The former Governor of Akwa Ibom State Arc. (Obong) Victor Attah is one hero we have failed to recognise in Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria in general. For some of us who might not know the man very well, he is an accomplished professional in the field of Architecture. He has been the President of Nigerian Institute of Architects and also a member of foreign architectural bodies.

He has contributed to the development of Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria in general. For the records, he was one of the planners of Abuja master plan - the capital city of Nigeria, the regional master plan of Akwa Ibom State, Uyo capital city master plan, University of Port Harcourt Master plan, University of Calabar masterplan, Maritime Academy of Nigeria Masterplan, Akwa Ibom University of Science & Technology Masterplan etc.

Today, what Akwa Ibom State is, is the selfless leadership of the man. He is regarded as the father of modern Akwa Ibom State even though the present governor is trying to steal that honour. He laid the proper foundation for Akwa Ibom State to take off and be a state to envy. This he did by initiating projects that will last for generations to come. This included the Ibom International Airport with a hanger and maintenance facility. (Not just a commercial airport),Ibom Power Plant, (actually he brought the idea of independent power plant before lagos and Rivers state copied), Ibom Science Park (which the present governement has abandoned because he lacks vision of the project), Ibom Ship building yard, Le Meridian Ibom Hotel and Golf resort; the best Le Meridian Hotel in Nigeria (with a 18 hole golf course and 9 hole practice pitch), Akwa Ibom University of Science & Technology (which the present governor has relocated to a Model Secondary at Ikot Akpaden built by Obong Attah in order to put his name as the initiator of the project) Ibom Plaza, upgrading of Uyo from a mere state capital to a city with excellent dualised roads and modern facilitiesetc.

Also he initiated urban water schemes with water works built in about 10 local government to articulate clean and safe water for the citizens of the state. (which the present governor has abadoned for digging borehole around for cheap popularity of providing water supply in the state, which normally breeakdown after commisioning like the one in my village.) The water works if completed will employ thousands of youth to oversee the supply of water and also the maintenance of the equipments, he again reactivated three companies which the present state governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio has abandoned. They include Champion Breweries, Peacock Paints and Plasto Crown Plastics. He completed the State Secretariat which is adjudged the best in Nigeria and relocated offices that were initially at rented apartments.

I have decided not to mention roads because when it comes to road construction, Arc. Attah was not selfish like Godswill who has dualised the road leading to his village and also constructed all the roads in his village. Attah didn't dualised the road leading to his village because the road leading to the State Secretariat (Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar Avenue), Le meridian Hotel, Airport and Shelter Afrique/Mobil Housing Estate, Ewet Housing Estate etc wasn't dualised which he dualised. At the end of his 8 year tenure was when he awarded the contract for the dualisation of the road leading to his village which is also in the limits of Uyo Capital city. Mind you the road has lots on banks situated.

Fellow Nigerians the list can go on and on. Maybe I will have to do a part two. So I see no reason why the present Governor Chief Godswill Akpabio is making it look as if he is the first governor or like he normally says the messiah, jeremiah - building the broken walls of Akwa Ibom. When were the walls broken? Is it not now that the walls are shattered into pieces, which is why we need the senator to come and build in the person of Senator John James Akpanudoedehe. Akpabio should not brag because he has failed. Attah was very successful that is why "Success without a successor is a failure."

Are you talking about Victor Attah's accomplishments or his rivalry with the governor?. For your information, The gas master plan was the brain child of President Yar'adua and Lukeman but the glory goes to Dieziani so that's the way it works in Nigeria and no one gives credit to the concept creator but the executor.

Well as far as I am concerned there is no rivalry between Attah and Akpabio. Who is Akpabio? You can"t compare at all. All I am trying to do is to show case one Nigerian we have ignored. Obasanjo can testify of this man who was on his neck during the onshore/offshore dichotomy.

To me it doesn't make sense when we praise the executor who most times will not give credit to the initiator, like what has happened in Akwa Ibom State. Akpabio is in the news today because Attah set the right foundation which he is claiming as his own project. Nigerians always seek cheap popularity. Diezani is there because of Jonathan period. If she is that smart, why didn't she make waves in the works and aviation ministry. Something connects them. Find out!

o.p, Attah may be one of the greatest architects of Nigeria but he's definitely no hero.
Design and Execution are two different things
as the person that drew the master-plan, one would have expected a rapid transformation of the state, but no, he practically executed nothing for 8 years