Former President Goodluck Jonathan has praised former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Obong Victor Attah, describing him as a leader whose “resolve and advocacy” played a key role in securing the state’s improved share of national revenue.
Jonathan made the remarks on Thursday in Abuja during the public presentation of Attah’s biography, titled ‘Attah: Architect of a New Democratic Dawn,’ held in conjunction with the former governor’s 87th birthday celebrations.
He highlighted Attah’s persistent push for the abolition of the onshore–offshore dichotomy as instrumental in transforming Akwa Ibom’s finances, calling the former governor’s efforts a fight against what he referred to as an “unjust revenue framework.”
Recalling his own time as a young technocrat at the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, Jonathan said Akwa Ibom once received “barely one per cent” from the federation account, but Attah’s insistence on fiscal fairness changed the situation.
“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. 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 emphasized.
Jonathan added that, although the Supreme Court at the time delivered a judgment that did not favour oil-producing states, Attah’s persistence ultimately contributed to 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,” the former President said.
In response, Attah reflected on the values that guided his public life, attributing them to the disciplined upbringing of his youth.
He also shared humorous stories, including one about arriving at the Government House on a borrowed bicycle, which left his secretary bewildered.
The former governor recounted a 2002 incident involving his wife, former First Lady Stella Obasanjo, during a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Barbados.
He jokingly claimed ownership of a hotel where she stayed, explaining that he had helped design it as an architect.
Attah recalled being asked to receive the First Lady at the airport and inquiring about her accommodation. She replied she would stay in the hotel he had designed, which later led to an invitation from the anti-graft agency.
“We went to the airport; it seemed she came with a considerable number of people. After the airport ceremony, I asked where we were taking you. She said Sainte-Helene. I said, ‘Ah, you’re going to my hotel,’ meaning the hotel I designed. Well, after a few days, she left the island. Two weeks later, I came back to Nigeria and received an invitation from the EFCC to explain how I owned the Sainte-Helene in Barbados. That tells you the type of Nigeria we have,” he said.
After leaving office, Attah returned to private practice, describing himself as “a professional in politics, not a professional politician.”
He expressed hope for Nigeria’s future, saying the country would “one day wake up to a democracy renewed, and greatness restored.”