By Ilesanmi Babalola | Asiwaju Media Team
Concerns are mounting over the public service performance of the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, following allegations surrounding his academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) credentials, with critics now calling for a comprehensive institutional review of his stewardship.
A Lagos-based law firm, Goodman Che Solicitors, has formally petitioned President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what it described as the refusal of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to release the minister’s service records in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
In a letter dated 19 November 2025 and addressed to the President at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, the firm stated that it was acting on behalf of Igbega Foundation, a civil society organisation that had earlier sought clarification regarding the minister’s NYSC mobilisation, deployment, and service history.
According to the petition, Amofin Solicitors, representing the foundation, had on 5 November 2024 written to the Director-General of the NYSC pursuant to Sections 1 and 3 of the Freedom of Information Act, requesting access to Hon. Tunji-Ojo’s service records. The documents requested reportedly included his WAEC Senior Secondary Certificate (1991) and his Certificate of National Service dated 23 February 2023.
The alleged failure of the NYSC to release the requested records has further fueled public debate and criticism, with several commentators arguing that the unresolved questions surrounding the minister’s credentials necessitate broader scrutiny of his role and performance in office.
Critics contend that public office performance cannot be separated from the credibility of the qualifications upon which appointments and responsibilities are based. They argue that allegations of forged or misrepresented credentials including WAEC, NYSC, bachelor’s degree, and master’s degree certificates, if proven, would raise serious concerns about the integrity of decisions taken while in office and the overall credibility of the institutions involved.
Particular attention has also been drawn to the much publicised fast track issuance of Nigerian international passports, an initiative for which the Interior Minister had previously received widespread commendation. Critics now claim that Nigerian passport holders are increasingly facing heightened scrutiny and entry restrictions in several countries, with the United States frequently cited as a notable example.
According to them, this development has dampened the optimism that once surrounded passport reforms and has intensified concerns about Nigeria’s international image, border security, and internal security framework, all of which fall under the purview of the Interior Ministry.
While emphasising that the allegations against the minister remain unproven, critics insist that transparency, accountability, and adherence to the rule of law demand an independent and lawful review of both the credentials in question and the minister’s stewardship. They argue that public trust in governance depends on openness and the willingness of public officials to subject themselves to scrutiny.
Adding a legal perspective to the debate, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Barrister Usani, SAN, while commending what he described as President Tinubu’s brilliant and far reaching tax reform policies, expressed reservations about the continued involvement of Hon. Tunji-Ojo in sensitive policy areas.
Barr. Usani described the tax reforms as one of the most acceptable policies capable of redefining Nigeria’s economic future but frowned at placing a minister whose integrity is under public scrutiny at the heart of reforms that involve sensitive national data.
He warned that assigning the Interior Ministry, which oversees national identity management, a key role in reforms linking National Identification Numbers (NINs) to banking and tax systems poses serious risks if questions surrounding the minister’s credentials remain unresolved.
“Placing Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in charge of the Interior Ministry, where Nigerians’ NINs will now be linked to banks under the new tax reforms, is dangerous and should be condemned in its entirety,” Barr. Usani said.
He further insisted that until the minister clearly explains the origin of his credentials and backs them with verifiable official records from the relevant institutions, he is unfit to preside over such sensitive national responsibilities.
As of press time, no official response has been issued by Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the NYSC, WAEC, or other relevant government agencies addressing the specific allegations and criticisms raised.
