LMA AWARDS TEAM RECENTLY INTERVIEWED TUNJI OFFEYI AKA BIGSAM. A NIGERIAN AWARD WINNING UK BASE JOURNALIST, POET, LIBERAL POLITICIAN AND FOUNDER OF TUNJI SPEAKS.

I am Tunji Offeyi. I am half Edo half Yoruba. I was born and bred in Lagos,being my mum’s home state,She is an Ijebu by ethnicity,so with my background I am tempted to create a name for my mixed heritage,which I call ‘Ijedo’. Coined from the words Ijebu and Edo.

I started my formative years in my mum’s village called Poka-am told it is a town now, living with my late grandmother a successful merchant named Madam Maria Otufowora alongside two older cousins Tope and Bukky who helped nurse me from infancy. I attended Pobo primary school where I was into sprint.

I always come first in the race category called ‘tiny tots’ which ordinarily was reserved for the junior class but because of my short height I was involved in the race till primary six. Academically I was then a poor student who didn’t concentrate and was only able to read in primary five thanks to my cousin Tope who always bribed me with banana sweet each time I read something. But my first Baptism of fire in life came when I failed primary six everyone put me to shame at that age but I remember one of my Uncles Gboyega who resides in Canada now intervened telling me ‘the downfall of a man is not the end of his life.’ Wao! That was the turning point for me so that I came out overall first in the following year’s common entrance examination.

Getting to Pobuna Secondary Grammar school(PSGS) I never looked back I was always first in class and led the school literary and the debating society and rose to become the editor in chief of the school magazine,president of the society and prior to that I have had leadership stints as timekeeper and deputy senior prefect. I was also a strong supporter of the school football team, although at this stage I wasn’t sprinting anymore based on stronger athletic competitions and talents.

I am passionate about justice and freedom. After graduating from high school my cousin Abimbola Okesanya(I have many cousins) we call him Bimbo. Discovered my interest in good leadership he borrowed me revolutionary books on Dr King and Malcolm X. Also registered me for a human rights organisation then known as integrity or something like that,he literally filled out the form for me saying ‘sign it,this is what you want to do,all well and good then.’

The stage was set when I gained admission to the Lagos state university where  I graduated with BA Literature in English.I was strongly involved in student unionism rising to become the president of ESSA  LASU (English Studies Student Association)and a lawmaker in the faculty of Arts student association simultaneously, my tenure was remembered to be very revolutionary in terms of physical developments of the departmental building and innovations. Looking back I am proud of what we did in that place.

I found myself in journalism  by accident when I had written a poem about then president Obasanjo titled  Aremu is not Foolish.

My former church member-later a boss Frank Meke, simply called Mr Frank liked it and promised to get it published, when we met in  church the following Sunday he showed me the publication in The Week magazine-by the way. The Week was the third best selling magazine in Nigeria at the time. I was asked to join the team,where I rose to become a special correspondent for Lagos. I focused mainly on the entertainment beat as we call it back then,met many VIPs and interviewed stars like I still do mainly online now.

After my NYSC in Bauchi  state I started working towards relocating to the UK. In 2009 I did, on getting to the UK I launched my book titled ECHOES FROM THE SOUL(A collection of poems) at The Albany in London. In 2017 I won Africa4u Outstanding Achievement Award for Africans living in Europe-a prestigious award powered by Tony Tokunbo Fernandez and also gave a speech at the Annual Black History Month Event at the British parliament organized by Tony as well.

I served as a Jury for The Innovations in politics Institute based in Vienna-Austria-helped decide winners for The Innovation in politics award 2017.I received a certificate for this role. I have retrained as a journalist in the UK at prestigious organisations and institutions such as the BBC,Guardian,University of Derby and many more. My highest qualification is MA International Relations from Staffordshire university-a gold standard rated university in the UK. Tunji served as a lecturer teaching Use of English at Social development institute , Ningi -Bauchi State.

My political ambition in the UK meant I aspired unsuccessfully to clinch the  Labour party councillorship ticket in Mitcham. I later joined the Liberal Democrats where I was selected to represent them in Colliers Wood. I was also in the inner Caucus executive meeting weekly at Wimbledon. I dropped out of the election at the 11th hour and relocated to the Midlands due to family reasons. Shortly after relocating to Stoke on Trent  I was appointed by the potteries education trust as a school Governor of The City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College. I have since quit the role to focus on journalism through my initiative Tunji speaks on Facebook/Instagram live and Blogging on tunjiwrites.wordpress.com and I also work in bank insurance. I am married to a Hungarian woman and we are blessed with a son,together we have visited 15 countries and travelled all across the UK.

LEADERSHIP:

Leadership to me is the willingness to serve and making sacrifices for the greater good of the society. A leader must lead by example,live above board at all times. Be free of corruption,favouritism and nepotism. Ideologically I believe in liberalism where all men are free and equal in a just society.