Abubakar Alhaji, diplomat, and former minister of Finance, dies
An icon of the Nigerian public/civil service and scion of the Sokoto Caliphate, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, passed on yesterday in Abuja after wrestling with bouts of illness. Famously called ‘Triple A,’ many will remember him as a virtual embodiment of the Nigerian civil service where he rose through the ranks and served at various levels from the local to the federal. He was also a veritable partaker in the traditional power base of the inimitable Sokoto caliphate. That base, in addition to his Western education and privileged public service roles, made him a major pillar of what may be described as Nigeria’s deep state – that powerful combination of traditional clout, bureaucratic consequence and contemporary relevance. This power base made him a permanent feature of various changing regimes, especially during the military era.
Privileged background and diverse exposures also earned ‘Triple A’ a place of power among leaders of industry and the commanding heights of the private sector. At different epochs, he occupied several positions on the boards of major companies. At the height of his career, he became somewhat synonymous with the northern power block known then as the ‘Kaduna Mafia’ because of its overwhelming influence in championing northern regional interests, especially in the post- civil war era. Successive regimes, both civil and military, were known to seek the counsel and support of men like him. But it is also noteworthy that ‘Triple A’ was very well prepared for all the roles he played in our national life, given his education and exposure.
After attending primary and secondary schools in Sokoto, Kano and Katsina, the late Alhaji had his tertiary education at Bournemouth College of Commerce and Technology and University of Reading, both in the United Kingdom. Quite remarkably, while studying in the UK, ‘Triple A’ lived at the Buckingham Palace, at the instance of his uncle and then Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello. He later attended The Hague Institute of Social Sciences, Holland and the IMF Institute, Washington, DC, USA, among several other academic institutions. Apart from the Sardaunan Sokoto title, ‘Triple A’ was also a Knight of the British Empire, an honour bestowed upon him in 1989.
During his lllustrious career spanning decades, ‘Triple A’ was one of the most visible faces in the Nigerian civil/public service. He was at various periods the Executive Secretary, FESTAC ‘75 International Secretariat; and Permanent Secretary in ministries of Finance, Trade as well as Budget and Planning. In 1984, he was appointed Minister of State for Budget and Planning; and between 1988 and 1990, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development. In 1992, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji was appointed Nigeria’s High commissioner to the UK, a post he held until 1996 when he retired from public service.
‘Triple A’ represented Nigeria in many global institutions, among them the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning, Dakar, Senegal; Interim Committee of International Monetary Fund (IMF); Advisory Committee on Global Coalition for Africa; Advisory Committee on Remuneration of Executive Directors and their alternative to IMF/ World Bank; Advisory Committee of experts on Third World Debt under the auspices of Non-Aligned Movement; Board of Governors, OPEC Fund, Vienna; Commonwealth Secretary-General Drafting Committee on Third World Debt; Commonwealth Society for the Deaf, among others.
We commiserate with the Sokoto caliphate on the passing of ‘Triple A’. He was a stabilising force in times of national crisis. May his soul rest in peace.