14 Facts About Sam Aluko

Samuel Aluko was a Nigerian public economist and scholar who wrote articles and papers that analyzed government's social and economic policies.

Sam Aluko was a well known commentator on public finance and was critical about international multilateral development banks constructs and policies about Nigeria's economic conditions and the solutions prescribed to solve economic problems.

Sam Aluko was involved in the politics of Ado-Ekiti during the pre-independence period and was a follower of Zikist anti-colonialism philosophy.

Sam Aluko was appointed to head its austerity committee which was set up to find ways to save money.

In 1962, Sam Aluko was approached to serve as the regional economic adviser of the Western region.

Sam Aluko accepted the offer on the condition that his new salary be reduced to the level he was paid at Ife stating that he will not be more productive at the new job than what he was doing at Ife.

In 1965, when Saburi Biobaku, the deputy Vice-Chancellor of UNIFE advised all lecturers to support the party of the day, which was NNDP, a splinter group of the Action Group led by Samuel Akintola, Aluko sided with Awolowo's side of the Action Group who were receptive of the recommendations offered by the Ife group.

Sam Aluko offered to resign and gave a 3 month notice, the resignation was accepted immediately and he was ordered to vacate official premises as soon as possible, he left the university and joined the economics department of University of Nigeria.

Sam Aluko's view was drawing funds through higher rates of taxation and tracking tax defaulters to generate government income.

Sam Aluko supported measures to increase workers productivity through better supervision and cutting of waste such as subsidized rent and allowances to government employees.

Sam Aluko was critical of the liberalization prescriptions of the structural adjustment programme adopted by the government.

Sam Aluko faulted the benefits of free market currency devaluation and high interest rates that came after the programme was implemented.

Sam Aluko and his wife Joyce Aluko have six children, including Bolaji Aluko, the first born and Gbenga Aluko, a former senator.

Sam Aluko spent most of his academic career at University of Ife and retired in 1980.