Why IBB Sacked Olu Falae, Appointed Me Finance Minister – Alhaji

An elder statesman, Abubakar Alhaji, has revealed why former military president, Ibrahim Babangida appointed him minister of finance after sacking Olu Falae.

According to Alhaji, Babangida removed Falae as minister after discovering that he transferred two million Naira to London for his Presidential ambition at the time.

Alhaji made this claim during an interview with Daily Trust.

He said, “I took over from Olu Falae, who transferred N2million to the Nigerian High Commissioner because he wanted to become president. Babangida got to know of this transfer. Babangida got to hear of it and sacked him as minister of finance and appointed me.”

Falae contested under the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the 1999 presidential election but lost to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Alhaji revealed how the ex-military president later moved him to the UK High Commission as a diplomat.

He said, “I was appointed a high commissioner to the UK at 3 pm. Babangida said Alhaji was translating from the Ministry of Finance to the High Commission, but I knew he was getting rid of me.”

Alhaji when asked if he was pleased with the decision of Babangida said, “I took it in the stride.”

The elder statesman while speaking on whether he bears grudges with Babangida said, “To be honest, I didn’t like it. My brother, Aliyu Dasuki, was in hospital in Germany, so I stayed there for two months and people were bringing files from the High Commission to me. Babangida got to know this but I said I wanted to look after my brother first.”

Alhaji spent six years at the UK High Commission.