Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo: Toast to distinguish lawmaker
By Femi SALAKO
Today May 1st marks the birthday of Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo – a thoroughbred Omoluabi, distinguish lawmaker, an exemplary leader whose life is a demonstration that a man cannot be limited by the circumstances of his life and challenges encountered in his sojourn to the top.
Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, popular at the grassroots as BTO, represents Akoko North East/West Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives. He is also the Chairman House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
It is not surprising that he started shining and blazing the trail from the moment he was elected lawmaker even before his inauguration in June 2019 he was already chair of the elected lawmakers across the country. The accomplished businessman and management consultant who sits atop Matrix IT, Planet Projects Limited and other thriving companies as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is resilient, diligent and hard working.
He didn’t allow the circumstances of his childhood stop him, neither did he allow it debar him from focusing on his ultimate goal in life, he knew the importance of education and he wasted no time in pursuing academic excellence from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) Staff Secondary School. He was at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife before the door to a greener pasture opened and he grabbed it with all enthusiasm, landing him in the United Kingdom where attended London Metropolitan University, UK from 2002 to 2006. He also attended Britannia Information Technology Training Academy in UK from 2004 to 2006. He equally attended Smith Health Care in UK from 2002 to 2003.
The same determination and tenacity of character stood BTO out in his career at HSC Bank, Barclays Bank, T-Mobile across Europe. After giving so much value in building organisations in a foreign land, he considered it was time to go back home to add value to the society that made him. He returned to Nigeria and started different channels of business.
His rise to grace from a very humble background is characterised by determination. Despite not having it rosy while growing up, he invested high level of dedication and determination into his pursuit for excellence and it paid off. He clinched the medal of greatness when there was no one to hold his hands and show him the way through the ladder of greatness.
Having worked hard to make his way to the top, he knows what it means to walk through the ladder to attain greatness, and this has influenced his life decisions and actions before getting into public office. Since becoming a lawmaker, his actions have been molded by this experience with the determination to make lives better.
Many have said BTO’s life oozes so much greatness for someone of his age. Well, greatness has no age limit and BTO’s life has proved that. These are the qualities his constituents saw in him when they decided to entrust him with the mandate to represent them at the Green Chamber. 11 months on, he has kept the good faith and delivering on his promises.
Barely three months after he was sworn-in, he rolled up his sleeves and started work to reverse the level of infrastructural decadence that has been the case in Akoko land for decades. Electricity, road rehabilitation, empowerment and attraction of developmental projects to his constituency may sound ordinary, but getting a lot of those things done in less than one year as a lawmaker is a great feat for a first time lawmaker. He has done more for his constituency and by extension Akokoland than those who ran the show before him.
Milestones like these are celebrated amid great fanfare with pomp and pageantry. It calls for roll out of drums and cymbals and generous dispense of gifts and donations to the have nots and the vulnerable members of the society as BTO always do. But the present situation across the world has called for modest celebration but it cannot stop him from doing what he loves to do best, adding value and generously donating.
Here is a toast to more years of greatness for a distinguish lawmaker, philanthropist, leader and role model.
God is just starting with you.