Soludo to el-Rufai: You are an intellectual fraudster!
He doesnt say much, but former CBN governor, Charles Soludo seems to be a man gifted with many parts aside intellectual prowess. He in recent time has shown repeatedly that his tongue could also spit venom
fire if he chooses to unleash it. Former FCT minister, Nasir el-Rufai is the latest recipient of his 'side gift' as he takes exception to certain parts of book- The Accidental Public Servant, written by el-Rufai. The book is an intellectual fraud, Soludo screams!
Scruples With el-Rufai's Book
His stated objective was to "tell the story of my public service years..." but it turned out a very bad example of how to write a memoir. It is more of wild concoctions and commentaries on imagined events outside of his "public service years".
As I read parts of the book that relate to things that I should know about, I shook my head in disbelief. I could not believe that el-Rufai could descend so low. While I will surely correct many of his wrong narratives in my book, I thought I have a duty to make a preliminary response – for public records!
Contrary to his narrative, most of us in government knew that el-Rufai desperately wanted to succeed President Olusegun Obasanjo as president. He plotted and schemed, destroying anyone perceived to be potentially in his way. Obasanjo scorned him; the scheme through the PDP Reform Forum failed; and with the bid to replace Major General Muhammadu Buhari in Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) still a work in progress, it is understandable that the bitterness would find succor in a book to smear and destroy any known potential threat. The only good person in the whole book is el-Rufai, and perhaps also my dear sister, Oby Ezekwesili. For him, it is either that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was power hungry or that "Charles was not grateful". We understand his motives, but for him to also fabricate stories about Obasanjo, Atiku Abubakar, and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu the way he did (the three persons that literally made him tick in government) speaks volumes. What a very grateful person! My people have a proverb that when a foolish and disrespectful child utters abomination before his elders, he beats his chest that he has exhibited uncommon courage.
'Where The Book Got It Wrong'
The book is grossly dishonest. It is amusing to read the purported conversations he had with President Obasanjo on the third term bid. One reads almost two or three pages as quotes from the conversation and most parts of the book are replete with similar long quotes of purported conversations (all in inverted commas). This tactic was deceptively employed to give the impression of authenticity to the claims of such conversations.
Surely, it is impossible to report the proceedings of a meeting or conversation verbatim after the meeting. It would therefore mean either that he was tape-recording every private conversation he had with people or that he simply fabricated those long quotes. If he cannot produce the tape recordings of those conversations (which I believe he doesn't have), he should be honest enough to admit that he made up those stories/quotes. It is too cheap of him to fabricate those quotes and seek to exploit the gullibility of the reading public to damage other people.
On The Economic Management Team
I was amused by el-Rufai's disingenuous attempt to frame stories about the Economic Management Team, which he forced himself upon and probably destroyed. As pertains to me, he lied all the way in an attempt to concoct a mischievous narrative or plot. He calls Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala "Ngozi". I call her "Madam". He tells a fairy tale of how I was a student or protégé of Ngozi's father.
Sorry el-Rufai, the respected Prof. Okonjo had left University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) before I became a student, and our paths did not cross until the mid-1990s (while my Ph.D was in 1989). If you even called Ngozi on the phone, she would have confirmed to you that she never got any consulting contract for me at the World Bank or any multilateral institution as you claimed. If you cared for the facts, you would have known that I began to interact with Ngozi in late 1999, in the fourth month of my 18-month consulting assignment at the World Bank (an assignment to which I was nominated by three pan-African Institutions – ADB, UNECA, and AERC – for the project on "Can Africa Claim the 21st Century"). You don't lie about matters that have records.
