Former Secretary to the Federal Military Government and Finance Minister Chief Olu Falae spoke on national issues.
It was alleged that ballot papers were sighted in the house of an Afenifere leader in Akure, ahead of the recent governorship election in Ondo State. There are three Afenifere leaders in Akure, namely Pa Falae, Pa Fasoranti and Pa Adegbonmire. What really happened?
The name, Afenifere, is synonymous with integrity, honesty and good leadership. When you now link that precious name to dishonesty, criminality and the devil, we leave it to God as He deems fit. Pa Fasoranti is a role model in the whole of this area. He is an exemplary gentleman; a grandfather and a man of civilised values. For anybody to link his name to something that is not honourable is stupendous unbelievable. The same for Chief Adegbonmire. Although we are not in the same party now, but I can vouch for him. He is a man of integrity, outspoken and honest. He will never be associated with anything that is wrong or evil. Speaking for myself, when was running for the Presidency, when I was fighting for nomination on the platform of SDP in 1991/92, I designed a pamphlet for training my agents throughout Nigeria and I stated in that pamphlet that, don’t rig for me because I don’t want to rule by fraud, but please, don’t let other people rig you out. That is my philosophy. So, how can I be assisting somebody to rule by force. We have standard of morality. We have responsibilities as leaders in the society. We have duties as committed Christians to ensure that the high standard is sustained in whatever we do. The rumour must have come to the devil himself.
Do you regret not being President of Nigeria?
To the extent that Nigeria is suffering today, yes. Not to the extent that Olu Falae did not occupy the position. As Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria, I exercised presidential powers by leave of my President. I exercised presidential powers without bearing the name President. There is nothing exciting personally about me becoming President, except to assume higher responsibilities. My intention was to work for Nigeria because I had a blueprint, 326 pages long, to guide my activities in government. I had a position on every sector of the economy; industry, agriculture, health, transportation, defense. it took me two years of discussions, seminars and research to define my position in every sector. That was to guide me in office. I am not saying that was all I was going to do. I knew I would flesh it up and make modifications as time goes on. But I was clear in my mind where I wanted to take Nigeria to. To the extent that Nigerians were denied that opportunity to be led by a purposeful administration with a clear vision, I feel sorry that all of us, including myself, were unfortunate to have missed that opportunity.
People said if you had joined the PDP, they would have made you the presidential candidate and they would not have presented Obasanjo for the role. What is your reaction?
So I heard. Indeed, there were leaders of the PDP who came to me and said I should come to run for the Presidency on the platform of the PDP. Our former governor here, Dr. Agagu, and others came to me. When I was marking my 60th birthday on September 21, 1998, soon after I came out of detention, the leaders of PDP in all the states of the Federation published an advertorial page to congratulate me on my birthday and to literally say this is the man we have been waiting for. That was in the public domain. But I did not join the party because I am an Afenifere man and Afenifere is a philosophy of governance, a philosophy which put man and his well-being at the focal point of government endeavours. Government exists solely to promote the welfare of individuals from cradle to grave. That is the philosophy which i have imbibed. Therefore, I could not have left my Afenifere Group and go alone to become a President somewhere else. That would be meaningless. That was one answer to that question.
It soon became clear that the serving military rulers had made up their mind that a military man should succeed them. I want to say something for the first time in public. When I left detention, in June 1998, I went abroad for medical check up. While there, a very prominent Nigerian who was then serving in Europe, at the Hague, a friend of mine who had served with me in Babangida’s government called me in London and said I should see Obasanjo on my return to Nigeria. He said Obasanjo who had just come to spend some time with him had just returned to Nigeria and that he said he was going to support me to become the President. He said Obasanjo said many good things about me. He advised me to go and see him on returning home to consolidate the support. Before I returned to Nigeria, some delegations led by military people had gone to meet Obasanjo to persuade him to come and take over in the interest of the military.
So, if I had gone to the PDP, I don’t think that would have stopped them from doing what they did. May be at the beginning, they all wanted me. The leaders of the PDP were my friends who had worked me, either in the civil service or banking industry, who knew me and trusted me that, by the grace of God, I would perform as a de-tribalised and I don’t discriminate. I think there was a struggle within the PDP between the civilians and military. The military won the upper hand and went and brought Obasanjo. That was what happened. But I believe the destiny of man is in the hand of God. What will be will be.
