Falae: Tested for the job

LIKE all great men - especially those who worked hard to achieve it, Samuel Olujemisi Falae has attracted to himself many admirers as well as powerful adversaries in the course of his rise to fame.
Of all those in the presidential race today in Nigeria quite a few could
contest with his profile and records of achievements in general terms. But
in political terms, he apparently has a formidable burden in pulling through
his candidature.
Those who look at him with admiration and confidence are impressed by the man’s intellectual and administrative capabilities, while those who detest his person, and would want his political ambition dashed are vexed by his legendary support and advocacy while in government for the General Ibrahim Babangida administration’s policy of Structural Adjustment, a programme (SAP) which incidentally has deeply hurt the business interest of those now pitched against Falae.
For those adversaries, the question is not whether Falae qualifies for the
job or whether his competence is in doubt. They want to stop him ironically for the same reason that his admirers would want to have him, viz; Falae can be tough, unyielding and unassailable on crucial points of principle, especially economic. As such, he may be difficult to control and/or manipulate by the power brokers whose business interests could be at risk -or so they think with Falae in charge as president. Quite a familiar scenario in Nigeria’s political life.
And when you have such powerful people - ranged against Olu Falae then the question becomes apt, what manner of president would he be?
Those who do not want Falae are making great issues of what they perceive as his disadvantages. They argue strongly that Falae cannot really disengaged  himself from the SAP policy. This policy has hurt a lot of people and many businessmen are still shrouded by its effect. The suffering of individual Nigerians did not improve as SAP worsened their daily conditions.
That person who most Nigerians could easily point to as the apostle of SAP was Chief Falae. Those who want Falae dropped argue that such a person as president, would be a liability for the country. That is how strong a case against his presidential candidacy is. But could it be sustained?
He himself knew that SAP was an uncharitable burden for him, but he once explained on November 13, 1991 that when the policy was launched, government was aware that it was not a panacea that would solve everybody’s problem either completely, immediately or permanently but because farmers are in the
majority it has liberated majority of Nigerians from the shackles of the
marketing boards.
"SAP is a deliberate policy designed to correct fundamental imbalances in
our development. The thing that is objectionable about the programme is the extent that it has been mismanaged."
Falae is not in so much the vice-grip of disadvantages, which his
adversaries would want to make Nigerians believe. In fact, when a
comparative exercise is made of his advantages and disadvantages, the former would appear to substantially surpass the latter.
In terms of intellectual capacity, he appears to have a comfortable base.
His achievement in government and financial management is spectacular. His abilities as a technocrat is tested and adjudged excellent. His grasp of
issues and problems is matched by his eloquent propagation and defence of policy positions. His knowledge of the economic problems of Nigeria, and possible solutions to them is unassailable. Perhaps his personality and
carriage also add to his attraction. He stands tall in the crowd.
We need hardly bother our readers with know details about the profile of the man, Olu Falae. What should interest one is why such a man may or may not emerge as president of Nigeria in February this year. In the Nigerian context, other considerations rather than the quality of the candidate determines whether a man gets a presidential job or not. The politics of 1999 does not seem to be isolated from this anomaly.
Full of confidence however, Falae is pledging to put an end to the era of
"trial and error leadership in this country" with a promise to ensure
justice, fairplay for every Nigerian, increase national production and
provide employment opportunities for all.
To him, presidency is not ‘a do or die’ affair, as he once said: "I have
very few ambitions left. If presidency does not come to be, I’ll go to
church and thank God for letting the cup pass by me."
Born in Akure on September 21, 1938, Chief Falae’s father was a headman in the Survey Department of the colonial government in the old Western Region.
At the time he started school at St. David’s School, Akure in 1944 he was the smallest boy in the whole school. He left the school in 1952 and
proceeded to Igbobi College Lagos for his secondary school.
Throughout his five year-stay at Igbobi, there was no evidence that Olu
Falae was a special student. According to some of his classmates and
contemporaries, Falae was somewhat quiet, ordinary and only slightly above average academically. He had planned to study law but fate changed that and settled for economics at the University of Ibadan, graduating in 1963. Years later, he obtained a masters degree at the prestigious Yale University in the United States of America.
He joined the federal public service in 1964 and rose to become a permanent secretary. In his 18 years he spent in service, he distinguished himself as a brilliant, hardworking and earnest public servant. He resigned in 1981 and took up a job as managing director of the Nigerian Merchant Bank from where he became the Secretary to the Federal Government and later a minister. He left the government in 1990.
The Gbobaniyi of Akure and Olu of Ilu Abo is not new to the presidential
race. He ran it in 1992 until he and others were banned by Babangida. He has again revived his political machine which he least put at the disposal of late Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election.
His message this time is simple: "What I am saying is that you need people who understand how to use governmental structures and power to re-empower the masses and re-engineer prosperity."
There is one thing about this man. He is perhaps the only presidential
hopeful who is also acceptable to the people outside his own party.
Such a quality is not common really.