Victor Attah

Victor Bassey Attah
Governor of Akwa Ibom State
In office 29 May 1999 – 29 May 2007
Preceded by	John Ebiye
Succeeded by	Godswill Akpabio
Personal details
Born	November 20, 1938 (1938-11-20) (age 73) Okop Ndua Erong, Asutan Ekpe, Ibesikpo Asutan LGA, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Obong Victor Bassey Attah (born 20 November 1938) was governor of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Background

Victor Attah was born on November 20, 1938. He completed post-primary education in 1956. He gained a degree from Leeds College of Art and a post graduate diploma in Building Science from Liverpool University in 1965. He won the scholarship to study at Columbia University in New York, where he obtained an MA in Advanced Architectural Design and Planning. He also attended the Kennedy Graduate School of Governance at Harvard University. After completing his education, he practiced as an architect in the Caribbean, New York, and Nigeria. He served as the National President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects.^[1]

Governor of Akwa Ibom

Victor Attah was elected governor of Akwa Ibom in 1999 on the PDP platform, and was reelected 2003. He was elected Chairman of the Forum of the 36 Governors of Nigeria in 2003.^[2]

In 2001, Victor Attah travelled to the United States with as many as 21 people in search of foreign investors. Apparently this visit and others produced no tangible results.^[3] He promised to improve telecoms, electrical power supply, and air transport infrastructure, and to replicate Silicon Valley in Uyo.^[4] He planned to build an airport in Uyo before he left office in 2007.^[5] He laid the foundation for the establishment of the Akwa Ibom State University of Technology.^[6] According to the Daily Sun, little was in fact achieved.^[7] The Victor Attah Digital Opportunity Centre (VADOC) was said to be no more a typical cybercafé with VSAT connection and some computer points.^[8]

Obong Attah ran for the 2007 presidential nomination of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2007, but withdrew when it became clear that he had little chance of success.^[9]

Later career

In November 2007, Victor Attah challenged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest him if the commission had anything against him.^[10] In September 2009 the Nigerian Justice Minister and Attorney General, Michael Aondoakaa, said he would not release any Nigerians in response to a warrant of arrest issued by the London Metropolitan Police over alleged money laundering and corrupt offences emanating from the $38 million Virgin Mobile shares acquisition. Former state governors James Ibori of Delta State, Ahmed Bola Tinubu of Lagos State and Victor Attah had been accused of money laundering in the transaction.^[11] Aondoakaa said he had no conflict with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).^[12] However, EFCC Chairman Farida Waziri denied that the EFCC had exonerated any of the suspects and insisted that the investigation was ongoing. The EFCC was said to be ready to cooperate with the MET police.^[13]

In March 2008, Victor Attah joined ExecutiveAction, a consultancy that helps firms manage problems in difficult business environments.^[14]

References

1. ^ "Obong Victor Attah". AfricanSuccess. http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=506&lang=en. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
2. ^ "Governor Obong Victor Attah: Akwa Ibom and Nigeria at Heart". Government of Akwa Ibom State. 7 August 2004. http://allafrica.com/stories/200408070044.html. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
3. ^ Ejiro Imireh (October 29, 2008). "The North & oil: Nyako’s useful intervention". Daily Sun. http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/opinion/2008/oct/29/opinion-29-10-2008-002.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
4. ^ "Obong Victor Attah - A visionary statesman at 71". Nigerian Compass. 22 November 2009. http://www.compassnews.net/Ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=34251:obong-victor-attah-a-visionary-statesman-at-71&catid=46:sunday-compass&Itemid=698. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
5. ^ Amaze Obi (February 16, 2004). "Aboard Slok Air’s inaugural flight". Daily Sun. http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/columnists/brokentongues/amaze-feb16.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
6. ^ Udeme Nana. "Obong Victor Attah, A Visionary Statesman at 71". weekly Insight. http://www.weeklyinsightng.com/tribute.html. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
7. ^ Peter Udiong Lagos (July 3, 2009). "Akpabio, reviving a failed state". Daily Sun. http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/opinion/editorial/2009/july/03/editorial-03-07-2009-002.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
8. ^ Sola Fanawopo (February 21, 2005). "Nigeria’s IT Parks brace up for the future". Daily Sun. http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/cybersun/2005/feb/21/cybersun-21-02-2005-001.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
9. ^ Dominic Akpan (2009-02-22). "Aide Denies Former Governor Attah’s Senate Ambition". The Pioneer. http://www.pioneerng.com/article.php?title=Aide_Denies_Former_Governor_Attah%E2%80%99s_Senate_Ambition&id=2218. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
10. ^ Philip NWOSU and Muyiwa OYINLOLA (November 13, 2007). "Arrest me if I’m corrupt – Attah tells EFCC". Daily Sun. http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2007/nov/13/national-13-11-2007-001.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
11. ^ MURPHY GANAGANA (September 11, 2009). "Ribadu behind problems of Ibori, others … Says they would not be released for trial in UK". Daily Sun. http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/sept/11/national-11-09-2009-001.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
12. ^ Godwin Tsa (September 14, 2009). "$38m V-Mobile shares: I won’t join issues with Farida". Daily Sun. http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2009/sept/14/newsbreak-14-09-2009-001.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
13. ^ "London Police to EFCC; Produce Ibori, Attah, 25 witnesses". Elombah. 20 September 2009. http://www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1662:london-police-to-efcc-produce-ibori-attah-25-witnesses-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=67. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 
14. ^ "Former Nigerian Governor Victor Attah Joins ExecutiveAction - "The Problem Solving Company".". ExecutiveAction. March 4, 2008. http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-heads-state/7301292-1.html. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 

Persondata
Name	Attah, Victor
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1938-11-20
Place of birth	Okop Ndua Erong, Asutan Ekpe, Ibesikpo Asutan LGA, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Date of death
Place of death