The past came to haunt ministerial nominee Dr Bosun Tijani yesterday as he faced the Senate for his screening.
With Senator after Senator reading out the #ENDSARS protester’s old scathing tweets on the ruling/political class, an apparently contrite Tijani apologised to the Red Chamber and Nigerians and said he acted in anger.
Some of the senators asked him whether he still stood by those tweets, one of which directly impugned the image of the country and another in which he labeled Senators as “morons.”
Tijani said the tweets were largely taken out of context and were made during times of tremendous frustration.
Senator Fatai Buhari (APC – Oyo North) referred him to one of the tweets in which he said: “Nigeria is a bloody expensive tag to have against your name. Leave patriotism for a minute – that tag is a bloody waste of energy. A second foreign passport isn’t sufficient to clean that ‘sin’.
The Senator then posed the question: “Is that still your position or have you changed your mindset? Nigerians need to know.”
Tijani in response said that particular tweet was borne out of the frustration he went through while trying to get a visa from the Chinese Embassy.
He said: “Thank you for asking that question, Senator Buhari, and I will want you to listen to me as if I am your son, because I will speak from my heart, because everything I say today can be proven.
“I have spent the last 15 years of my life going across the world looking for people to support people who believe they can use technology to uplift this world.
“Every time you get to the lobby of my offices, you will find an artwork and embedded in the centre of the artwork is the Nigeria flag.
“In 2019, as a sequel to what I did with Google, the business I do with young people requires that they raise money, and their ability to raise money relies on investors from abroad, and I did everything possible to ensure that I built an office that is fully domiciled in Nigeria.
“In the technology space, people hardly domicile their businesses in Nigeria, but I domiciled my business in Nigeria.
“We decided to improve Nigeria’s opportunity to be able to raise more funds for Nigeria and we needed to do a tour of the whole world, and we didn’t just want to do it as Nigeria but as Africa.
“So, I opened up 15 slots. This whole trip was paid for by Google, and nothing came to me. We gave eight of the slots to Nigerians because I have a second citizenship, which is a British passport.
“I was in the UK and I was trying to apply to the Chinese Embassy because I do not need a passport to other countries of the world.
“I got to the Chinese Embassy and they told me that it would take two days to get my Chinese visa, and I was very excited.
“They asked me what I do and that I needed to provide my pay slip. I told them I run my business and they requested my bank account statement. I told them my business is fully domiciled in Nigeria.
“The moment I told them my business was domiciled in Nigeria, the young man told me they had to do a check on me, which would take a minimum of two weeks.
“In anger, I tweeted what you read, which was paraphrased wrongly, and now I have a taste of what the youths do to you as well. The tweet you read is just the first part of the tweet.”
Tijani further pleaded with the lawmakers that he was only a victim of misinformation.
He added that the second part of the tweet explicitly read: “For us to lift this country, we must find a way to correct our image to project a positive image, because I don’t want my two young girls to grow up to experience the same thing.
“What they have given you is the first screenshot which is convenient for them,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwon, asked Tijani to explain what he meant in one of his tweets where he referred to Senators as “morons.”
At this point, Senate Leader Bamidele rose to Tijani’s defence, saying the tweet in question reflected Tijani’s past position as a leader of the #ENDSARS protest and his age as a youth.
He said his own two daughters who were born in the United Kingdom during his law practice there also joined the ENDSARS protest on their return to Nigeria to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
He said he was sure that children of some of his colleagues also joined the protest at the time.
He asked his colleagues to see the nominee as a son who was nominated by Tinubu who had been accused of sending soldiers to shoot protesters at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos.
Also speaking, Senator Solomon Adeola said if Tijani was given an opportunity to apologise over his past utterances through tweets, he would be willing to do so.
He added that Tijani must have spoken through youthful exuberance and therefore he should be allowed to apologise.
In his contribution, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said: “Even people are disappointed with the way Nigeria’s image is being battered in the international community. But since then you have made effort to correct the image.
“You have brought Zuckerberg, Gates and you are doing a lot of things to bring young Nigerians to go into IT business for them to make money from there to sustain themselves, and you are very determined to make sure that your young children grow up to be proud of their identity as Nigerians so that what you suffered internationally should not be meted out to them and that the image of this country must be corrected.
“So, when Mr President gave you this opportunity, we are very happy, and this is now even a higher platform for you to come in and help change that image and also have to change Nigeria.”
In his response, the nominee, Tijani, said: “As a Yoruba boy that grew up in Lagos and Abeokuta, I do understand that we are not meant to disrespect our elders. That is not the training we were given.
“My father won’t be proud of me for all these allegations. But what he will be proud of as well is the passion that led to those mistakes.
“I apologise to everyone in this hall, including everyone anywhere in Nigeria that may have been offended by everything I’ve said.
“I ask that you please, in the process of accepting my apologie that you look at the undertone of everything I’ve said. I didn’t say it to spite. I said it out of frustration. So, please, accept my sincere apologies.
