Rismadarvoice – 20 November 2025
Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has paid glowing tribute to former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Obong Victor Attah, describing him as a courageous leader whose fierce advocacy helped reshape Nigeria’s revenue allocation system and secure a fairer share for Akwa Ibom State.
Jonathan gave the commendation on Thursday in Abuja during the public presentation of Attah’s biography, “Attah: Architect of a New Democratic Dawn,” held as part of activities marking the elder statesman’s 87th birthday.
The former President recalled that during his early career at the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), Akwa Ibom received “barely one per cent” from the federation account.
He said Attah’s dogged fight against the onshore–offshore dichotomy became the turning point in the state’s financial growth.
“Akwa Ibom was receiving only one per cent. One per cent. Those who enjoy the huge revenue today must understand the struggle that made it possible,” Jonathan said.
“Victor Attah was not just part of the fight. He was the lion leading the charge. Others fought, yes, but Attah was the champion—number one.”
He added that although the Supreme Court at the time delivered a judgment unfavourable to oil-producing states, Attah’s persistence eventually paved the way for a more equitable revenue system.
“He showed leadership that was both courageous and purposeful. Akwa Ibom and Nigeria owe him gratitude for the fiscal reforms he championed,” Jonathan noted.
Responding to the accolades, Attah reflected on the values that shaped his public life, crediting them to a disciplined upbringing.
He also entertained the audience with humorous anecdotes, including how he once arrived at the Government House on a borrowed bicycle, leaving his secretary confused.
The former governor also recalled a 2002 incident involving former First Lady Stella Obasanjo during a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Barbados.
He narrated how he jokingly told her she was staying in “his hotel” because he had designed the Sainte-Hélène Hotel as an architect, an innocent remark that later earned him a summons from the EFCC.
“After I returned to Nigeria two weeks later, I received an invitation from the EFCC to explain how I owned a hotel in Barbados. That tells you the type of Nigeria we have,” he said.
Attah, who returned to private practice after leaving office, described himself as “a professional in politics, not a professional politician.”
He expressed optimism about Nigeria’s future, declaring that the nation would “one day wake up to a democracy renewed, and greatness restored.”
