I just finished reading an enthralling history of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar's life. From his days as a sapling in Jada, where his grandfather who originally hailed from Sokoto relocated to, to his days as a Vice President of this great country. While I had some information on his earlier political life and attempts at economic successes, I must confess that this is the first time I am getting exposed to the intrigues and undercurrents behind his rise to political and economic fame. I do not believe everything he wrote about himself, but I am inspired by the stories he told about himself. I enjoyed the propagated doggedness which he alluded to himself.
For the first time, I am reading about the real story surrounding the 53 suitcases which were smuggled into the country during the General Muhammadou Buhari presidency. You will recall, that the military junta of General Buhari introduced new currency notes in the country which was aimed at halting the illegal speculative trades in Nigerian currency outside the country. Hence, strict orders were given to all law enforcement agencies across the country to ensure that all bags, luggage and consignments entering into the country were thoroughly screened to ensure that old Naira notes were not smuggled back into the country.
It was during this period that the scandal of the 53 suitcases broke out. In Atiku's own words: "A first class traditional ruler and a returning Nigeria diplomat had arrived from Saudi Arabia with several bags. My officers at the airport in Lagos were not allowed to search the bags. The duty officers reported the incident in writing. I did not know how a newspaper got wind of it. The Guardian, a Lagos-based newspaper, reported on its front page on June 10, 1984 that “Passenger with 53 suitcases leaves airport unchecked”.
Through the kangaroo investigations that followed, Atiku was seriously pressurized by the Federal Government to deny that such incident ever took place, but he refused to. In his words: " I vowed to surrender my uniform and quit the Customs rather than lie."
After futile efforts to get Atiku Abubakar to deny the incident, the Federal Government under General Buhari made up a tale of the 53 suitcases containing the personal effects of a traditional ruler, a returning ambassador and members of their families. While Buhari's government claimed that those who intimidated the customs officers and stopped them from searching the luggage were reprimanded, Atiku Abubakar under whose watch this happened did not see any evidence to believe the Federal Government's story. Rather, the government of General Buhari made futile efforts to penalize Atiku for insisting on truth and the right principle.
No comments:
Post a Comment