For many years, TAI SOLARIN was a trouble for IBB; a hard critic of IBB and a perpetual lover of the poor. He called IBB incompetent.
So One day, after series of criticisms, IBB invited Tai for a discussion, he asked him what he could do to better the lives of the poor.

Tai was happy, he quickly proposed a soft loan for all the poor Nigerians to enable them start small scale businesses and as they return the loans, other poor people will continue to benefit until it reaches all.
IBB clapped for Tai and pleaded with him to champion the noble cause so that the programme can run without a hitch. Tai agreed.

Immediately, a Peoples Bank was formed by Decree and huge fund was pumped into it with Dr. Tai as the Chairman.
Poor people were getting funds to start or expand their businesses, it was coordinated by Tai, IBB never gave him any bottleneck, no distractions.
But after giving out loans to the poor, the poor refused to return the money, neither did we see their businesses on ground, they have spent the money but no repayment. Wahala dey!!

Tai was sweating under the Air conditioning system, "this is trouble". After many futile attempts to recover the loans, the Celebrated Peoples Bank crashed and became liquidated. Tai was running helter-skelter.

He finally went to IBB but IBB was not angry, he merely said "Egbon, see what we are facing in government? It is easy to talk, talk is cheap sir but look at your bank. This is just one small bank that you cannot manage o, imagine how many banks we have, imagine ruling a whole country sir? If people now blamed you for the collapse of the bank you proposed and ran, how will you feel? Don't worry sir, you will not be prosecuted. Just go home and rest. You have had enough troubles already......thanks for your service to the nation....."

But before he could leave Dodan Barracks, the then Military President Ordered that he be called back. Tai Solarin started sweating. But he quickly composed himself before IBB asked him, "would you like to serve as the Minister of Education or Finance?" All he needed to say was "Yes sir, either of the two will be ok." And IBB would have appointed him right away.

But Tai Solarin quickly answered. "Mr President, you already told me to go home and rest. I will be on my way now." With that, Tai Solarin left the presence of the President. The two men never met again and Tai Solarin never criticized IBB again.

In building a better society both the government and the citizens have to take responsibilities.
Everyone has role to play.
Nigeria will succeed.

Yeah I read this story on FB

tillaman:
Yeah I read this story on FB

It's food for thought really.

ILoveDemMANNA:

It's food for thought really.

fact

Just the height of greed in this country

Yoruba people can castigate eeehhh


But tai meet a typical ogbomoso man

Tai was chairman while ibb loyalist was md of people bank. I believe loyalists destroyed the bank because of widespread corruption.
Granted it is easy to criticise that to govern. It is a dangerous mission for a sheep to dine with lion. The sheep would be eaten alive. Among activists dead or alive, gani fawehinmi was exceptionally. He refused to dine with devils. You cannot change a system you have no absolute control over.
Soyinka too was a failure. He formed pyrate confraternity to solve problems but more problems were created. He advocated for FRSC and was first chairman , frsc is now a monster.
Lesson is that before you attempt to solve some problems, perform root causes analysis and tackle the problems from the roots.

This whole story is a BIG LIE. This story is fanstasy and this writer should know better than writing or sharing fake news that will tarnish reputation of a GOOD man like Tai Solarin

This fictional account you shared Sounds good, but you should know it's fiction, a big lie, and a total revisionist story that's not even close to what really happened. Some of we were already all already old enough then and knew what happened.

In the first place, Tai Solarin NEVER ran People’s Bank. He was the NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN of the BOARD. The Managing Director, who actually RAN the bank, was MRS. MARIA SOKENU.

Solarin and the board members received allegations that Maria Sokenu and the executives were embezzling money and redirecting the loans to themselves and their pals. He had her investigated by the board.

The board found evidence, and Tai Solarin wrote to IBB and called a press conference to demand that the woman and her accomplices be dismissed and prosecuted for fraud.

IBB started playing games and not prosecuting the woman who was actually close to Tai Solarin before, but Tai Solarin insisted she must be prosecuted and jailed.

Tai Solarin then RESIGNED publicly with a full press release to explain why, when IBB refused to prosecute those who looted People's Bank.

Let’s all be more careful less we inadvertently follow them to spread lies about the memory of a good man.

My is Dr Ope Banwo and I know all this for a fact because I was old enough to follow the story very closely then. I graduated university in 1985.