Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has shared a deeply personal story about losing his father during a religious crisis in Kaduna State in 1992, when he was just 10 years old.
Speaking during Youth Forum, a Channels Television special programme to mark President Bola Tinubu’s second year in office, Tunji-Ojo said his father was attacked and killed while returning from church.
“I lost my dad because of issues that had to do with internal security,” the minister said. “My dad was killed due to religious whatever, he was coming from church and was killed in Kaduna in 1992.”
Tunji-Ojo explained that the tragedy changed the course of his life, forcing him to be raised by his mother who had to care for him and his siblings alone.
He described the experience as challenging but added that it shaped his determination to succeed. “It threw me off balance and brought me back to the cradle. It was tough growing up with my mother,” he said.
Despite the hardship, the minister said he committed himself to overcoming life’s difficulties, eventually building a successful business before transitioning into public service.
Speaking on national issues, Tunji-Ojo praised President Tinubu for taking bold steps to reform Nigeria’s economy. He said the President made crucial financial decisions that have helped reposition the country.
“I’m happy that Mr President came and took two decisions. Before Mr President came on board, what we were spending in the present was the future,” he said.
Recalling his time in the National Assembly, Tunji-Ojo added: “Almost 90 per cent of your revenue was going into debt servicing, not even repayment. You cannot spend that much servicing debt and expect to fund growth.”
The minister called for continued support for the President’s reform agenda, noting that the path to long-term economic recovery requires tough but necessary decisions.