“Distinguished Senators, please accept my apologies for going too far in my explanation. I’m absolutely sorry for everything I’ve said.”
In his response, Akpabio said: “Senators, we are all fathers. Our children do err and we cannot throw away the baby with the bath water.
“We recognise his intellect, contribution. We thank the President for being a forgiving father despite all these tweets.
“On behalf of the Senate, I want to accept your apology. Keep up the good work of creating opportunities for young people to grow so that they will not be having the kind of anger that made you to make all those tweets.”
Tijani read Economics at the University of Jos where he also obtained a Diploma in Computer Science.
Besides, he has a Masters’ degree in Information Systems and Management in 2007 from the Warwick Business School in England and completed a Ph.D. programme in Innovation and Economic Development at the University of Leicester.
Tijani is the CEO and co-founder of Hub. He has led the expansion of CcHub across Nigeria, Kenya, and more recently, Namibia.
Also screened yesterday by the Senate were Dr Iziaq Salako (Ogun), Lola Ade-John (Lagos), Prof Tahir Mamman (Adamawa) and Uba Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba).
The Senate however deferred the screening of Mr Festus Keyamo (Delta) and Dr. Mariya Mahmud Bunkere (Kano) to another legislative day to enable them process their documentation.
Salako, a medical doctor, while answering questions from the Senators, called for improved funding in the health sector and pledged that if he saddled with the responsibility to oversee the health ministry, he would be an advocate of infrastructural development in health sector in Nigeria.
The nominee also described the issue of brain drain in the health sector as a very big problem in Nigeria.
He lamented that about 50 per cent of his colleagues who graduated from the same university are now practising abroad.
Professor Tahir Mamman , a former Director General of the Nigerian Law School, said it is better to keep the office of Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice together as one to allow for seamless operation.
“It is better the position of AGF and Minister of Justice is retained in unity rather than separated so that synergy, interface and oversight can be seamless, minimise human issues for the office to thrive,” he said.
He said though the Constitution allows for flexibility termed forum shopping, “human factor, litigants and lawyers subject it to abuse. But there are steps now being taken to address the abuse.”
He insisted that the use of technology is a way out as multiple filing of cases across courts will easily be uncovered. “It should be national, not in isolated cases as we have now.” he said.
On early resolution of election cases, he said even though “the parliament has worked well on that, why it lasts so long can also be addressed.”
‘The best is yet to come,’ Maryam Shetty speaks on withdrawal of her nomination
Dr. Maryam Shetty, who was dropped on Friday as a ministerial nominee, said yesterday that it was a divine will and that her best days lay ahead.
“To some, this could seem like a setback, but my faith as a devout Muslim guided my understanding. I saw it as the divine will of Allah, who I believe grants power as He wishes, when He wishes. His plans are always superior to ours,” she said in a statement on her Facebook wall.
In the write up entitled My Journey of Nomination, Withdrawal, and Hope: A Personal Account Shetty said: “I have found myself at the centre of a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s political landscape.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a move that brought me immense honour, chose me as a ministerial nominee. Coming from the traditional, conservative regions of northern Nigeria, this represented a significant stride towards a more inclusive national representation.
“The sheer joy and pride I felt at my nomination were beyond words. It was a validation of my capabilities, a nod to my vision, and a sign that our great nation was ready to embrace a future where young women like me, even from the most traditional parts of Nigeria, can hold positions of influence and power.
“Yet, life, with its characteristic unpredictability, led to the withdrawal of my nomination. To some, this could seem like a setback, but my faith as a devout Muslim guided my understanding. I saw it as the divine will of Allah, who I believe grants power as He wishes, when He wishes. His plans are always superior to ours.
“Even with this unexpected twist, my gratitude to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for considering me for such an esteemed position remains undiminished. The journey doesn’t end here; I believe this is a mere stepping stone, the best is yet to come. My resolve to serve my beloved country, Nigeria, in any capacity I can, is stronger than ever.
“I would like to assure my incredible supporters that this is not an end, it is the dawn of a new era. I urge all of us to continue praying for our nation and to stand behind our president as he strives to better Nigeria. Together, let’s press ahead united under our #WEBELIEVE campaign.
“It would be unfair of me here if I fail to acknowledge and appreciate the overwhelming support from international organisations and community, a lot have reached out and I am completely dazed by it all.
“My nomination may have been withdrawn, but my hope is unwavering. As I have often stated, ‘Hope is not lost; maybe I will come back again.’ This phase of my life has instilled in me a deeper sense of resilience, faith, and the value of service beyond titles and positions. It has reaffirmed my belief in the potential for change and in the inherent greatness of Nigeria. The dream is still alive, and my commitment to our nation remains steadfast.
“As we move forward, I pray for the good health and strength to our President Baba Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima.
“May Allah continue to bless our great nation, The Federal Republic of Nigeria! #webelieve!”