From INIOBONG SUNDAY, Uyo
The fight for Resource Control, which forced the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to deny Akwa Ibom State her derivation funds, the onshore/offshore oil dichotomy issues and other legacies of Obong Victor Attah, the second civilian Governor of Akwa Ibom State are expected to resonate at the 86th birthday colloquium of am elderstateman on Wednesday, November 20.
The Local Organising Committee LOC, a leading intellectual hub and reading culture promotion group in Akwa Ibom State, Uyo Book Club UBC, in a statement made available to our Correspondent on Sunday, said the ceremony which holds at the Lord Lugard Hall of Warbridge Hotel, will attract eminent intellectuals, the political class, statesmen and associates of the former Governor, who would reminisced on his life and political leadership that shaped the State and Nigeria.
Speaking in Uyo, the State capital on Sunday ahead of the event, the founder and President of the UBC, Dr. Udeme Nana, one of Obong Attah’s associates and close aide, the Colloquium in honour of his mentor, has become a yearly ritual to reflect on his life and leadership style that had laid the foundation for sustainable development of morden Akwa Ibom since 1999.
He said: “The Keynote Speaker is Sir S. U. Akpan, former commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning in the administration of Governor Attah, will be chaired by Abom Tony Esu, former member, House of Representatives.
“Sir Akpan, the Keynote Speaker is a University of Lagos -trained Accountant, and Birmingham University trained Economist. He started out as an Auditor in the Eastern Nigeria Regional Government, Rose to the rank of Permanent Secretary in the Government of the late Dr. Clement Isong, in the former Cross River State.
“He ran a successful management consulting firm in the country and became the commissioner for Finance, helping to manage the finances of the State when President Olusegun Obasanjo, starved Akwa Ibom State of Derivation Funds.
“Sir Akpan, is an apostle of bottom – up approach to development. A very experienced, knowledgeable and cerebral scholar and bureaucrat, his presentation has prospects of setting an agenda for discussion after the event, Nana, noted
He explained that the forum became necessary every year to honour Attach, who, according to him, “ranks among the iconic statesmen Nigeria, and urged that the State Government and other State governments in the South South should celebrate Obong Attah, “for his resolute struggles which led to the payment of Derivation funds to States without the onshore – offshore dichotomy,” noting that “billions of naira rolling into the coffers of States now is because Obong Attah stood up and led the advocacy”.