For your information el-Rufai, before I met anyone of you at the original Economic Management Team, I had (for a decade) lived in Ethiopia, United Kingdom, and United States of America (USA) and traveled to 45 other countries as an itinerant scholar and consultant; worked at the United Nations; been to Oxford, Cambridge and Warwick Universities; was a visiting professor at Swarthmore, USA; and consultant to 18 international organisations including the World Bank, IMF, OECD, EU, ADB, various UN agencies, etc. I have been consultant to different departments of the World Bank at different times; including being on the Chief Economist Advisory Council (CEAC) for the period 2005 - 2012 and no Nigerian had anything to do with any of them.
I spent 19 months at the Brookings Institution, USA (January 1991 – July 1992; and three months in 1998) but according to el-Rufai, I went to Brookings after a consulting job at the World Bank (which would then mean 'after 2000'?). According to el-Rufai, I became Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in "mid 2005" instead of May 2004. He manufactures both the facts as well as the comments.
The Last Bash
By el-Rufai's own account in the book, the approval to embark on the demolition of properties in Abuja was obtained on 30th August, 2003. I state (and challenge him to prove otherwise) that Ngozi was no longer staying at Bolingo Hotel by the time he started his demolition programme.
How can you then fabricate a story that we met at her suite in Bolingo Hotel and also fabricate a purported quotation of what I told you, which among other things, referred to your demolition programme? I thought you were smart enough el-Rufai to at least lie consistently. Is this not fooling proof that you made up all the quotations in the book?
How can you then fabricate a story that we met at her suite in Bolingo Hotel and also fabricate a purported quotation of what I told you, which among other things, referred to your demolition programme? I thought you were smart enough el-Rufai to at least lie consistently. Is this not fooling proof that you made up all the quotations in the book?
As at the last count, no less than 15 persons claimed to have recommended me as Chief Economic Adviser or Central Bank Governor. My simple response to all is: thank you! Thank you also el-Rufai if indeed you played the role I have just read from your book that you played in my appointment as Chief Economic Adviser. Of course, President Obasanjo is still alive and several of the actors are also alive.
In my own memoir, I will detail how I joined President Obasanjo's government. I have also heard fantastic claims of some people that they literally appointed me governor of CBN. In a recent chat with President Obasanjo, he for the umpteenth time insisted that nobody can ever claim to have advised him to appoint me as governor of CBN. He reminded me that even I did not know—which is a fact!
In my own memoir, I will detail how I joined President Obasanjo's government. I have also heard fantastic claims of some people that they literally appointed me governor of CBN. In a recent chat with President Obasanjo, he for the umpteenth time insisted that nobody can ever claim to have advised him to appoint me as governor of CBN. He reminded me that even I did not know—which is a fact!
...Since el-Rufai takes pleasure in reporting what ordinarily should be private conversations, let me also take the liberty to report that he admitted to me on April 28, 2013 that what he wrote about me were the "impressions" he was given. That for me summed it up. My advice el-Rufai, is that you don't collect some hair dressing salon gossip, hearsay, 'impressions', and wild imaginations – all intentionally designed to damage others, and bind them into a book without crosschecking the facts. That is intellectual fraud!
Meanwhile, former Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasir el–Rufai in his book – 'The Accidental Public Servant', had drawn the ire of some persons mentioned in the book of which Soludo being in the list of persons wasted no time in lashing out at el-Rufai.
But trust el–Rufai, who is popularly known to fight and run away even with his diminutive stature, wastes no time in hitting back at Soludo.
But trust el–Rufai, who is popularly known to fight and run away even with his diminutive stature, wastes no time in hitting back at Soludo.
My Motivation
When I wrote The Accidental Public Servant, there were no illusions that its account would be uncontested. As I have said repeatedly, it is simply my account of the people and events that defined my years in public service. I took several precautions (such as double-checking from the copious notes and diaries of events that were taken after every major encounter – about forty seven note books in total) of ensuring that it is a truthful, balanced and fair account of my experience.
I do not have a professorial memory, so kept daily journals of events including verbatim records of statements. I am delighted that I took the time to write it, and I once again encourage others who have been privileged to be in the public service to similarly record their experiences. Those who may choose not to write books can still contribute by responding to specific issues mentioned in my narrative on which they may have other information, however critical or contrary to my account.
