By Musa Baba Adamu
Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, the nominee from Ondo State and a serving member of the National Assembly, has gotten reprieve, following claims last week that he allegedly forged his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
Some senators who spoke to Senate Correspondents on Monday, described Tunji-Ojo as one of the young people screened by the Senate to join the National Executive Council of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tunji-Ojo was amongst the first set of nominees to appear before the Senate according to his resume seen by newsmen, is an astute administrator and a young politician who chaired the House Committee on NDDC in the 9th Assembly, spearheading a probe that led to a series of reforms in the Commission, as well as compelling the Buhari administration to constitute a new board for the NDDC.
“He is a brilliant mind who has consulted widely in the private sector for notable organisations such as the NNPC, PTDF, World Bank, NCDMB among others.
“He was also the Deputy Director of Policy Research and Strategy Directorate of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council,” a senator told newsmen.
Asked to speak on the controversy surrounding the nominee, the ranking senator who pleaded to be anonymous, dismissed media reports against Tunji-Ojo, describing them as mere political intrigues emanating from other interests within his home state.
According to the senator, “Tunji-Ojo went through the whole process of screening by the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic ad Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), before coming to the Senate, and they didn’t find anything on towards about him, adding that the “young man is one brilliant Nigerian that should be supported and given the chance to serve his people in this new capacity.”
