Nigerian professor, entrepreneur, and former presidential candidate Pat Utomi has described Akwa Ibom State’s Governor Victor Attah as a leader who has attained “immortality”, citing the enduring influence of his development vision.
Mr Utomi, also a professor of entrepreneurship at Lagos Business School, assessed this in a Facebook post on Friday after travelling from Ikot Ekpene to Victor Attah International Airport to welcome former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the unveiling of a media platform in Uyo.
Reflecting on the journey, Mr Utomi said the experience reminded him of the foundations Mr Attah laid during his eight-year tenure as governor and how his development initiatives continued to influence the state beyond his time in office.
“I was reminded of the foundation that one decent, visionary man of character, Obong Victor Attah, laid as Governor of Akwa Ibom State, and the fruits of his labour, so evident even in the work of his successors, both good and bad,” he wrote. Mr Utomi said the experience gave him a renewed appreciation of transformational leadership, particularly the ability to envision a future beyond immediate political considerations and persevere in pursuing it despite opposition.
“These are the people who see tomorrow and persevere to bring it about, even in the face of determined opposition,” he said. He added that Mr Attah had “attained immortality, like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Michael Okpara and Sir Ahmadu Bello,” while continuing to live simply.
Mr Attah, an architect and politician, governed Akwa Ibom from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007, becoming one of the principal figures in the state’s development following Nigeria’s return to civil rule in 1999. His administration pursued major infrastructure and economic development projects, including establishing an international airport, the Ibom Power Plant, developing the Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort, and planning an Ibom Deep