The very intelligent and sagacious elder statesman and former executive
governor of Akwa Ibom State- Obong Victor Attah during a two hour
interview on Planet 101.1 FM today, Tuesday 28 March, 2017 after quite a
long time of reticence finally lend his voice on issues affecting the
polity at the state and national level and successfully did so leaving
so stir behind.
The Architect and chief to the greatest chagrin and
disappoint of many fans the made a wonderful interview replete with
punctuations of half truths and dodges by accusing the present
administration of lack of knowledge on how to implement certain projects
and failure to complete same, blamed PDP the platform on which he was
Governor of corruption.
He further bragged about how people friendly his
administration was and lamented how he's unaware of any addition or
improvement in the state by way of infrastructure and otherwise since
he left office.
However, when the listeners started contributing in
questions about his own performance and completion of his own projects
after 8 years at the hilltop mansion the former governor failed to come
clean in his response.
For instance when asked to state a single project
he started and completed in his 8years residency at the hilltop mansion
considering the fact that the information available to Akwa Ibom people
is that as at when he left the Le Meridien Hotels and Suites project
was not completed, the Akwa Ibom Airport was not in existence at all and
Ibom Science Park is till date a mere figment of the imagination; in
response the patriarch stated that his send forth and the reception for
Gov. Godswil Akpabio held at Le Meridien and that he is not aware of any
addition that has been made on the project since he left though
admitting that completion may vary, he coyly avoided answering the
question regarding Ibom Science Park and the air port. But the Presenter
quickly directed his attention to Akwa State University and he simply
denied knowledge of the existence of such institution.
The former
governor repeatedly, blatantly and emphatically stated that he is not
aware of infrastructures provided in the state this immediate past
decade since he left office as governor and even accused the state house
of assembly of being tied to the apron strings of the governor.
Truth be told, Obong Attah did his best as Governor of Akwa Ibom State
with the resources available to him as at then considering the fact that
Akwa Ibom a still had so much money than other states making marks then
like Cross River State under Mr. Donald Duke but attempting to smear
the performance of Udom Emmanuel who is barely 2 years a governor with
so much already to show is very hypocritical for someone who has
practically a "bouquet of nothings" to show for his 8 years at the
government house.
Interestingly, it is not a secret that there was
no airport in Akwa Ibom state by the time Obong Attah left even when
outrageous portions of public funds were squandered the guise of paying a
certain Ime Ekanem as consultant to the airport project.
The clamor for
probe was only dismissed by the good will of Sen. Godswil Akpabio who
reinvested in the project and commissioned Akwa Ibom International
Airport barely two years as Governor. Common "Thank You Akpabio" isn't
too much for Obong Attah to say for that bail out.
Equally, it is on
record that Le Meridien had 80 rooms as at the time Obong Attah left
office and Godswill Akpabio added 80 more rooms and other facilities.
It
is also on record that there were barely roads in Akwa Ibom State let
alone having motorable ones until Akpabio became the state governor and
in barely 18 months as governor first class roads were commissioned
across the state.
The rest speak for themselves. In fact, even Obong
Attah now visits his village in Ibesikpo driving through the five star
road constructed by Akpabio yet denies having knowledge of any
infrastructure added to the state since he left office instead of
tweeting "God a Bless Akpabio" whenever he rides on these roads!
Perhaps, Obong Attah should tell us what happened to 85℅ mobilisation
paid to the so called South African contractor that handled Ibom science
park project instead of blaming other governments for the failure and
abandonment of that project.
And that is not to mention his failed
hospital projects at Ibeno and Eastern Obolo LGA's as well as the failed
abandoned shelter afrique internal roads project.
In conclusion he
signed out by calling for civil unrests in the state he once govern
ended and still reigns as a patriarch and elder statesman by saying that
"In 2015, Umana was the one who railed against the imposition of Udom
Emmanuel as Governor. That is why I supported him. Akwa Ibom people
should rise and object to bad policies by the state government. If need
be hit the street. I hardly see protests in Akwa Ibom state..."
Hence, one begins to wonder why he hasn't asked Nigerians to protest
against his newly found love - the APC led Federal Government which
himself has admittedly confessed to their culpableness in the social
crime of bad governance in his lamentation that "someone brought the
concept of change but even that change isn't comprehensive as we
thought..."
Truth be told, these old men and their generation have
so failed our nation that they should not even attempt to show their
faces in our public but they still dare and lie when they do so.
Only God can help us!!!
Credit..Watchout Naija
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