Good afternoon, Learned RG. Sorry I am late.
It is alright Che.
I HAD WANTED TO ASK JUST 10 QUESTIONS BUT I ARRIVED LATE AND I AM INFORMED THAT YOU WOULD BE TRAVELING
That’s true but let’s have the interview.
I HAVE CANCELLED OUT MOST OF THE QUESTIONS AND WISH TO ASK YOU PERSONAL QUESTIONS.
Che, I don’t do personal interviews. I am here to serve the Commission and Nigerians.
YES, BUT NIGERIANS WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE. YOUR STAFF COMPLAIN THAT YOU ARE A WORKAHOLIC AND DRIVE THEM NUTS
Leadership, is about carrot and stick. For me, it is 
not all about punishment. A leader must have sense of empathy. What I don’t condone, is a staff not doing his or her work well and within the time allotted for such task.
The Commission pays salaries and allowances as when due. There are good incentives, so why should staff give their best to the Commission?
ARE YOU A SLAVE DRIVER?
No. I take every task with high sense of responsibility and I expect same level of seriousness from those in my team, working with me. From afar, I may look unapproachable, but if you are up your game and take your tasks with high sense of responsibility, you will find me amenable.
THAT’S TRUE, I CAN ATTEST TO IT.
Thanks Che.
HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO ADMINISTER A MULTI-RELIGIOUS OUTFIT LIKE CAC.
I am here to serve Nigeria. Regardless of religion, we are Nigerians and I do not discriminate or grant any favor to any staff. You get what you deserve. My God, will ask me to account, if I am unfair to anybody because he or she doesn’t share my faith. My immediate support staff are made up of competent staff and not because they are of any religious persuasions. I have Christians and Muslims in my team.
HOW ABOUT US AFRICAN TRADITIONAL WORSHIPPERS, ARE WE IN YOUR TEAM?
You see, there is a debate about registering them. But the problem is, their mode of worship is not open. They are done in secret and not open to all Nigerians to join or participate. How can one regulate them? They act like occult and the Commission cannot register them without a clear form of worship.
HOW DO YOU RELAX
When there are special duties, we over stay in the Commission but on a good day, I leave the Commission latest by 7. We have also had cause to work throughout the night to be able to meet deadlines.
OGA, HOW DO YOU RELAX
I sleep peacefully but because I am the approving officer in charge of granting Consent to applicants for IT, at times I hardly sleep because staff push these applications to me late.
We are working on how to minimize this. But you know since we migrated from analogue to digital, there have been hitches here and there that requires hands on the deck constantly. We are doing well and soon all will run without glitches.
I relax by playing badminton. But because of the rains, I have not been faithful. Our court is an open air court. I socialize, I have friends and colleagues that we have come a long way. I visit them and we have socialize.
Also in this era of internet, WhatsApp etc, I keep abreast with social issues.
HOW ABOUT YOUR STAFF. I KNOW THAT CAC USED TO PARTICIPATE IN GAMES THEY ONCE PLAYED NBA/ACCREDITED AGENTS WHEN CAC WAS IN ZONE 5.
There is a gym in the Commission. A trainer comes after close of work, to train those who are interested. We organize aerobics. The Commission participates in Public Service Games. As part of the Commission’s social cooperate responsibility, the Commission sponsors some disabled athletes in FCT.
WHO IS AG ABUBAKAR?
Alhaji Garba Abubakar, fondly called AG by staff and accredited agents of CAC, hails from Bauchi State. He was born on October 7, 1966. He got educated at Government Secondary School, Gumau in Bauchi State.
He obtained his law degree at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1988 and was called to the bar in 1989.
AG had worked with the National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria (NICON) between 1995 and 2004.
He resigned in April 2004 as Senior Manager (Perfection & Securitisation) to take up appointment with the CAC.
AG was appointed the Registrar General/CEO of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on 7th January, 2020.
Until his appointment as RG, he was the Director in charge of Compliance/Litigation at the CAC.
He had earlier served as the Special Adviser to the former Registrar General between 2010 and 2017. In that position, he championed the reforms on ease of doing business particularly in the areas of Electronic Registration, Consolidation of Registration Forms, Integration of the CAC. Registration Portal with the FIRS Stamp Duty Portal, Reduction of Registration fees, Direct Registration by First Directors/Subscribers as well as the Creation of Public Search Window which provides free information to the public on all entities registered by CAC.
