ATIKU: His Perseverance, Generosity

Atiku Abubakar

If you tried and have not won, never stop trying; all that’s great and good are done by patience, just keep on trying.  — Phoebe Cary in his book, Don’t Give Up

By Dele Sobowale

THE above statement portrayed the perseverance of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, GCON, former Vice President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007.  His emergence as the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP started in 2006 at a breakfast meeting with some pressmen in his residence at Ikoyi, Lagos. After the breakfast, he addressed us. After the preambles, he got to the point very quickly. “I am running for the President of Nigeria under the PDP.” 

Shortly after a few questions from the audience, we were ushered out. I deliberately stayed behind. To me, it was obvious that the man had declared war against a former General and current President then, President Olusegun Obasanjo. I wanted to be sure that he knew the meaning of what he just said and was prepared for a “no-holds-barred” battle.

“Your Excellency, are you aware that you have just declared war against your boss? Because if you are not prepared for a total war with Obasanjo. I will urge you to call back my colleagues and ask them to forget everything you told us.” 

Without hesitation, he calmly told me that he was ready for anything. Including risking his life. I told him to remember Bola Ige; he too wanted to run for President. He received bullets for his troubles. Atiku replied that he is ready for anything.

Then it became clear that here is a man with more courage than the rest of us. I wished him goodluck and prayed for him, as one would pray for a person thrown into the lions’ den. To be quite candid, I never thought he would survive it. As Obasanjo and Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, went after him. Atiku’s forced entry into the race was therefore seen as an affront to the well-laid plans of Obasanjo. He nearly paid for it with his life. 

He was hounded out of the PDP as a first step to defeat his ambition. Over twenty two cases were charged against him in law courts after he decamped to Action Congress and still refused to step down as Vice President.  Atiku won virtually all the cases, including whether or not to contest on the platform of AC, as Supreme Court decision gave him victory. Thus on election day 2007,  Atiku contested as presidential candiate of AC contrary to Obasanjo’s wish not to contest. Later he returned to PDP. Today, he is the Presidential candidate of PDP which first denied him the ticket in 2007. What lessons can one learn from this turn of events? What made it possible is perseverance and generosity? But, most important of all, Nigerians should expect good governance and peaceful co-existence that will launch Nigeria’s glory back if Atiku becomes President.

Generosity

In 2006, Lagos Island was engulfed in riot when Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Minister of Works under Obasanjo, Adeseye Ogunlewe were engaged in a test of strength. Thugs were destroying properties and lives. I was a direct victim. My brand new official car was almost totally demolished. The story appeared in the media. Neither Tinubu nor Ogunlewe offered any assistance.

Then, a call came from Atiku through his aide, he asked me to come to Abuja. I went and Atiku handed to me a key of a brand new car as a replacement. Instinctively, I was faced with a dilemma. I badly needed a car; and, I appreciated this gesture. But, something told me it was not right to accept the gift. So, I called my publisher to seek his views, which tallied with mine. The car was returned with thanks and a deep apology. I was afraid he would be annoyed. But, he understood the principle. Later, I got to know him better and it became clear that generosity runs deep in him. Obasanjo and Buhari have been beneficiaries of his kindness. Unlike most other philanthropists, he seldom talks about his gifts given to others. One thing is that if Atiku becomes president, he will not be a stingy and selfish president.

Economic Foresight

If one has not been to Onne in Rivers State, where abandoned swamp area was transformed into economic power house called INTELS. Intels Company was the vision of Atiku and his foreign partner. Left to NPA, FG and even Rivers State Government, Onne would still have remained a swamp area not an investment destination. From the standpoint of entrepreneurship, there can be no comparison between Atiku and any other competitors. His job creation is phenomenal.

Restructuring: I went to Abuja ready to argue with Atiku on restructuring. As soon as the subject was introduced, he reached under his table and presented a book he had written on restructuring. At the time of discussion, he proves to me how he will implement it, if given the chance to rule Nigeria. I have read it. I am sure he will certainly move the country forward on restructuring.

Education 

The man has the best university in Nigeria, called ‘American University of Nigeria’, founded in 2004 at North-Eastern Nigeria. It offers American style higher education programmes at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels.  He is not doing it for money, but to inspire the youth. If he spends his own money that way, he will spend the country’s money judiciously.

Security

Go to Intels where every inch on ground is monitored 24/7. It is almost impossible to commit a crime there and get away with it. We can use some of the technology in sensitive places nationwide.

Broad-mindedness

Everything about Atiku connotes broad-mindedness. To start with, he is our in-law in the South-West and their inlaw in South-East. At Intels, I was amazed at the diversity of ethnic groups employed there. Atiku and late MKO Abiola were cut from the same piece of cloth. They have friends all over the federation. However, in my travels nationwide, it was clear that he had the widest network of friends and associates.  Under Atiku, religious tolerance is guaranteed. The man has no religious sentiments in his bones.

Forgiving

A few years ago, I had thought he would never talk to Obasanjo again – given all the attempts the former President made to destroy him. I was astonished when he visited his former boss at Aboekuta. Atiku would forgive anybody who asks for his pardon after a transgression. He had vied for the Presidency several times – 1992, 2007, 2011 and 2015. Each time he had spent money generously. Quite often, he knew those who collected his money and still voted against him. Yet, if they are still in the party he treats them as friends and still helps them. Feeling uncomfortable, I once asked him a question about his perceived corruption. He said, “Dele, let anybody who has evidence against me publish it or go to court.” I have searched everywhere, talked to people who might be aware of any charges against him. I have not discovered any. The closest I had come across was the US matter – which I must confess is still unclear to me. There is no way Obasanjo would not hammer Atiku if he involves in corruption.

His passion for business

Atiku said that he had a good nose for business very early in life. In his autobiography, Atiku explained how he started business with transport business when he was in Customs, at Idi-Iroko, his first posting. he discovered that the most promising business was transportation. So he seized the opportunity of this moving business and came to SCOA Motors in Lagos and got four pick-up vans on hire purchase and gave them to four different drivers and everyday they will bring their returns to him and at the end of the month he will pay for the vehicle. 

Atiku’s foray into Estate Building began in 1974 when as a young Customs officer he got a Federal Staff Housing Loan of N31,000. With this money, Atiku applied to the government of Northern State for a plot of land at Yola Government Reserved Area (GRA) and he was given. He hired a foreman and began building his first house. With close personal supervision, the bungalow was completed and he rented it out immediately. The up-front rent he collected was substantial enough to purchase a second plot and began work on a second house in the same area. He completed it and rented it out again. Atiku keeps ploughing the rent back into new building projects and within a few years, he had built more than eight houses in choice areas of Yola and making a lot of money annually from rent.

When he arrived in Kaduna in 1980, Atiku repeated the same feat and ended up with over half a dozen property in the city. Atiku also went into large-scale farming. He started the Gesse Derdirabe Farm on over 2,500 hectares of land at Yola-Numan Road with a bank loan. He grew maize and cotton, and became the largest maize farmer, with farm produce of about 100,000 bags of maize a year.

In addition to farming, Atiku was buying and selling trailer loads of rice, sugar and flour. He was one of the first Nigerians to venture into importing green tea from China for sale in Nigeria. Atiku also went into Oil Servicing Business with foreign partners called Integrated Logistics Services (INTELS).