Dr Wale Omole, the founder of Tai & Sheila Hospitals and the pressure group, National Problems and Solutions (NPS), currently sojourns in the United States. He is a confidant of the late Tai Solarin, and among the professionals in the Diaspora and Nigeria promoting the ideals, values and principles of the late foremost educationist and social critic. In this interview with KUNLE ODEREMI, Omole speaks on the ripple effects of the reform agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the controversy surrounding the People’s Bank presided over by Solarin going down during the military regime of former military President Ibrahim Babangida.
WHAT significant changes do you think have taken place in the perception about Nigeria in the international community, following the transition of power from President Muhammadu Buhari to incumbent President Bola Tinubu?
The smooth transfer of power from one elected president (Buhari) to another (President Tinubu) without significant bloodshed has been perceived as political maturity for Nigeria. In the general opinion, democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. Significant changes are obviously seen in the area of security. Immediately President Tinubu was sworn in, the dreaded Boko Haram relatively disappeared on Nigerian soil. A relative peace returned to Sambisa Forest in Borno State. The neighbouring countries saw an unusual peace at the borders. The kidnapping and banditry that had been the hallmark of Buhari’s regime drastically reduced. A significant number of Nigerians in the Diaspora, who had been longing to visit Nigeria, but were afraid to come, are now encouraged. They now come to their fatherland with minimum fear or nostalgia. The foreign investors, I believe, are also being encouraged to come in.
Are there aspects of the government policies and programmes that appear to be in the right direction and why?
The world was not unaware of the level of decadence in the polity before President Tinubu came in. Every sane Nigerian was disgusted with many things. The economy was completely down. Looting by the politicians took a higher dimension as never before. National cake was free for all. Common people were pushed to the wall. Brain drain and mass exodus to foreign lands became the first consideration in all things. The latter gave birth to a new Nigerian word ‘japa,’ meaning ‘get out fast.’ The security was zero. Everyone, who could not ‘japa’, was praying for a Messiah to deliver the people. Tinubu came like the much expected Messiah. People are waiting for their Messiah to bring the dividend of democracy very fast. Nigerians are less agitating because they could see that President Tinubu and his team are laying foundation for a better tomorrow. The understanding of this by the people, I believe, is what is responsible for the present peace. Reason being that living is becoming more and more difficult for the ‘mekunnus’. No job, no food, higher fuel prices; Naira lost value in the international market. In conclusion, Nigerians are waiting for their elected Messiah for the miracles that will drop the present national hardship.
Which ones do you feel the authorities ought to have a rethink and why?
The removal of fuel subsidy is another blessing. No government has been able to break the backbones of the few members of the faceless cartel called Independent Marketers, who have been taking trillions from the ages past. However, it may be more glorifying if the subsidiary is paid monthly into a separate Federation Account. This account can be dedicated to special things like health, education, security or this can be dedicated to developing the federal roads throughout the nation. It may also be dedicated to a particular Federal government special project that is dear to government heart and aimed at bringing succour to the people.
After almost eight months in the saddle by the Tinubu administration, is the country moving in the right direction, how and why?
In my opinion I think the government is moving in the right direction. We know a nation’s destruction that has occurred for decades cannot possibly be fixed satisfactorily in four years, not to talk of eight months. Therefore, for the country to remain calm in view of the present palpable high cost of living that has reached its crescendo or elastic limits and yet remains calm is an indication of people’s support for Tinubu’s government. The people’s resilience, however, should not be taken for a ride. After a period of expectation, people may start to throw tantrums at the government. So let the government move faster to reduce the sufferings of the populace.
Again, Nigerians home and abroad see the efforts of the Federal government in trying to bring back the great investors that have moved out of Nigeria due to several reasons, for example, Michelin tyres, Peugeot automobile, among others. These are steps in the right direction.
How best can the country redress the multifaceted crises in the polity, health sector, economy, infrastructure, to name a few? What kind of political will is required to reposition Nigeria?
The only solution to our economic and political problems is to go back to the regional government. Each region shall develop fast. They would generate incomes from their natural resources and develop. Let each regional government control its resources, have its police, generate its power, etc. Tribal and ethnic clashes will reduce. It will also remove obnoxious laws on quota, catchment area and so on. Any national football team that is formed based on quota system can never win world cup, because other nations’ teams are based on best of the best selection. This is why Nigeria governments have been failing consistently from 1966. The Federal Governments under the military or civilians have always been formed based on quotas. This brings brains and brainless people together; illiterates and educated people together. They reason differently; they see things differently. If the brainless happened to be more in the house, nothing will be achieved. They will only become looters and bench warmers. In Nigeria, when in power, politicians or Military may disagree on all things, except bench warming and looting. Regional government answers most national problems. Borrowing and sharing syndrome will reduce. By extension, it will reduce Naira devaluation and increase foreign reserves.
You were a close confidant of the late educationist, Solarin. Do you think this is the Nigeria of his dream while he was alive? What role could he have played if he were still alive?
