Journalists shut out as Tunji-Ojo assumes office at Interior ministry

There was a mild drama at the Ministry of Interior on Monday following attempts by security operatives attached to the new Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to shut out journalists, ministry officials and some of the Minister’s guests from the ministry’s Conference Hall.

The event which was the Minister’s assumption of office, saw the Press and Public Relations directorate struggling to take in journalists, succeeding only in paving way for four.

The situation got intense when the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Oluwatoyin Akinlade ordered security operatives to throw out journalists who she had duly invited for the event.

After waiting for over two hours at the Minister’s Waiting Room to see the possibility of interviewing him on his blueprint for the ministry, most of the journalists then decided to stage a walk-out.

Tunji-Ojo, who was initially assigned to the new Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, had arrived at the old federal secretariat at about 2:20pm, more than two hours after the time advertised for the event.

Inside the hall, the minister charged paramilitary service chiefs in the ministry to discharge their mandates in line with extant laws, saying he would hold them accountable for any infraction.

He said; “I am here to work but in working we must have a good environment. The work of this ministry affects everyone whether you are rich or poor.

“I don’t lead from the back, I lead from the front. We will try, we will do our best to provide leadership, built on the foundation of your support.

“I do not inherit enemies and I do not inherit friends. I make my own enemies and I earn my own friends. I am here to make a change and I am here to deliver results and I need you to help me to do that.

“Just as Mr President will hold me accountable for whatever happens in the Ministry of Interior, I will never hold your subordinates responsible for anything; I will hold you responsible for anything that goes wrong”, he added.