A ministerial nominee, Bosun Tijani, who called Nigerian lawmakers ”morons” has been forgiven by the Senate despite his controversial tweet.
Tijani, one of the ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu on Saturday came under fire of the Nigerian Senate when they reminded him of a controversial tweet he made in 2021, calling members of the Red Chamber “morons.”
Another tweet from April 21, 2021, by the nominee had read, “Who conducted the security check on him when he was appointed? What sort of checks are done by the @NGRSenate when they confirm appointees. And the media…question for another day. Until we ask the right questions, these morons will continue to take us for granted.”
Tijani tendered the apology while answering a question posed to him by Senator Abdulfatai Buhari representing Oyo North Senatorial District when he appeared at the hallowed Red Chamber for screening on Saturday..
Tijani is the CEO and co-founder of Hub. He has led the expansion of CcHub across Nigeria, Kenya, and more recently, Namibia.
Senator Buhari while questioning the nominee read the exact tweet that had gone viral, saying, “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.”
“Is that still your position or have you changed your mindset, Nigerians need to know,” Senator Buhari questioned.
The 46-year-old, in response, told the lawmakers that he made that tweet out of frustration over what he experienced while trying to get a visa from China.
“I tweeted in anger,” the ministerial nominee from Ogun State admitted.
Speaking further, Bosun said, “I want my two young girls to grow up and be proud Nigerians.
“What they’ve given to you is that it’s just a screenshot of the first one, which is convenient. I’m very passionate about Nigeria, as I’m standing in front of you.
“I’m standing here with you today because people know me for the work I have done.
“Not because of my father or mother, because they are both late. I do not have political connections. I am extremely passionate about Nigeria.
“I am not what is being represented online.”
The nominee explained that he had been at the forefront of displaying patriotism through the work he does for the Nigerian Youths and the tech guru 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 proved.
“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’d find an artwork, and embedded in the centre of the artwork is the Nigerian flag.”
He explained, “In 2019, 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.”
Tijani said that in 2019, “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 citizen 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 visa and I was very excited.”
He further stated that things went South for him the moment he mentioned that his business was based in Nigeria and it was at that point that he made the tweet.
Tijani noted, “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.”
Tijani further pleaded with the lawmakers that he was only a victim of misinformation.
He added that the second part read explicitly mentioned, “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.”
The nominee holds two degrees from the University of Jos; a B.Sc in Economics and a Diploma in Computer Science.
He also obtained a Master’s 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.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio after Tijani, the CEO and co-founder of CcHub, had profusely apologised to the lawmakers over his derogatory comments, announced ”Senate has forgiven you.”
”We know how our children behave. Children could display youthful exuberance. But then, we have to tolerate and forgive them of their excesses.
”“We are all fathers and we cannot throw the baby away with the bath water…On behalf of the Senate, I want to accept your apology,” Akpabio said and asked the nominee to take a bow. Akpabio stated.
Earlier, Senator Ishaku Abbo, representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, had defended Bosun, saying that the nominee tweeted out of a mixture of frustration and love for Nigeria.
Also, Senator Solomon Adeola from Ogun West Senatorial District defended the nominee from his state, saying his “youthful exuberance” and “shortcomings” should be forgiven.
Similarly, Senate Majority Leader representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Opeyemi Bamidele, described Tijani as an “EndSARS protester”.
Bamidele said his daughter also protested police brutality and extrajudicial killings in October 2020.
He said Tijani was trying to speak for his generation and should not be haunted.
The Senate Leader said Tinubu wants to work with young people like Tijani to harmonise their ideas for the betterment of the country.
Bamidele asked youths to learn from Tijani’s situation and thereafter urged his colleagues to forgive the nominee.