Solarin died in 1994. His dream was totally different from what is currently happening in Nigeria. He wanted a trimmed population for the country. He showed example by giving birth to two children: one to replace him and the second to replace the wife to keep the population fairly constant. But today, a man fathers as many children as possible. Dr Solarin wanted democracy. That is what we have today. You remember his many protests against the military (The beginning of the end -1974 when Gowon postponed his handover date of power to the civilians). Solarin clamoured for free education at all levels. That is no longer achievable by any Nigerian government. But it is achievable under regional governments.If Dr Solarin were alive today, he would be over 100years in age. What strength would a 100-year-old man have in him? Age might have shut him up completely though he would have remained a gadfly he was known to be.
What is the true story about his leadership of the defunct Peoples Bank of Nigeria, his removal by the Babangida regime and the fall of the bank meant to provide facilities to the ordinary people? The claim in certain quarters is that he was sacked, due to the fraud that culminated into the bank going under?
From generation to generation, busybodies, whose only job is to peddle rumours, exist. They start what they cannot finish. I have read many rumours surrounding Babangida’s appointing Tai Solarin the Peoples Bank chairman and how he sacked him. So much annoying lies fill the air; lies that were sweetly coated! It has been circulating for over two years now. Several people have sent it to me for verification and clarification. Beautiful lies put together by wicked persons. Luckily, General Ibrahim Babangida is still very much alive. He was the Peoples Bank himself. He can attest to all I am going to say here. If any of what I say is false, let him invite me, I shall visit him in person for clarity. I was with Solarin throughout his days in the Peoples Bank. I went with him to several meetings of the bank. Though I did not enter the bank with him, Tai never hide anything from all of us, his close confidants. His appointment to become the bank’s chairman was full of drama. Two times Tai resigned. General Babangida can attest to this.
The true story is that the Peoples Bank project belonged to the late Mrs Maria Shokenu, a friend to General Babangida’s wife. General Babangida accepted the project and told her he would not release money, except if Dr Tai Solarin could accept to chair the bank. So Mrs Shokenu visited Solarin in Ikenne. She told him about the project and invited him to attend the launching that took place in Ajegunle area of Lagos. But she did not tell him the condition that Babangida attached. Solarin and Babangida met for the only time at Ajegunle at the launching. Of course, both of them were popular and always in the news. One was the popular military president; the other was a renowned social critic with high integrity and a respected man of the people. They were happy to see each other. They greeted warmly. Both of them were on the high table.
After the ceremony at the launch, journalists asked questions from President Babangida about the bank. He pointed to Solarin, who was in the midst of the large crowd. As he moved towards his vehicle his car, Babangida said to the journalists, ‘go and ask the Bank’s Chairman, Dr Tai Solarin, all your questions.’ The journalists quickly came to Tai. They asked him if he was the chairman. Tai said no! He was only invited like any other person to the launch.
The following day, the newspapers carried contradictory stories. Journalists later visited Tai in his home at Ikenne to clarify things. Tai told them he never worked in any financial institution; he said he was a poor Mathematics student in his school days. He said no one appointed him nor spoke to him about such position. It was in all papers.
“The Peoples Bank had been launched for the poor people you represent, Papa. But IBB would not release fund for the bank to take off,” Mrs Shokenu said when she later visited Solarin in his house at Ikenne. She came with a letter of appointment and knelt down pleading with Tai to accept to be chairman of the bank. She told Tai that IBB said the only person he trusted was him (Solarin), and that if he refused to accept to chair the bank, his government would not fund the bank as planned. Tai dismissed the woman and promised to think about it. The woman kept coming. Eventually Tai agreed. He said that it might be his last opportunity to help the masses going by his age. Chief Gani Fawehinmi wrote to advise Tai not to accept the appointment as Babangida might have a plan for him. Dr Tai Solarin appreciated Gani’s advice. He said in his reply to Chief Gani that he was already over 70, and this might be his last opportunity to serve the masses. He said he had spent in all his life championing and fighting for the poor masses. If the opportunity slipped off, history might record against him that ‘when Tai Solarin had the opportunity to serve the masses, he refused’. So he accepted the chairmanship of Peoples Bank. Then Babangida administration released funds and the bank took off.
Mrs Shokenu was the managing director of the bank. She performed excellently. She visited Solarin’s home very often and both spoke about the bank. Mrs Shokenu said she got the Peoples bank idea from China. Tai wrote to resign when he reported several cases of the frauds in the bank to the Minister of Finance, Alhaji Alhaji, who, to him, did not take any serious action. The minister rejected Tai’s letter and pleaded with him to remain. The minister promised to take up the issues raised by Tai. After about a month when the minister rejected Tai’s resignation and did nothing, Tai told us, his boys, that the mistake he made was to have sent the resignation letter directly to the minister’s office.
Then, Dr Tai Solarin wrote his second letter of resignation. He did not send copies to the minister. Rather copies of his letter were sent to the media houses through Mr Ademola Olatunji, who is very much alive today in Mayflower Junior School in Ikenne. This gentleman can attest to it. He lived all his life as Tai Solarin’s right hand man. The Minister for Finance, Alhaji Alhaji, read it like all others Nigerians the following day in the newspapers. I have copies of the two letters in my book launched in 1994 titled: Tai Solarin’s Footprints.