Founder of the Uyo Book Club, Dr Udeme Nana has said anyone interested in becoming the next Governor of Akwa Ibom State must posses certain character traits of former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Obong Victor Attah.
Dr Nana, who listed the traits to include integrity, humility, selflessness, simplicity, discipline, courage and intelligence, spoke in Uyo, Saturday, at the 2nd Obong Victor Attah Colloquium held by the Club to mark the 83rd birthday of the elder statesman.
“As we prepare our mind towards the round of elections,let us be more circumspect.Let us look for someone in the mold of Obong Victor Attah, someone who will love his people, someone who is mature, well experienced, widely exposed, disciplined, simple, not self centred, one who will take development to all nooks and crannies of the state and a man of integrity and uncommon intelligence,” he said.
Dr Nana said Obong Attah was well respected and his voice regarded in Nigeria, especially during the fight against the onshore/ offshore dichotomy, because he spoke wisely always.
“Obong Attah had a booming voice that was heard and respected accross Nigeria.That was the voice he used to articulate the principle of true federalism and wisely, fought and won the battle against the obnoxious onshore/offshore dichotomy,” Nana said.
Dr Nana, who served in Obong Attah’s government as Director of Press Affairs noted that Obong Attah was “a large and kind hearted person who cared less about where people came from.
“I was the first person he gave appointment to .As at that time, he did not know where I came from. He spread appointments. He spread projects to the extent that he forgot about himself.I can testify that on the day he left office as Governor, his own personal house was still under construction”.