By Edidiong Udobia
“Giving honour to whom honour is due”, may be the most appropriate way to describe the grandstanding manner in which the Akwa Ibom state government has chosen to celebrate the former governor of the state, His Excellency, Obong (Arc) Victor Bassey Attah, who will be 80 years on Tuesday, November 20, 2018. According to a release signed by the commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Charles Udoh, there are a number of activities lined-up to mark this epochal event.

Udom Emmanuel

The release reads in part; “Activities lined up to mark this milestone will flag-off on the same day, with the launch of a book in his honour, titled: “It Is Well With My Soul” at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja by 11am.

“Similarly, on Friday, November 23, 2018, an 80th birthday symposium on the topic: “Leadership for Sustainable Development Culture in Africa” will hold at the Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort by 10am. The Symposium, which will be chaired by erudite legal luminary – Femi Falana (SAN), will have the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah as the Lead Speaker.

“On Saturday, November 24, 2018, a State Banquet will then hold in honour of the former Governor, at the Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort by 7pm. The ceremonies will round off on Monday, November 26, 2018 with a Thanksgiving Mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Aka Offot, Uyo by 10 am. The Thanksgiving Mass is open to the public”.

The Udom Emmanuel administration has made quite an impression as one which holds outstanding citizens in high esteem and seizes every opportunity to celebrate them. For instance, Udom is the first governor of the state to hold a special reception/gala in honour of serving and retired Armed Forces Generals of the Nigerian Armed Forces from the state, which held at the Banquet Hall of Government House in Uyo.

Tagged, “Evening with the Generals”, the Governor used the occasion to extol the contributions of Military Generals and Service Men to promoting the peace of Nigeria as a sovereign state. “We acknowledge your contributions to this country, we acknowledge your sacrifices to this country, and we acknowledge what you have done to lead the banner of this country to where we are. We cannot have much to offer but to just say that we appreciate your services in Nigeria”, Governor Udom said.

The governor, at every fora given, never fails to emphasize the need for Akwa Ibom people to accord respect and honour to our past leaders, elders, traditional rulers and other Akwa Ibomites who have served the state or country meritoriously. It’s therefore not so surprising that he will be throwing the gates of the state open for all and sundry as he celebrates Attah.

Fondly called, “The father of modern Akwa Ibom”, Arc. Victor Attah laid the foundation for what has become one of Nigeria’s fastest growing states in resources, economy, infrastructure, etc. Most of the outstanding landmarks in the state today like the Akwa Ibom State University, Independent Power Plant (IPP), Le-Meridien Hotel and Golf Resort, and Ibom International Airport are Attah’s brainchildren. It is also on record that the state is still building most of her infrastructures on Obong Attah’s architectural designs. Indeed, he is one man who saw the future of Akwa Ibom from yesterday. But, his biggest win for the state was the struggle for the onshore/offshore oil dichotomy, which successive governments have come to reap bountifully.

Long after he left office, Attah still remains one of the most unifying human factor Akwa Ibom has ever had. He has earned a reputation as a revolutionary leader; a part of him that has constantly placed him on collision courses with many governments. But it takes only a man like Governor Udom Emmanuel to see the patriotism, and selflessness in Attah despite his daring nature. Moreover, Attah’s birthday is a golden opportunity for Governor Udom to further his call for peace and unity among Akwa Ibom people.

*From years of humiliation to years of honour*

In his article, “COMMENTARY ON OBONG VICTOR ATTAH-BASHING BY PAID SCAVENGERS OF GOV. AKPABIO”, published on Nigerian Voice of February 13, 2013, Uforo Akwaibom wrote, “Ever since the emergence of Godswill Akpabio as the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah has received series of insults, humiliations and deprivation more than any past governor dead or living in the country.

“Initially, it was thought to be as a result of pains occasioned by the fierce struggle through which Governor Akpabio emerged and that over time, pains would give way for sound reasoning and the two would get back together in the interest of the state. Sadly, the bashing has continued even the more till date.”

Perhaps, the celebration of Attah’s 80th birthday by Governor Udom Emmanuel would have been seen as a mere rudimentary gesture, not deserving any special applause if not for the fact that Attah never enjoyed such goodwill under his successor, His Excellency, Godswill Akpabio. Reacting to the state government’s plan for Attah’s birthday, a citizen of the state, Ubong Essien wrote, “Do you know that during the 70th birthday of Obong Attah in 2008, the reception was held at the church field because the 5 Star hotel he built was closed for artificial renovation? I will never forget the days of the emperor…Inienge se ntang o.”

Ubong is just one of the thousands of Akwa Ibomites who are still saddened and will hardly forget all the humiliations that Obong Victor Attah suffered under Godswill Akpabio. The Akpabio-Attah feud may have started during the process of choosing Attah’s successor as Akpabio was clearly not his boss’ preferred candidate. But as one who had the interest of the state at heart, Attah eventually gave his blessings and support to the PDP upon Akpabio’s emergence as the party’s governorship candidate in 2006 ahead of 2007 election.

