Breaking: Sacked Tinubu’s Aide Breaks Silence, “That Was The Mistake"

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and governance in Nigeria.

FCT, Abuja - Fegho Umunubo, President Bola Tinubu's former special assistant on digital and creative economy in the office of the Vice President Kashim Shettima, has finally addressed the controversy that surrounded his dismissal.

Legit.ng reports that Umunubo clarified why he signed several project agreements without formal approval.

Recall sources in the presidency revealed in September that Umunubo was sacked after being linked to a series of scams in the creative industry, which he allegedly executed under the cover of his presidential office.

Umunubo defends self

But speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday night, October 17, monitored by Legit.ng, Umunubo said he created a system to manage the volume of funding requests from creative industry players. He explained that his team sponsored close to 50 projects.

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He said:

“The number of requests I got in terms of people asking for money was a lot. It was difficult for me to manage everyone, so I created a structure. We said we would support you, but you had to give us 60 working days before money could be released.

“It’s not my money. I had to go out to look for funds to support them.
That’s why I did agreements because I wanted documentation to show, and I used my office to do that."

When asked if he received approval from the vice president, Umunubo admitted he did not. He acknowledged that not informing his principal was his only error, but never initially thought to be anything.

He said:

“That was the mistake I made. For every single thing I did in that office, I had reports submitted.

“People in the Villa knew everything I was doing, but I did not inform my boss that I was giving them these agreements to sign. I did that because I wanted documentation."

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Umunubo added:

“The only mistake I made was not telling my boss that I was giving guys agreements to sign. I didn’t think it was anything, and if I could correct anything, that’s what I would change."

Fegho Umunubo denies fraud allegation

Furthermore, the ex-presidential aide denied all allegations of fraud, insisting that he had documentation for every transaction.

He said:

“I never scammed anyone, siphoned, or embezzled funds. I have every single documentation to back this up. My works and support will speak for me."

Tinubu's key minister resigns

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria's minister of innovation, science and technology Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, resigned just days after allegations emerged that he had forged his academic credentials.

The resignation follows a newspaper investigation that claimed Nnaji submitted falsified certificates to President Tinubu during his ministerial appointment in 2023.

Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga confirmed Nnaji's resignation in a post on X (formerly Twitter), quoting the minister as saying he had been "a target of blackmail by political opponents".

Source: Legit.ng