With Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Renewed Hope Is Not A Fluke 

Men of actions are always people who often are reticent and self-effacing. They rather, their actions would speak for them. The Minister, Hon. Dr. Tunji-Ojo seems to be in that category. A man with measurable milestones is no doubt a blessing to his principal. Suffice therefore to say Hon. Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo is some sort of benison to President Bola Tinubu, GCFR. Little wonder he has been described in many quarters as the ‘poster boy’ of the Tinubu-led administration. From his maiden media interaction, how far has he gone, rolling out his strategic vision for the agencies under his ministry? Can we therefore begin to measure his milestones in juxtaposition with these stated set-goals? How far has he faired with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on the bottlenecks surrounding passport issuance? How about his reform in the area of border porosity or intervention at our major airports in the country? Can we look also at the reforms at the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Fire Service (FFS), Nigeria Correctional Centres (NCC) too? How far, so far?

It is an open and shut fact that the reforms introduced by the Honourable Minister at the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) did not take time before its manifestation. Today, most, if not all the chokepoints in the area of passport issuance, whether in Nigeria or in the diaspora are near extinction. Nigerians do not have to still wait for ages before getting their international passports – whether new or renewal. The unnecessary delays that hitherto characterised its production, the situation that saw Nigerians become vulnerable and objects of exploitation by officials of the agency are now near-zero. A fête even most acerbic critics of the current administration have applauded. Today, Nigerians can procure their passports within 48 – 72hours. Incredible! In recent past, it could take up to 3 months or more to acquire passports before the birth of the Renewed Hope administration. Days ago, the Interior Ministry on March 8 launched the Diaspora e-registration that would henceforth ease passport process for Nigerians in the Diaspora. The Minister promised. The Minister delivered. Who says the Renewed Hope agenda is a fluke? It takes only a thinking head to provide leadership and change the status quo. This, Hon. Dr. Tunji-Ojo has brought into governance.

Public perception is one thing Nigerians have had to grapple with. The average Nigerian is perceived to be morally decadent, especially in the civil service. All hail the late workaholic anti-fake drug czar, Prof. Dora Akunyili who crafted a slogan for the country while holding sway as the Minister of Information of the Federal Republic, “Good People, Great Nation”, all in a bid to ‘launder’ our image positively. Nothing goes for nothing, they would say about Nigerian civil servants. Expatriates and foreign nationals who come into the country have had to face one form of embarrassment or the other all because of some corrupt practices which include bribery. In few days from now, or at a later part of the month, the E-Gates initiative at our international airports will be launched. The pilot scheme will be launched at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja with the remining 4 international airports to follow later. The E-Gates facility and the E-Border Data and Control Centre are meant to reduce human interference that often breeds corrupt tendencies at the airports, providing seamless entrance into the country on one hand. The E-Border on the other hand will enhance national security and downsize service providers that continuously drain citizens’ common patrimony.

How about the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)? The Minister talked about relieving the burden on the Nigerian army through collaborative efforts of the NSCDC. Has he walked the talk? The last time this writer checked, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had new operational vehicles commissioned by the Minister to upscale the mobility of officers on duty. Also, not too long ago, the new Transport and Mining Marshals were inaugurated to combat insecurity on major roads and mining sites. And just 2 weeks back, while attending the International Civil Defence Day celebration, he led the ground breaking ceremony for the CEDOWA Group of Schools, a project of the wives’ association of the agency. This is not to speak about his silent reforms at the Federal Fire Service (FFS) where response time to disaster had improved to 15 minutes. Everywhere you look in the Ministry, you see one impact or the other of the Honourable Minister. Again, I ask, who says the Renewed Hope is a fluke?

A thinking head needs no push. Hon. Dr. Tunji-Ojo came prepared. Not long after he was sworn as a minister of the Federal Republic, one of the very first steps he took was to look into the direction of the country’s Correctional Centres, hitherto called Nigeria Prison Service. There were so many ‘orí yéye ní m’ògún, tàìsè ló pò’ – inmates with bailable offences at the correctional centres across the country. Meanwhile, several public affairs analysts had alluded to the fact the prisons as it were then, were congested and that the need for a revamp of the service was long overdue. Without wasting time, Hon. Dr. Tunji-Ojo in no time got over 4,500 prison inmates with minor bailable offences free! Many who had been languishing in jail, lost hope awaiting trial for years had their hope renewed and were let go courtesy of his leadership prowess. He did this without drawing a kobo from the Federal Government. He would rather generate revenue into the coffers of the country’s purse through appeal for donations from spirited Nigerians who contributed over N500m for the exercise. Do we still say the Renewed Hope is mere talk?

When we rooted for the candidacy of (now) President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, we knew he had (and still has) a knack for discovering talents. The appointment of Hon. Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo is another testament that the Renewed Hope mantra of President Tinubu is not a fluke after all.