Attah: When projects existed in the air
By Samuel Effiong, from Uyo
Saturday, October 13, 2007

•Akpabio Photo: Sun News Publishing

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Reading through an article with the above headline in some newspapers, recently, some decent-minded persons must have felt a sense of indignation caused by the writer's choice of words. But Fidel Odum, the writer, must have been so desperate to justify his worth and wage that he did not mind describing a sitting governor as a "scoundrel".

Clearly, he set out to eulogise ex-Governor Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom State and his purported projects. Well, there may be nothing wrong with that, except that Odum ended up exposing his ignorance. In fact, he made it so obvious that he has never been to Akwa Ibom or was too eager to please his paymasters; thus spreading falsehood as "facts on ground".

The totality of the whole exercise was image-laundering for Attah. The likes of Fidel Odum and the other faceless names like Patrick Uya, Akan Okon, etc, with long spuriously analytical write-ups labour endlessly to make Attah the greatest achiever of all times - all on the pages of newspapers. Their ultimate aim, at best, is to distract the present administration of Chief Godswill Akpabio from his set people-oriented programmes.

This writer would not have bothered to respond to the barrage of falsehood perpetrated by these paid agents against Gov Akpabio but for their use of words. For instance, in Champion of Sept 21, 2007 and Thisday of Sept 23, 2007 they claimed that: “…what is happening now shows that Akpabio might have another agenda and this will, if not checked, reduce Akpabio to a scoundrel”.
For any writer, journalist or medium to describe any sitting governor as a "scoundrel" shows the level some people are prepared to go to satisfy their pockets. Indeed, it is a shame that a man like Fidel Odum, who has been writing articles for years has reduced himself to a paid agent against a governor.

History of the emergence of Chief Akpabio as governor is well known to all Nigerians. Despite the power of incumbency and the over N13billion purportedly spent by Attah to impose Dr Udoma Bob Ekarika, his son-in-law, and daughter on Akwa Ibom State, the people's will prevailed. Ninety-nine per cent of Akwa Ibom people revolted against such imposition and voted for Akpabio both at the primaries and overwhelmingly so at the April 2007 gubernatorial election. In fact, many watchers of politics in Akwa Ibom insist that even if the election is to be re-conducted today, Akpabio would still defeat Ekarika, no matter the sponsored smear campaign through the likes of Fidel Odum.

Well-meaning persons are indeed worried about the falsehood Nigerians are being fed daily about Attah and his projects in Akwa Ibom State. That he published a magazine named Finance News in May with a caption: "8years of Achievement......" with purportedly completed projects that are yet to leave the foundation stage speaks volumes about a man's desperate bid to leave behind a legacy.

His International Airport in the said magazine is completed with a runway that has a plane on it. Yet, in reality, out of 3.6 kilometres of the runway, only one kilometre has been cleared by Gitto and stockpiled with laterite. No portion has been asphalted. And no foundation has been laid for the MRO facility, the terminal building, the hanger, etc. Yet, more than 90 per cent of the cost has been settled by Attah. And Finance News said the airport has been completed; just to show that Attah has achieved a lot.

The real fact, which Odum and his ilk refused to tell Nigerians, is that even now, the present administration of Governor Akpabio is said to be considering a full fledged renegotiation with Dyncorp, the contractors, in New York, to reappraise and possibly enter into a new contract for the completion of the airport. The former agreement, according to the contractors, it must be noted, had "no guarantee of cost; no guarantee of schedule!"

What went wrong with the project? At the moment, the only work going on at the airport is the trading of blames between Attah's consultant, Mr Ime Ekanem ( said to have collected over $56million as consultancy fees and most of it paid up front) and the contractors.
With Fidel Odum's praises, a Judicial Commission of Inquiry may be the only answer for the public to know the truth about the so-called Attah's projects. This is highly recommended for Akpabio's administration, if this issue of self-glorification must be settled once and for all.

Gov Akpabio must however be saluted for taking the initiative of injecting huge funds into on-going projects before starting new ones. Already, reports have it that he has settled more than N20billion of the inherited debt profile to contractors and banks. Akpabio is seen weekly inspecting old projects such as the construction of Oron Road, handled by Zerok; charging them to complete the project for the benefit and comfort of Akwa Ibom people. Attah should drop this persecution syndrome because he cannot truthfully say he does not know about those smear campaigns on the pages of newspapers.