Where Soludo Goofed
Where Soludo Goofed
It is shocking that he chose to sensationalize his version of events by describing The Accidental Public Servant as intellectual fraud. There is a question mark in the title of his article, but the last sentence of Charles' diatribe restated his magisterial conclusion.
He went further to provide his own definitions of fraud as "an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual" or "as course of deception, an intentional concealment, omission or perversion of truth"; only to stop there! Fraud has a technical and legal definition and if Charles had bothered to consult his lawyer, he would have gone beyond the 'online definition', but that is another matter for now.
He went further to provide his own definitions of fraud as "an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual" or "as course of deception, an intentional concealment, omission or perversion of truth"; only to stop there! Fraud has a technical and legal definition and if Charles had bothered to consult his lawyer, he would have gone beyond the 'online definition', but that is another matter for now.
On Accusation of Intellectual Fraud
It is illogical to contest someone's CV with him in the absence of contrary and superior information. I therefore concede to Charles' account of his professional odyssey prior to his being introduced to us in 2000 by Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, long before joining the Obasanjo government in 2003. The logical question therefore is how any of the examples he gave of the errors in his resume would without more, rise to the level of fraud?
Why would I intentionally deceive the world that Soludo's tenure as governor of CBN started in mid-2005 rather than May of 2004? This only occurred when one of the book's editors thought the 2004 date was wrong and 'corrected' it but that escaped subsequent editorial reviews.
What is the personal gain to me in describing Soludo as a protégé of Professor Okonjo or how did the description damage him when he just referred to the same Professor Okonjo as "respected"? So, Charles needs to substantiate how any assertion, error or omission in the book amounts to "fraud" per his definition.
After that, I do not see much that is significant to warrant a clarification from me. One friend on Twitter observed that Charles' polemic had so much anger and little substance that he truly sounded as angry as a woman scorned! Much of Charles' response is enlivened by innuendos. He repeats the frequent charge about my ambition for the presidency in 2007, a charge that is untrue but that is often echoed as if that ambition, if it existed, is akin to treason.
Charles knows that I do not consider illegitimate his desire to be governor of his state or his current hopes to be a presidential running-mate. But he should know better than most that ambition for office is not the only reason for being active in politics. Since Charles has claimed that I 'schemed desperately' to succeed Obasanjo, he should please tell all – inform Nigerians what I did, who was involved and spill the beans!
Virtually all the narratives in The Accidental Public Servant about Charles involved others that are still alive, and if he said I made them up, perhaps he should state his version and invite others mentioned to invalidate my claim instead of calling anyone a liar just because he did not like the way his conduct appeared in the book.
The Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Connection
Charles was introduced to me by Ngozi, and that was the foundation of our professional relationship and friendship. As far as I know, it was also Ngozi who proposed his name for economic adviser and Oby (and her husband) took him to Obasanjo several times before he was appointed. If Charles is denying that this happened, that is fine. It does not change the facts, and those that did what they did know what they did or did not do! Why is Charles so hurt that others have helped him? Is he suggesting that he had won the Nobel Prize in Economics and that is how Obasanjo got to meet and appoint him?
Charles presented his jaundiced interpretations of what I wrote in clear language as my views in his piece. For instance, there was nowhere in the book that I wrote that 'Ngozi was power hungry.' She was pragmatic and realistic about power relations.
How does that equate to being power hungry? Charles is playing with words in a patently dishonest way, knowing that many that will read his piece have not read the book, but he is not the intellectual fraud! Charles also asserted that I forced myself on the economic team and "destroyed it"! Was it El-Rufai that composed the membership of the team?
How does that equate to being power hungry? Charles is playing with words in a patently dishonest way, knowing that many that will read his piece have not read the book, but he is not the intellectual fraud! Charles also asserted that I forced myself on the economic team and "destroyed it"! Was it El-Rufai that composed the membership of the team?
