Tag: Tunji-Ojo

President Bola Tinubu has felicitated with Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on the occasion of his birthday, praising him for his sterling credentials and dedication to public service.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu commended the Minister for his vigour and commitment to his office, noting the visible reforms in the ministry and its institutions.

The statement described Tunji-Ojo as one of the propitious examples of youth in government, having successfully run for public office twice to represent Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency of Ondo State in the House of Representatives.

“President Bola Tinubu warmly congratulates the Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on the occasion of his birthday.

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“The Minister holds sterling credentials as an ICT and engineering professional, and public policy expert.

“He successfully ran for public office twice to represent Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency of Ondo State in the House of Representatives, and has remained one of the propitious examples of the youth in government.

“President Tinubu commends Mr. Tunji-Ojo for the vigour and dedication he has brought to his office as Minister of Interior, noting the visible reforms in the ministry and in the institutions under the ministry.

“The President wishes the Minister renewed strength and success in his service to the nation, while urging him not to relent in his endeavours,” the statement reads. 

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo on Friday, April 19, test ran the electronic gates (e-gates) mounted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,  asserting that the job is 99 percent done.

The e-gates, he said would be deployed for operations by next week. 

The infrastructure is capable of screening a passenger within a minute on the application of the passenger’s data page on its scanner. 

Tunji-Ojo was accompanied on the exercise by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry,  Dr Aishetu Ndayako and the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap amongst other top government officials. 

He said the e-gates are being deployed to eliminate human interfaces, reduced bureaucracy and make movements of Passengers in and out the country seamless.

The minister said 29 of the e-gates would be deployed in Lagos Airport, 4 in Enugu and Kano while Portharcourt would have 5.

He disclosed that the Airport infrastructures and Command and Control Centres have been subjected to different tests with fake and expired Passports, and they were all rejected, while genuine Passports were cleared. 

Tunji-Ojo said: “With this massive infrastructures, we believe that no unwanted persons or persons of interests can find their ways into Nigeria. Our security through the Airports and in the Airport domains are guaranteed. 

“It is a testimony to what Mr President told us from day one on his Renewed Hope Agenda. 

He asked us to change the narratives and make passengers movements in and out of the country seamless. 

Read Also: Fight against corruption, a collective responsibility, says Tunji-Ojo

“You can see that we have all our team here working in synergy with the authorities of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders. 

“I must at this point commend the Minister of Aviation, Hon Festus Keyamo (SAN) and other critical stakeholders who have made this transformation possible.”

The minister reiterated the commitment of the present administration to make life easier for the citizens in all spheres of life, insisting that the on going reforms in the Nigeria Immigration Service were meant to ensure the safety and security of the citizens. 

He also praised President Bola Tinubu for the support he gave regarding the on going reforms, describing the infrastructures provided for the reforms as massive and unprecedented. 

The minister of interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has said that the fight against corruption should be a collective one with a focus on prevention and detection mechanisms by all stakeholders.

Tunji-Ojo said such collaboration by all stakeholders would help Nigeria overcome its security challenges because corruption has been a major threat to security.

He made the remarks at the headquarters of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja when he led the leadership of the ministry and its agencies on a visit to the anti-graft body.

Read Also: Tinubu didn’t appoint me as Ondo political leader, says Tunji-Ojo

Tunji-Ojo said his visit became imperative given the urgent need to address corruption as a major threat to security, describing the visit as a strategic partnership with ICPC to tackle corruption head-on.

The minister in a statement signed by the director of press in the ministry, Ozoya Imohimi, emphasised the need for proactive measures to combat corruption.

He advocated not only for a strategy for the detection of corruption at an early stage but also for preventive mechanisms to stamp it out of the system.

Recognizing the critical role of capacity building, the Minister highlighted the need for knowledge transfer in tandem with the ICPC mandate.

The chairman of the ICPC, Musa Adamu Aliyu, acknowledged the Ministry’s vital role in Nigeria and affirmed unwavering support towards shared objectives.

He emphasised the need for the deployment of technology in anti-corruption efforts across the country.

Minister of Interior Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has debunked media reports that President Bola Tinubu appointed him as Ondo political leader. 

He said in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media, Alao Babatunde, that there was no iota of truth in the reports. 

The statement reads:”It has come to our attention that a news article circulating on Blueprint newspaper, titled “Tinubu appoints interior minister political leader in Ondo,” claiming that the Minister of Interior, Hon. (Dr) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has been appointed as the political leader in Ondo state by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We would like to categorically state that this report is entirely baseless and fictitious.

” The Minister of Interior, Hon. Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, completely disassociates and distances himself from the purported appointment, as it holds no truth whatsoever. There has been no meeting held with all the local government APC chairmen and leaders in Abuja, as alleged in the article.

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” While the Minister is aware that the party’s governorship primary election is days away, he has advised aspirants to embrace the spirit of love and sportsmanship. 

” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), as the father of the nation and as the leader of the party, is a democrat whose interest is always to promote unity and peace and would not be involved in any action that will undermine that.   

