By Peter Adeshina
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ministerial list is made of gems. This is not measured only in terms of intimidating academic credentials, but most importantly on the basis of experience and capability in public service. It places a premium on an important quality required to serve in the federal cabinet: the devotion of one’s entire self to public good. Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo is the personification of that supreme competence and sacrifice.
As the representative of Akoko North East/North West Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, through relentless work for his constituency, marked himself a candidate for further and higher service. These works span across the vital sectors of grassroots representation, from education and health to security and power.
Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, understanding the imperative need for sound education and hence investing in it, facilitated the successful completion of the Akoko Anglican Grammar School. And knowing that in a modern, fast changing world, bankable education does not longer simply mean basic literacy, Hon. Olubunmi brought to standard completion, the ICT Centre at Arigidi Akoko, and the Okota High School Skill Acquisition Centre in the same town.
But not content with just the infrastructure of enlightenment, Hon. Olubunmi integrated into his constituency-rising masterplan, a methodical system of conferring scholarships and assisted funding to the tune of 50 million naira to students and families in need of education but lacking the wherewithal. This is along with comprehensive donations of educational materials to all the public schools within his constituency, the training of six thousand youths in skill acquisition schemes, the enrolment and continued support of students in computer training, and the JAMB registration of over one thousand students.
Hon. Olubunmi demonstrates a brilliant vision and understanding that ensuring security does not only consist of his donation of motorbikes and vehicles to the regional security network Amotekun and the Nigerian Police Force, but that there needs to be a dependable road network with proper lighting for ease of patrol and monitoring. For this reason and a number of others, Hon. Olubunmi facilitated the tarring of the Arigidi to Iye Road, Arigidi to Oke-Agbe Road, Ogbagi Akoko Road, Oyin Oge Road, Ajowa Central Mosque Road, No.4 CAC Road, Micro Finance Road, Ese/Irun Road, and endless others. The visionary furthermore donated a 520KVA transformer to Erusu Akoko and constructed a ten-thousand-litres solar borehole in Ikaram Akoko.
Hon. Olubunmi did not leave healthcare untouched. In his integrated constituency elevation sweep, he donated fourteen ambulances to all the health centres in his constituency for an improved and rapid response to health matters. Olubunmi, in addition to this, had the hospitals provided with multimillions worth of modern health equipment.
Being a cultured son of the soil, Olubunmi did not forget the unique traditional institutions that made his people harmonious and progressive. To this end, he donated two 18-seater buses to the council of traditional rulers in each of the local government areas in his constituency, helping to sustain the honour and imperial class that defines Yoruba royalty and culture.
There is no contestation, therefore, that in Honourable Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Nigeria has found a gem who would give to his country through his ministry, all that he had drawn from his years in the perpetual education of public service.