On OBJ, Atiku and Ribadu
Charles also came out guns blazing questioning my narratives of events involving his new mentor Atiku Abubakar, and Nuhu Ribadu and Obasanjo. In Charles' views, these three people made me tick in government and I should be eternally grateful. Charles has not read the book. If he did, he would have come across all the instances in which I gave each of them credit for what they did right and how they contributed to the work I did.
Unlike Charles who makes people believe they are perfect when he needs them, I was consistent in and out of office in pointing to those I worked with where I believe they went wrong Just as I was self critical of my own shortcomings. In Charles' vocabulary, that is ingratitude. In mine, it is simply utilitarian sycophancy to attribute perfection to imperfect mortals because they are likely to help one's career next week!
Charles claimed that I pleaded with him to provide technical assistance to BPE. That is false. That conversation just never happened. Those familiar with BPE know that we hired people either as regular public servants, individual consultants called 'core team' members that work full time in the organization or investment bankers and consulting firms like lawyers and accountants that provided periodic transactional services as needed.
Charles and his economic consulting firm did not fit into any of the three categories. I appointed him to the membership of two reform steering committees – Competition and Anti-Trust and the Industry and Manufacturing Reform Committees along with persons of the calibre of Pat Utomi, Oby Ezekwesili, and Aliko Dangote. I was the coordinator of both committees as DG of the BPE, with Ibrahim S. Njiddah, now a presidential assistant doing the day-to-day management.
On Soludo's Overblown Trumpet
Charles and his economic consulting firm did not fit into any of the three categories. I appointed him to the membership of two reform steering committees – Competition and Anti-Trust and the Industry and Manufacturing Reform Committees along with persons of the calibre of Pat Utomi, Oby Ezekwesili, and Aliko Dangote. I was the coordinator of both committees as DG of the BPE, with Ibrahim S. Njiddah, now a presidential assistant doing the day-to-day management.
On Soludo's Overblown Trumpet
The dismissal of Charles' over-hyped banking consolidation in The Accidental Public Servant therefore appeared to upset him more than anything else. He is still under the illusion that his 'revolution' changed our lives the way GSM licensing did! No one needs a single 234Next to see through the hype and the disingenuous comparison. Banks like First Bank, UBA, Union, Zenith IBTC, and GTB needed no consolidation.
They had sound business models and were doing well without it. Soludo's consolidation abolished investment banks and regional banks, while creating a few 'big' banks with funny names many of which were either comatose by 2009 or had to be subsequently saved by the Sanusi Lamido Sanusi rescue exercise. It is pathetic to measure the success of consolidation by the number of banks in the top 1,000 banks in the world.
Did that ranking translate into increased lending to the real sector, greater employment opportunities for our people and intensified mobilization of savings in the way the GSM revolution did? No way, only massive margin loans to create a stock market bubble engender insider lending and incestuous relations between regulators and operators in the industry.
As CBN governor, Charles did all he could to frustrate the attempts to establish a national mortgage system and was openly critical of Ngozi's drive and contributions in getting the Paris Club debts written off for the simple reason that the credit might go to others not Soludo!
The Final Lash
Charles is free to beat his chest and claim that the deformed baby called consolidation was a revolution. After all, it has been said that every story has at least three sides, my version, your version and the truth which lies somewhere in between the two.
If one refers to a book one finds disagreeable as intellectual fraud while insisting that a cancer one created that has cost nearly the annual budget of the federal government to treat, so far, as a resounding success, then what more is there to say? It simply points to the moral and psychological mind-set of such a person.
If one refers to a book one finds disagreeable as intellectual fraud while insisting that a cancer one created that has cost nearly the annual budget of the federal government to treat, so far, as a resounding success, then what more is there to say? It simply points to the moral and psychological mind-set of such a person.
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