A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Soludo, has given reasons why he sent his family into exile during the implementation of the banks consolidation of 2004.
Soludo, who last week declared his intention to run for the governorship of Anambra State on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, said this at an interactive session with some journalists in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
He said he received several threats to their lives of his family when he introduced the banking consolidation policy in 2004, adding that there were no fewer than 19 of such threats in writing.
He said a good leader must be adamant and revolutionary when embarking on progressive policies.
Soludo, who said his quest to govern Anambra tate was not for personal enrichment as God had blessed him all round, even before he became 30 years, told newsmen: “I am a very impatient person to see change happen and I am passionate in anything I focus on.
“At that time, no bank in Nigeria was in the top 1,000 banks in the world.
“If you needed to make an investment of $500 million, you had to go through the then 39 banks and it was an impossible task.
“If you wanted to borrow abroad, there was no bank here to guarantee that.
“So, I came to the realisation that if we wanted to build a private sector-driven economy, it was not possible with the rickety ‘mama and papa’ banks, which could not guarantee even N3 million loan.
“We, therefore, needed to pull down the house and rebuild it.
“There was nothing I did not see.
“I received 19 written threats to my life.
“Even there were attempts to kidnap my children at Offa in Kwara State.
“So, it was a very brutal revolution.
“I had to evacuate my family during the banking consolidation because when you want to uproot a system, it is usually a deadly routine.”