Naij
It was alleged that ballot papers were sighted in the house of an Afenifere leader in Akure, ahead of the recent governorship election in Ondo State. There are three Afenifere leaders in Akure, namely Pa Falae, Pa Fasoranti and Pa Adegbonmire. What really happened?
The name, Afenifere, is synonymous with integrity, honesty and good leadership. When you now link that precious name to dishonesty, criminality and the devil, we leave it to God as He deems fit. Pa Fasoranti is a role model in the whole of this area. He is an exemplary gentleman; a grandfather and a man of civilised values. For anybody to link his name to something that is not honourable is stupendous unbelievable. The same for Chief Adegbonmire. Although we are not in the same party now, but I can vouch for him. He is a man of integrity, outspoken and honest. He will never be associated with anything that is wrong or evil. Speaking for myself, when was running for the Presidency, when I was fighting for nomination on the platform of SDP in 1991/92, I designed a pamphlet for training my agents throughout Nigeria and I stated in that pamphlet that, don’t rig for me because I don’t want to rule by fraud, but please, don’t let other people rig you out. That is my philosophy. So, how can I be assisting somebody to rule by force. We have standard of morality. We have responsibilities as leaders in the society. We have duties as committed Christians to ensure that the high standard is sustained in whatever we do. The rumour must have come to the devil himself.
Do you regret not being President of Nigeria?
To the extent that Nigeria is suffering today, yes. Not to the extent that Olu Falae did not occupy the position. As Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria, I exercised presidential powers by leave of my President. I exercised presidential powers without bearing the name President. There is nothing exciting personally about me becoming President, except to assume higher responsibilities. My intention was to work for Nigeria because I had a blueprint, 326 pages long, to guide my activities in government. I had a position on every sector of the economy; industry, agriculture, health, transportation, defense. it took me two years of discussions, seminars and research to define my position in every sector. That was to guide me in office. I am not saying that was all I was going to do. I knew I would flesh it up and make modifications as time goes on. But I was clear in my mind where I wanted to take Nigeria to. To the extent that Nigerians were denied that opportunity to be led by a purposeful administration with a clear vision, I feel sorry that all of us, including myself, were unfortunate to have missed that opportunity.
People said if you had joined the PDP, they would have made you the presidential candidate and they would not have presented Obasanjo for the role. What is your reaction?
So I heard. Indeed, there were leaders of the PDP who came to me and said I should come to run for the Presidency on the platform of the PDP. Our former governor here, Dr. Agagu, and others came to me. When I was marking my 60th birthday on September 21, 1998, soon after I came out of detention, the leaders of PDP in all the states of the Federation published an advertorial page to congratulate me on my birthday and to literally say this is the man we have been waiting for. That was in the public domain. But I did not join the party because I am an Afenifere man and Afenifere is a philosophy of governance, a philosophy which put man and his well-being at the focal point of government endeavours. Government exists solely to promote the welfare of individuals from cradle to grave. That is the philosophy which i have imbibed. Therefore, I could not have left my Afenifere Group and go alone to become a President somewhere else. That would be meaningless. That was one answer to that question.
It soon became clear that the serving military rulers had made up their mind that a military man should succeed them. I want to say something for the first time in public. When I left detention, in June 1998, I went abroad for medical check up. While there, a very prominent Nigerian who was then serving in Europe, at the Hague, a friend of mine who had served with me in Babangida’s government called me in London and said I should see Obasanjo on my return to Nigeria. He said Obasanjo who had just come to spend some time with him had just returned to Nigeria and that he said he was going to support me to become the President. He said Obasanjo said many good things about me. He advised me to go and see him on returning home to consolidate the support. Before I returned to Nigeria, some delegations led by military people had gone to meet Obasanjo to persuade him to come and take over in the interest of the military.
So, if I had gone to the PDP, I don’t think that would have stopped them from doing what they did. May be at the beginning, they all wanted me. The leaders of the PDP were my friends who had worked me, either in the civil service or banking industry, who knew me and trusted me that, by the grace of God, I would perform as a de-tribalised and I don’t discriminate. I think there was a struggle within the PDP between the civilians and military. The military won the upper hand and went and brought Obasanjo. That was what happened. But I believe the destiny of man is in the hand of God. What will be will be.
Naij
No comments:
Post a Comment