Femi Salako
The last two weeks have been weirdly interesting. Laced with sundry necessary controversies regarding the meteoric rising of the Akoko-born sterling law-maker, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. The saga came with weird weavings of losses, lessons, and, of course, incredible offerings, all of which combined to make the development an interesting narrative.
It is true that Tunji-Ojo dumbfoundingly took a rare leap from his seat at the lower (green) chamber to the membership of the national executive council on account of his nomination as a ministerial candidate by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. Agreed, the shades of opinions that have since greeted the unusual rise are warranted; what is not true is for any one, either envious or disgruntled to pontificate that the star boy did not earn what he got.
When a position, particularly a supposedly big deal like a ministerial, is opened for take, a contest is expected, tepid or fierce. And one could not have anticipated that a man would have it seamlessly without a bruise, push or pull, and that is what Bunmi Tunji-Ojo has recieved, either in form of laudations, disapprovals, expressed and implied rancour from the various circles. The commentaries are therefore within the ambit of the game so long they are innocuous.
The trends, as they unfold, were gauged. The temperament of the sources were justly measured and their imports well harvested as materials for future plays.
What has been observed, however, is that, at some layers, some of these criticisms hidden under the cloak of patriotism become helplessly ulterior and acerbic. Or how does one situate defamatory suppositions in the guise of either intra or inter party opposition? That, for sane minds, is a joke taken too far.
Tunji-Ojo cannot be sanctimonious. Yes, not saintly, but faults should be raised where they truly exist, not of phony formation in the name of “anything goes in politics”. The fellow involved plays the refined part of politics. He does not believe in falling one to raise another. BTO, as being affectionately addressed by teeming admirers, works his way through daunting life’s upheavals, learning the curves and fortifying himself with certain esoteric schemes beyond the reach of detractors.
Life, as we all know, can be a pack of pranks on humans; sometimes it turns in ones favour; at other times, it tilts full circle against our pursuits, not because we are insufficient but because it is not in the character of the planet to give all good. That is not to underrate the place of destiny in the dance of nature. After all thesis and theories, what a man has predestined to be he will ultimately become.
Even so, to both praises and praises, the attitude of Olubunmi has been that of faultless equanimity. A new, emerging leader that he is, he accommodates all with impeccable temperance and preaches mutual tolerance as a consummate party man. BTO, who, in no small measure, has put in so much into building and nurturing his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state, is reaching out to all and sundry to allow healthy consolidation of the party and its lustrous achievements.
Before reaching this height, Hon Olubunmi has been a worthy representative of the state, delivering significant dividends to its various parts and exuding all-round finesse through his sterling performances. He cannot afford to go low but even more inspired to exemplify effective leadership and its core essence. Ondo state can only gain more from a fella whose expertise has been about bringing benefits home for his people. Small wonder he is calling on friends and fiends alike to prioritize with him the future of the party in the state, including the ways to achieve improved socioeconomic status for the state.
This, for him, is the ultimate goal for Tunji-Ojo; not any gainless trade. To take Ondo State to greater heights and to defend her interest where and when it matters.He kept nudging those who care to listen that this is the time all hands should be on deck; calling all genuine patriots, party men and women to agree and evolve a happier and greater Ondo State, and to rally President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in his expressed commitment to make Nigeria win at once. This is where BTO stands!
