness is corruption fighting back with terrible smear propensity,” she stated.
Nonetheless, the Civil society groups are calling for an independent investigation into the matter, urging President Bola Tinubu to take appropriate action.