“We urge the public to disregard the misinformation contained in the viral news article and to always rely on credible sources for accurate information.”

The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said on Friday, March 22, that President Bola Tinubu’s resolve to ensure that Nigeria’s borders are safe and secure is not a rhetoric.

Speaking at the Headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) during the inauguration of 30 operational vehicles for border surveillance, the minister said President Tinubu believes that a porous border would be detrimental to the peace and security of the country.

He said to secure the country and end the current security challenges, the president is committed to providing the right leadership, equipment, welfare and all that is needed for the Nigeria Immigration Service to do its duty diligently and effectively.

Tunji-Ojo said: “The Nigeria Immigration Service is important to the national security architecture of the country. It is first in a line of support and defence for the national security agenda, particularly from the perspective of making our borders safe and secure.

“The President is happy about your proposal on surveillance and security of our borders. I am also happy because protecting borders and making sure Nigerians can sleep with their eyes closed is a priority of the present administration.

“Once our borders are protected, internal threats can easily be dealt with, so the time for rhetoric is over. It is time for action. The security and protection of our borders is now. The current insurgency and other security challenges are a wake-up call, and it will soon be over.

“Mr President will never leave the NIS stranded. In terms of support, equipment, welfare, and other facilities that will make your jobs easier, Mr President will be there for you. Therefore, you must do your part and do it diligently and effectively.

“I am not pleading with you to do your part, but I trust you will do it. The NIS is 61 years old, Mr President will not come to do your jobs for you, I will not go to the airports or the borders to do your jobs for you. But I trust you will do your part to make the nation proud,” Tunji-Ojo asserted.

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In her remarks, the Comptroller-General of NIS, Mrs Kemi Nanna Nandap said the inauguration of the operational vehicles was “a tangible effort to enhance the security and integrity of our nation’s borders in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

“As Comptroller General of Immigration, I am acutely aware of the imperative role that effective border surveillance and patrol play in safeguarding our sovereignty, protecting our citizens, preserving our economic prosperity as well as facilitating regular, safe, and orderly migration,” the CG said.

According to her, the 30 new vehicles represented a concrete investment in the capacity of the Service as it would provide officers with the tools needed to carry out their duties.

She said: “The acquisition of these vehicles underscores our unwavering commitment to border security and our determination to stay one step ahead of those who seek to undermine our laws and threaten our safety.

“With enhanced mobility, our border patrol teams will be better equipped to detect and deter illegal activities, including smuggling of migrants, trafficking in persons, and other transnational crimes.

“This investment in Border Security will be complimented with a rejig of our Border Corps architecture to include agile Sector Commanders to carry out consistent surveillance and patrol of our border in line with our core mandate.”

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has said that he was not backing any of the aspirants seeking the party’s nomination ahead of the November governorship election in Ondo state.

Tunji-Ojo said he was after stability in the politics of Ondo state.

The minister said he would pitch a tent with any candidate that has the backing of the party’s hierarchy.

He spoke through the Asiwaju Mandate Group (AGM), a political pressure group, which sought to find a common ground for victory without bias toward any governorship aspirant within the APC fold.

Director General of the AGM, Muyiwa Asagunla, who spoke at the unveiling of the group in Akure, said Tunji-Ojo’s purpose was to ensure unity and cohesion of the party after the primary.

Asagunla stated that Tunji-Ojo made it clear that the group would not canvass support for any aspirant.

He said: “The political atmosphere of the state was becoming so tense and he (Tunji-Ojo) needs to speak that he is not behind any aspirants. He made it clear that this group is not and will not be behind any aspirant.

“We have personalities here supporting different aspirants. They are from the camps of different governorship aspirants. People have seen that the Minister is unbiased about it. What he is after is that we have stability in the politics of Ondo State. When the party speaks, that is the candidate we are going to pitch our tent with. As of today, we are for all the aspirants and at the same time we are not for any of the aspirants.

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“We believe that politics and elections in Ondo state substantially dictate the direction of things in the general elections in the country and hence the need to have a formidable and pro-people governor and government come November when the Ondo State Gubernatorial election will hold.

“As a group, we will be more confident and self-reliant in cultivating the features of sincere political diplomacy.

“Our state’s development and rejuvenation will always be based on our own efforts, and the future of the people of the state will always be in our own hands.

“We will remain firm in pursuing the independent campaign of peace, and resolutely safeguard the sovereignty of the state from hijackers toward a more robust national dignity.

“As we birth this group, we will be open and inclusive and conduct consultations with a broad vision. We will consolidate and expand our collective network of partnerships, promote a new type of communal relations, and promote mutual respect and mutual learning between civilizations and development, between the government and the governed.

“The group will uphold fairness and justice in the countdown to the political party’s primaries and further establish the ethos of collectiveness. We will practice true multilateralism, and promote greater democracy in relations.

“We will be more unequivocal on issues of principle concerning the legitimate rights and interests of the people of Ondo state primarily and nationally.”