TAI SOLARIN was a hard critic of IBB and a perpetual lover of the poor. One day, after series of criticisms, IBB invited Tai for a discussion, he asked him what he could do to better the lives of the poor.
Tai was happy, he quickly proposed a soft loan for all the poor Nigerians to enable them start small scale businesses and as they return the loans, other poor people will continue to benefit until it reaches all. IBB clapped for Tai and pleaded with him to champion the noble cause so that the programme can run without a hitch. Tai agreed.
Immediately, a Peoples Bank was formed by Decree and huge fund was pumped into it with Dr. Tai as the Chairman. Poor people were getting funds to start or expand their businesses, it was coordinated by Tai, IBB never gave him any bottleneck, no distractions. But after giving out loans to the poor, the poor refused to return the money, neither did we see their businesses on ground, they have spent the money but no repayment. Wahala de!!
Tai was sweating under the Air conditioning system, “this is trouble”. After many futile attempts to recover the loans, the Celebrated Peoples Bank crashed and became liquidated. Tai was running helter-skelter. He finally went to IBB but IBB was not angry, he merely said “Egbon, see what we are facing in government? It is easy to talk, talk is cheap sir but look at your bank. This is just one small bank that you cannot manage o, imagine how many banks we have, imagine ruling a whole country sir? If people now blamed you for the collapse of the bank you proposed and ran, how will you feel? Don’t worry sir, you will not be prosecuted. Just go home and rest. You have had enough troubles already……thanks for your service to the nation…..”
