The Centre for Leadership Legacy International. Centre LLI, has once again urged President Bola Tinubu to reject any conduct among his cabinet members that could undermine the credibility of his government.
The civil society organisation, CSO, in a statement on Sunday, called on President Tinubu to investigate allegations of certificate forgery against any member of his cabinet, particularly the ongoing controversy surrounding his Minister of Interior, Olubumi Tunji-Ojo.
The statement, signed by the centre’s spokesman, Davies Isaiah Ijele, expressed concern that despite public outcry and repeated calls for an investigation into discrepancies in the minister’s certificates, the government has remained silent.
Recall that the controversy over the authenticity and administrative handling of Tunji-Ojo’s academic and service credentials was first highlighted by an online news platform. It has since dominated public discourse, with analysts alleging government complicity due to delays in responding to calls for a thorough investigation.
However, Ijele cautioned that the growing perception of alleged nepotism and selective application of justice under the Tinubu administration risks eroding public trust in the government’s anti-corruption agenda.
The centre also urged the minister to clarify the controversy surrounding his WAEC certificate, noting that the issuing authority had declined to authenticate whether he sat the WAEC examination, citing its rights under the FOI Act, Section 14 (I).
“Why is WAEC refusing to respond to a simple demand? Why is Ojo himself running from telling Nigerians his WAEC examination CENTRE and WAEC Number?” asked the CSO.
“The minister ought to clear the air by himself and publish his WAEC certificate. I mean, we don’t even need to write to WAEC on a normal day; this information should be supplied by the minister himself.
“Recall that when Dino Melaye was asked to provide his own, he published his details publicly. That is why we said Ojo should come and clear his name,” the statement added.
The CSO further alleged that the government’s response to Tunji-Ojo’s certificate controversy has been characterised by consistent defence and non-escalation, rather than by punitive or investigative measures.
“Others with similar certificate controversies were treated accordingly, asked to resign or sacked; why is the presidency keeping quiet on Tunji Ojo?” it stated.