Wasteful Governance Comment: Akpabio Vows To Shun Attah's Birthday Symposium

[i]By Umoh-Obong Kingsley

Following the seemingly embarrassing comment in a book authored by former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Arch. Obong Victor Attah, against his successor, Sen. Godswill Akpabio has made up his mind to shun all further events organized in to mark Attah’s birthday.

Obong Attah had, in his book titled “It Is Well With My Soul”, described the 8-year administration of Sen. Akpabio as an administration of uncommon wastage, evaluating the administration to have received N2.5 trillion but with nothing to show for such huge amount of money in its 8-year's tenure.

In a section of the said book, Attah further characterized Akpabio’s, as an administration characterized by grandiose plans and great white elephant projects which were mostly uncompleted, or even not started including the promise to establish one industry in every local government area of the state.

Sen. Akpabio who had ignorantly arrived the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Center, Abuja for the book presentation with his wife Unoma, was furious when he got wind of the comment of the wasteful spending that plagued his eight years in office.

According to an insider who spoke to our reporter, Akpabio was said to have been shocked by the revelation by the octogenarian about him and stormed out of the venue unceremoniously and without exchanging any form of pleasantry with the man who set him up to become a governor.

“I can confirm to you that Akpabio will have nothing to do with any other celebration in Obong Attah's honour again,” a personal aide to the immediate past senate minority leader told our reporter in confidence.

It could be recalled that Sen. Akpabio served as Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in 2002 and Commissioner of Lands during Attah’s tenure

It could be recalled that Senator Akpabio had refused the celebrator all access to privileges deserving of a former governor during his term as Governor between 2007 and 2015, including denying Attah the use of a five star Hotel he(Attah) initiated and built, during his 70th birthday celebration.

Akpabio is said to have further humiliated his former boss, when he set up probe panels to investigate and conduct media trials of projects executed by the former governor, and went further to close down the Ibom Plaza as well as halt work on the Science Park project started by the “father of modern Akwa Ibom.”

When contacted, a close family source said that Obong Attah is not moved by the decision of Akpabio to attend or not attend his event.

“No one can force our father not to speak his mind as a father; Akpabio never accorded any respect to Papa all through his reign and it would not change anything now.”

The money akpabio used in building that uyo stadium would have refinery that will create jobs and generate mega money for akwa ibom state.

most projects initiated in Nigeria are just to siphon public funds e.g some airports, stadiums and flyovers.