The feud was however renewed in the early days of Akpabio’s administration following Attah’s open letter to Akpabio advising against the proposed site for the Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Centre, which was originally designed to have a 14-floor storey building, (the tallest in the state, meant for a 258-room five-star hotel), a Cineplex (six cinema halls), shopping mall, 5,000-seat convention centre, and a theme park, comprising wet and dry parks. That gesture led to what later became Attah’s years of humiliation.

Attah was quickly replied with series of baseless accusations like leaving behind N40 billion debt, leaving the airport project at site clearing, conniving with the Igbokwes to bring refurbished printing machines to Pioneer newspapers, making up to 90% payment for the science park when only 10% work was done, etc. It can also be recalled that the Akpabio administration sponsored some elders to write the infamous “What does Attah Want?” advertorial, which was published in several national dailies.

The most humiliating part of the feud would be the controversy over the medical bills of Attah’s late wife, Nnenyin Alison Attah. It can be recalled that shortly after it was reported that the former first lady was battling cancer and was admitted into a Lagos hospital, the husband, Attah lamented that the state government had refused paying his wife’s medical bills. But in a swift response, Akpabio accused Attah of false declaration of his wife’s health status and using same to extort money from the government. As the controversy continued with sustained multiple accusations and counteraccusations, Attah’s wife died in October 2012.

The death of Attah’s wife even aggravated the feud as there were reports that the bereaved family rejected Akpabio’s N45 million donation and condolence message. In an exclusive report, Weekly Insight revealed that Attah’s family rejected all attempts by Akpabio to be involved in the burial arrangements because of his (Akpabio) insincerity. A part of the report reads;

“Two weeks after the remains of the former first lady of Akwa Ibom State, late Nnenyin Alison Attah, was laid to rest in his husband’s country home, Okob Ndua Erong, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, facts have emerged from the bereaved family why they rejected appeals by the State Governor, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, to be involved in the burial arrangements of the immediate past first lady of the state which took place Friday, November 30, 2012.

Why the state government was excluded

“Weekly Insight learnt from a prominent family source of the deceased who pleaded strictest anonymity that the reason why the bereaved family excluded the state government from the burial arrangements was because “governor Godswill Akpabio was not sincere in his approach about the whole thing,” saying, “when the news of the demise of Nnenyin broke out last month (November) in Lagos, several people from across the globe started calling Obong Attah and members of the family to console, including President Goodluck Jonathan who after calling Obong Attah had to issue a public statement consoling the family but Governor Godswill Akpabio did not call or care to issue any statement.”

“The source told Weekly Insight that “a close ally to both Attah and Akpabio informed the family days after the incident that Akpabio and members of his government were fully aware of the passing away of the former first lady, but that why there was no call or condolence message from any official of the state government was because the governor expected the family to inform him officially as the executive governor of Akwa Ibom State before he could console the bereaved family.”

“According to our source, “The woman was sick for years, he never showed any concern. The medical bills of the woman when she was alive, he refused to pay and when she died he expeacted the family to be happy about it, when even President Jonathan heard the sad news on air and through newspapers that reported it and called Attah and even issued a public statement consoling the family. Obong Attah who is bereaved did not inform anybody including the president but people heard and called him to console. Such incident could happen to anyone. All those who sent in their condolences knew about it through newspapers’ reports of the sad incident.”

The Akpabio-Attah feud was sustained through-out the eight years of Akpabio and into the build up to the 2015 elections, which led to Obong Attah’s declaration of support to the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Obong Umana Okon Umana. That was immediately followed by a rumoured suspension of Attah by the PDP for “anti-party activities”. Of course, Akpabio was fingered in the suspension saga. In the heat of that pressure, Attah announced his retirement from partisan politics.

“Indeed I made utterances and I stand by all of them including those ones for which I was, from time to time, accused of anti-party activities. The tragedy for the PDP is to now blame its failure on such utterances rather than its perilous refusal to heed the warning they convey… I can formally state that I have quit partisan politics to play the role of an elder statesman and to continue to serve this country with love, strength, and faith with integrity to the best of my ability. Let nobody take this to mean that I want to remain in the PDP or therefore jump to the opposite conclusion that I am going over to APC or any other party for that matter,” Attah said while addressing a press conference in 2015.

With the emergence of Mr. Udom Emmanuel as governor in 2015, things started to turn around. Attah, who was completely isolated from state activities in the last administration, began to grace state functions and was always given the prominence he deserves. It was very heartwarming for Akwa Ibom people to finally see one of her greatest leaders accorded the honour he deserves after many years of humiliation. Perhaps, it was out of this overflowing joy, that Akwa Ibom people renewed the call for the Ibom International Airport to be renamed after Attah. Whether Governor Emmanuel will hearken to this call or not, is not ascertained. What is however sure, is that, with this 80th birthday, Obong Victor Attah will finally wear his crown of honour.

Edidiong Udobia is a journalist, and writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.