Today, Eighty Seven(87) years ago, in the then remote community of Okop Ndua Erong, in Asutan Ekpe clan of Ibesikpo/Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah was born as the third child to the family of Obong Bassey Udo Adiaha Attah. His mother was Madam Agnes Bassey Attah.
The young Victor Attah was a pupil of Native Authority School, Okop Ndua Erong before proceeding to Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar. Obong Victor Attah obtained his Bsc Degree from Leeds College of Arts, London, a PGD in Building Science from Liverpool University in 1965 and crowned it with a Master's Degree in Advanced Architectural designs from Colombia University in New York.
This promising son of Obong Bassey Udo Adiaha Attah was a very successful and most sought after Architect among his peers.
Being born to lead and build, he delved into the murky waters of politics, the path his father, Obong Bassey Udo Adiaha Attah charted with the legendary Ibibio State Union, a path that was to engrave his name in the annals of Nigerian history as a true Patriot, a nationalist, one of the most outstanding leaders to emerge from the Niger Delta region of this country.
And when Obong Attah threw his hat into the ring to contest for the Governorship seat of Nigeria's oil rich Akwa Ibom State in 1999, he did so not necessarily because he wanted to register his name as the pioneer Civilian Governor of the State in the fourth Republic, but rather to help lay a solid foundation for the future development of the State.
And as God will have it, he was overwhelmingly given the mandate by Akwa Ibom people.
Once sworn in, Architect Victor Attah swung into action, armed with a master plan which he deployed the very best of his architectural acumen to design with the NOSTRADAMUS insight in him.
Yes, Obong Victor Attah came with the sincerity of heart to bequeath to Akwa Ibom a development model that was to position the State as a one-stop development hub in Nigeria.
Between years 2000 and 2002 when ICT and wireless communication was making its way to our part of the World, Obong Attah saw the limitless future opportunities in the sector and immediately grabbed them with both hands, becoming the very first Governor to invest in the then Econet Wireless which has transformed to the Airtel we have today.
He went on to establish the Victor Attah Digital Opportunity Centre( VADOC) at the present Ministry of Science and Digital Economy in Uyo. Today, most financial transactions are done using digital platforms and it was Obong Attah's vision that Akwa Ibom should become a major player in the sector and one of the key beneficiaries of the economic windfall that ICT offers. VADOC was also intended to offer young Akwa Ibomites the opportunity to acquire needed ICT skills in order to compete favourably in the contemporary market place.
Obong Victor Bassey Attah initiated the Ibom International Airport, now proudly named after him as 'Victor Attah International Airport'.
He did not just dream an airport, but one with a Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO)facility. That was the Nostradamus Attah. Akwa Ibom Airport is the very first with the MRO facility in the West African sub region and thankfully, succeeding Governors followed suit with the project which will be commissioned soon.
Once the MRO becomes functional, the Ibom Airport will become a beehive of activities as most airlines will take full advantage of the MRO to maintain their fleets.
Obong Attah built the Ibom Power plant, another foresighted project in order to ensure Akwa Ibom could boost of steady power supply to drive industrial growth in the State.
Sadly, Nigerian politics and power play had delayed the full realisation of this vision before now. But gladly too, there is a silver lining in the sky with the State owned Power Company in place. Akwa Ibom shall celebrate a two-four-seven power supply soon, all things being equal.
This adventurous leader of our time went into Tourism and also left a legacy of global magnitude with the first ever 5-star hotel resort, complimented with a world class 18- holes Golf Course. Today, the Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort stands out as a flagship tourism attraction that has steadily drawn tourist traffic to the State in their droves.
Again, we see the Nostradamus hindsight in the Pan Niger Delta Leader when he opted for a Technology based tertiary institution for the State. Obong Attah had designed the Akwa Ibom State University to operate as a University of Technology, where marine engineering and other technology/ ICT related studies where to form core of the University's programmes.
The choice of it's location, the riverine bay of Mkpat Enin was equally strategic.
To provide practical experience for the students, Obong Attah initiated the Ibom Science Park, which was to become another hub for technology incubation, innovation and expansion in the State.Perhaps if the Ibom Science Park had been completed, may be Akwa Ibom indigenes would have had a place in world class ICT firms like Amazon or even Opay.
But hope is not totally lost as the man with the finishing anointing, Governor Umo Eno, PhD is steadily breathing life into most abandoned projects with veritable prospects for the State.
Even in his Housing and Urban Renewal programmes, Obong Victor Attah opted to situate his housing estates like the Shelter Afrique in far flung ends of the State, giving room for future expansion of Uyo, the State capital.
And so, when he commenced his advocacy for resource control and fiscal federalism in the county, he was leading a just campaign for equitable distribution of the Country's resources to ensure that resource bearing States like ours get more for the risks and damages oil production has done to our land and people. He wanted more resources for the State to enable him and those that would succeed him fully actualise all the landmark projects to guarantee a secured future for the present and future generations of Akwa Ibom people.
Therefore, as we join his family, millions of friends, contemporaries and well wishers the world over to celebrate this icon of Modern Akwa Ibom, I would conclude by saying that for the truth, Architect (Obong)Victor Attah, the Eduek Ekpe Asutan Ekpe, Ada Idaha K'Efik Eburutu remains the undisputed NOSTRADAMUS in Akwa Ibom leadership trajectory.
Aniekan Bassey, Chairman Senate Committee on Diaspora is the Senator Representing Akwa North East (Uyo) Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly in Abuja.
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