Atiku Abubakar Recounts How He Was Almost Sacked As Customs Officer
SOURCE: http://www.eyesoflagos.com/2017/05/atiku-abubakar-recounts-how-he-was.html

A former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has provided an insight on why he was almost sacked as an officer with the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS.


This was following the controversial importation of 53 suitcases into the country in 1984 by a first class traditional ruler in the North.

The former VP was the Customs Officer in Charge of the Murtala Muhammed Airport when the suitcases were brought into the country.

Atiku said the Customs bureaucracy then wanted him booted out for confirming a newspaper report about the importation of the suitcases, but that the then Minister of Finance, Dr. Onaolapo Soleye, saved his job.

He was speaking at a night of tributes and inauguration of an education endowment fund in memory of the late former Managing Director of Daily Times, Dr. Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.

Atiku, now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, disclosed that the then military government prevented the Customs operatives from detaining the suitcases and drove it away in a military truck.

According to him, “I was a young officer in 1984 in charge of Murtala Muhammed Airport while Ojo was a correspondent of The Guardian covering the airport.

“We got to know each other because apparently, there were some things we both believed in. Ojo was radical and I was radical, he believed in transparency and straight forwardness.

“Then this policy of change of the national currency came into effect by the military government.

“It was on a weekend when the issue of the 53 suitcases came up. I wasn’t at the airport because it was a weekend and I was the officer in charge of the place and so, there were beat officers conducting the affair.

“The plane landed on the VIP section and the ADC to the Head of the federal military government came in with a military truck and personnel and drove straight to the aircraft and offloaded those suitcases and did not allow the Customs officers to do their work, and drove away.

“All the Customs officers could do was to make an entry into what we called station dairy. If you are a policeman, custom or military man, you should know what a station diary means. It is a diary where we record all incidents as they happen.

“Because he was such an investigative journalist, he got the report. He wasn’t there and normally, a station dairy is not a public document, but our own document.

“Somehow, Ojo, because of his inquisitiveness, came to know of that entry and from the extract of that entry, he told the world about the improper importation of 53suitcasess.

“I resumed duty on Monday and was confronted with national headlines about the 53 suitcases and without clearing from my headquarters, I just confirmed that there was such an importation and that investigation was being conducted.

“I was summoned to the headquarters and queried why should I confirm the report, and I said I did because it happened, and I met it in the station dairy. I was threatened with expulsion or dismissal from service and I said I was ready if that was an offence.

“The controversy raged on and the bureaucracy insisted that I should be fired and the then Minister of Finance who happened to be Dr. Soleye, said: ‘What is Atiku’s offence that you want him fired?’ As the minister, he overruled the bureaucracy and I retained my job.

“He was completely dedicated to investigating and writing the truth. No matter what you do or try to do, he will go ahead and write the truth.

“Since that moment, we struck a very close relationship. When I had the opportunity to work with him again, I did not hesitate to give him an appointment as one of my Special Advisers.

“He was one of the seven or eight PhD holders in my office and I recall my boss calling me one day and asking me, what is it you are doing with all these PhD holders and I said, Mr. President, I like to work with people that I will learn from. If I know that I am not going to learn from you, I will not hire you and work with you.

“Together with the rest, they form the core of my office and of course, in our administration, he knew the impact of my office on our administration. That is a matter for historians to write.

“Even if Ojo were to be alive today, he will be working for his family and trying to give the best education for his children. That is why I initiated this educational fund for his three kids.”

Acording to him, “I want to appeal to all of you to think about these kids. We all knew that Ojo left nothing because he was not the kind of person who enjoyed keeping money or wanting money by all means. No matter how small, please contribute to this educational fund.‎”

Atiku...

why not hit the nail on the head & say what those suitcases contained?

it is interesting that the thieves of yesterday have become saints today without atoning for their sins or restitution.

Any animal that gives this piece of shti attention deserves rolling blackouts.

You see this world



mind who you oppress, even though Atiku na fuckery mind who u oppress u don't know tomorrow



As for the mods, mind the way una they ban person u no no tomorrow learn from Atiku case oh

ivandragon:
Atiku...

why not hit the nail on the head & say what those suitcases contained?

it is interesting that the thieves of yesterday have become saints today without atoning for their sins or restitution.

Just like the Ikoyi 43 million dollars the Buhari Jokolo suitcases were filled with dollars but this same Buhari killed the case and yet years later some people sold him to Nigeria as Mr integrity but in reality Buhari is a corrupt as they get

SalamRushdie:


Just like the Ikoyi 43 million dollars the Buhari Jokolo suitcases were filled with dollars but this same Buhari killed the case and yet years later some people sold him to Nigeria as Mr integrity but in reality Buhari is a corrupt as they get

its an open secret what those suitcases contained.

Atiku is just firing a warning shot across PMB's bow.

PMB is just as corrupt as any leader we have had, how he deceives his gullible followers about his so called incorruptibility should become a discuss on mass deception.

We all knew the briefcases contained dollars. What it was meant for only GOD can tell or unless our polithievians decide to come up with the truth.

However, no one should mistake Atiku for a saint after the Petroleum trust funds incident.