Why should a man who should assume a position of a statesman go round sponsoring falsehood and attracting condemnation? Recently, he was even reported to have ridiculed himself at Akwa Ibom Summit in North Carolina, USA, with a claim that he achieved so much while in office such that Akwa Ibom now enjoys 24 hours of electricity supply from the IPP project - the only state in the country to do so.

Unknown to Attah, such deceit can no longer last in a world that is fast becoming a global village. He was challenged and booed and he left the scene in shame. A big lesson on how not to launder ones image. Former Governor Attah took eight years to list the projects thus mentioned in the Finance News with less than 20 per cent of them completed. At the recent MTN Golf Tournament held in Akwa Ibom, this writer personally witnessed that even the Ibom Meridien Hotel and Golf Resort is yet to be completed, though hurriedly commissioned five months ago by Attah. While most of the rooms were yet to be wired for electricity, some had no ceilings.

So far, the project is said to have cost the present government hundreds of millions of naira. And the general opinion is that Akpabio should put more money into the hotel since it is viable for Akwa Ibom people. The governor is well advised not to abandon the project in anger or get distracted by the likes of Fidel Odum.

The essence of voting a government into power is so that it can achieve something for the people. Attah was not using his personal money for the said projects; so this self-glorification should come to a stop. Political watchers still wonder if all the money collected and earmarked went into the said projects. It is possible that if EFCC and ICPC conclude investigations into Attah’s era, Fidel Odum and co may allow the new administration a chance to perform. Even now, some people still blame Akpabio for not doing enough to recover the money wasted in that era.

Let us hope that the remaining projects handled by very close associates of Attah and still being funded by Akpabio’s administration would be completed soon for Attah to take the much-anticipated glory. And in this direction, Akwa Ibom people are holding their breath and pleading with one of Attah’s associates who handles the furnishing of the 5-star hotel to complete it for the hotel to go into commercial use.

Fidel Odum and his group who are intent on making a saint out of Attah should know that Nigerians are not fools. And Akpabio should be commended for being meticulous. If everything is okay with a project like AKUTECH (Akwa Ibom State University of Technology), why did the Vice Chancellor panic and resign even before the appraisal panel started its sitting? A school that has only a skeletal form of residential structures in a thick swamp, without any academic or administrative block deserves questioning. Why was it necessary to attempt to confiscate a secondary school for the purpose of starting the school in Sept, 2007, when nothing is on ground? In fact, no enabling law setting up the school yet!

After eight years of governance and projects only completed on the pages of newspapers, Attah should do well to give Akpabio a chance to do his job; instead of engaging the likes of Odum to distract him.
Political pundits fear that until the end of this administration, Attah would not forget the 2006 PDP guber primaries, where he failed to secure a ticket for his son-in-law. Examples abound to prove that Attah never forgets; and never ever forgives.

For instance, he fought Chief Don Etiebet, who single-handedly brought him into power for eight years and up till today. Throughout Attah’s tenure, Etiebet was sidelined and driven out of the PDP and the state. The story of Air Marshall Nsikak Eduok is well known all over the state. For daring to advice that Attah should allow a younger generation into governance in 1999, he was marginalized throughout Attah’s tenure.

Some other well known politicians like Chief Etukudo Ekpro, who ventured to suggest anything contrary to Attah’s views went to their graves without reconciliation. Chief Uffot Ekaete did not fare better in Attah’s rage of revenge as spurious security reports were sent to the then President Olusegun Obasanjo against him. It is in Attah’s character never to reconcile, despite daily Catholic masses. The words: reconciliation and forgiveness have no meaning for him.

When Chief Ekwueme’s led PDP reconciliation team visited Akwa Ibom, Attah was out of the country. Therefore, the hope of reconciliation between him and his erstwhile political son may be dimmed, forever. So, this writer would just advice Akpabio to brace up for more smear campaigns throughout his tenure; for it is in Attah’s character. His aim might well be: “What I could not stop let me destroy”! So, Fidel Odum and his ilk should carry on.