Utomi says Akwa Ibom ex-governor Victor Attah has attained ‘immortality’

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.

Attah’s enduring legacy

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 Seaport. The state later renamed the airport Victor Attah International Airport in 2018 to recognise his contributions to the state.

Mr Attah initiated the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility at Victor Attah International Airport. Still, the project was abandoned before his successor, Udom Emmanuel, revived it and inaugurated it in May 2023.

Subsequent reports showed that outstanding construction and operational requirements remained under Governor Umo Eno, whose administration was still pursuing a partnership to bring the facility into full operation in August 2026.

Beyond infrastructure, Mr Attah became a prominent advocate of resource control and fiscal federalism, insisting that oil-producing states should receive a fairer share of revenue generated from their natural resources.

His advocacy was particularly noteworthy in the Niger Delta, where communities and state governments had long demanded more benefits from petroleum wealth extracted from the region.

The struggle over derivation revenue became a major constitutional and political issue during the administration of Mr Obasanjo, who was president from 1999 to 2007, the same period Mr Attah governed Akwa Ibom.

Mr Attah’s campaign for resource control helped put revenue allocation and the rights of oil-producing states at the centre of national debate. The constitutional principle of derivation provides for a share of revenue from natural resources to be returned to the areas from which the resources are derived.

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Beyond monuments

Mr Utomi’s remarks place Mr Attah’s legacy within a bigger debate about the meaning of leadership and how political performance should be assessed after an administration leaves office.

By comparing the former governor with Awolowo, Okpara and Ahmadu Bello, Mr Utomi suggested that a leader’s lasting importance lies not only in the projects completed during his tenure, but also in the institutions, ideas and development pathways that survive him.

Late Awolowo, the former premier of Western Nigeria, was associated with major social welfare and education programmes. Okpara, who led the former Eastern Region, was known for agricultural and industrial development. At the same time, Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, was a central political figure in Northern Nigeria’s development and administration.

Mr Utomi’s assessment goes beyond the physical infrastructure associated with Mr Attah’s administration. It frames the former governor’s legacy by how far his vision continued to shape the state under successive governments.

However, Mr Utomi’s tribute was a personal assessment of Mr Attah’s leadership, rather than a comprehensive evaluation of the former governor’s record.

Mr Attah, born on 20 November 1938, turned 87 in November 2025. His political and professional career has continued to attract public attention, including at the 2025 launch of a biography chronicling his life and career.