History
Meet The Man Who Prevented The Dismissal Of Atiku From Customs Service For Being Honest
- Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is a respected former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
- He served as the number 2 citizen of the country during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
- Atiku was once a custom officer with the Nigerian Customs Service.
Atiku’s first posting took him to Idi-iroko border post in 1969. He rose to the position of deputy director before he retired in 1989
During his service years with the Nigerian Customs there was a time, just few months before his mother’s death, soldiers had overthrown the civilian administration of Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983.
Major-General Buhari became the new Head of State. As part of its monetary policies, the Buhari government had introduced new Naira notes in April 1984.
Contrary to the government directive that all luggage must be thoroughly check for old Naira notes, suitecases of traditional rulers, returning ambassador and their families from Saudi Arabia were not checked due to military protection offered them.
This incident of 53 suitecases that were unchecked by customs at the airport almost cost Atiku his job because he refused to cover up the unchecked suitecases. Some government officials wanted him sacked for not covering up their mess. But Finance Minister Onaolapo Soleye, who supervised the Department of Customs and Excise, said he should be left alone.
Soleye did not know him, He acted on the basis of the facts before him. He said it would be unfair to punish him for doing his job and for standing by his officers. Soleye was also swayed by Atiku’s impeccable service record.
No queries. No sanctions, His file was filled with commendations for meeting and exceeding revenue targets at the different posts he had headed. See Dr. Soleye below:
Dr. Onaolapo Soleye
Onaolapo Soleye is a Nigerian scholar and former Minister of Finance during the military regime of General Muhammadu Buhari. He was also a former commissioner for Finance and Industry in Ogun State. He sits on the board of the Obasanjo Presidential Library.
Dr Soleye attended Baptist Boys’ High School, Abeokuta, one of the earliest secondary school established in Nigeria. He trained as a Sociologist and studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science at University of Manchester
Soleye’s major policy actions during his tenure as Minister of Finance Policies are preventing drastic devaluation of the Naira. Refinancing of trade debt arrears insured by international organizations.
He supported the rationalization and restriction of imports, creation of new Naira notes to halt currency smuggling among many others.
Dr. Onaolapo Soleye is a great man. His action during this incident is a great lesson that we should always stand by the truth.
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