"So it was obafemi awolowo that created that currency?"
"Yeah "
"Wonderful!"
"So with all your brilliance you didn't know that ?"
"I thought it was the British "
"No no no but you know we were spending pound sterling prior to that?"
"Yes.But biafran dollars came before that?"
"Yeah definitely was a child of circumstances just like naira or any product of necessity."
"Go onto semanticism "
"I think awolowo pegged naira to dollar at 5naira to one British pound and Olu falae also ensure naira was fixed though at 5.5naira to one dollar by the time he left office in 1990.Suddenly it was heavily depreciated after his exit."
"So what did they do that much to effect depreciation?"
"Same thing you noticed was asked Olu falae in the Life and times interview by journalist with Punch on march 12,2012.He says'.The day I left office,20 august 1990 it was 5.5 naira to dollar.After I left within three months it went to 12 and 22.Why?That is not SAP;it was the abuse of SAP.When things were properly managed the first three years of SAP the exchange rate was 5.5 naira to dollar.After I left office things started going awry.When I left office I didn't know what happened and you can ask those who were there.'"
"When we talk of semanticism we refer to the mass purging of late 70s when the civil service was demoralized and remainders were ready to be disengaged.He stood tall risking his life for the civil service."
"So he was civil servant during the period "
"Unarguably the best economist in service from late 70s,80s and early 90s ."
"Am sure 99percent of Nigerians don't know that and I was annoyed to hear danjuma says Olu falae would carry the cross of SAP into his grave."
"Forget that riffraff if he were to be an economist like falae would probably die trying to be a shoeblacker instead .If falae were to be soldier would possibly have been president twice like Obasanjo.He's so good."
"So we now have three best presidents Nigeria never had right?"
"Exactly can u name them?"
",You once said it awolowo Soyinka and Olu falae."
"Good.You know he served in the civil service the ministry of economic development and rose to be a director of economic planning and later a permanent secretary when Obasanjo was head of state."
"Am sure he received tons of favor from him"
"Not really.You know how he was opposed to Yoruba tribe his very tribe."
"Yeah "
"But he couldn't sack Olu falae because he was told he was the best hands in government them.So he was to be dismissed by obj before he even became a permanent secretary."
"How did it happen?"
"When he was director of economic planning he received a letter one day that federal government had set up a committee to look into federal civil service and find out why things did not move well under Obasanjo's government,"
"That is unlike when Muhammed murtala was in power right?"
"Exactly.He was the chairman of the panel and the responsibility was to find out what was wrong and make recommendations."
"What caused it?"
"He learned that there was an argument between Alison Ayida secretary to government of federation SGF and Obasanjo in which obj accused civil service of sabotage."
"So a very serious one."
"Yeah very serious engagement considering the risk to the life of Olu falae should he not produce a favourable report to obj.Ayida worked with falae prior to the position of SGF and which was why he made him the chairman."
"Clarify the bone of contention again "
"That when murtala was Head of state things were moving smoothly but when he died civil service conspired to sabotage obj government.Ayida said "No you caused it.You carried an entire purging of the civil service without following due process.So they agreed to set up panel to find out what happened.The committee was set up to know whether obj was right or Ayida head of service was right.Falae was boxed into the corner and had to produce the report anyway."
"Very difficult situation.Peradventure the most difficult period of his life attached with lots of glory and death."
"Exactly.Hear him, he says,"if I said it was Obasanjo Ayida would deal with me and If i said it was Ayida obj would cut my head."Just exactly as you said.He had made up his mind it would be his last assignment and thought he would not survive it."
"So how did they do it?"
"They designed a questionnaire administered as random to 1 percent of the civil service.Some of the questions were:If you were offered a job outside the civil service today with the same salary and condition of service without any other thing extra would you like to leave?"
"What did they say?"
"Almost all of them prefered to leave..."
"And the reason...?"
"Mass purging was the reason.Infact on the report they recommended restructuring of the civil service including disbandment of administrative pool though he was a product.
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