Ex-Gov Attah Explains Choice of Umo Eno as PDP Guber Candidate in A’Ibom
Okon Bassey in Uyo
The former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, has broken his silence on the choice of Pastor Umo Eno as the preferred governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Attah, who personally took Pastor Eno to the state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel as God anointed candidate, reasoned that stakeholders in state preferred the PDP governorship candidate for 2023 general elections to other aspirants.
Ex-governor Attah who expressed his mind yesterday while briefing journalists in the state said he also joined the league of those supporting pastor Eno candidacy because of his neutrality from ‘groups’.
Attah hinted that other aspirants examined where linked to certain groups the elders feared could divide the state in such lines if adopted.
According to him, the PDP governorship candidate has the humility to listen, learn, and the capacity to implement on his blueprint, coming from the private sector.
Attah, blessed as the political father of the state, said Umo Eno would bring his wealth of experience in the private sector to the governance of the state.
He said: “Umo Eno has the humility to listen and the capacity to deliver. Among those that came out to contest, Umo Eno is the only aspirant who did not belong to any known group and has Akwa Ibom as his own group. The argument was that if you hand the state over to this one, you have it over to this or that group.
“As the leader of the Ibibios and by extension Akwa Ibom State, I had the responsibility of presenting Pastor Umo Eno as the best to take over from Governor Udom Emmanuel. It was not a decision of one person, but collectively a decision of stakeholders.”
On Governor Udom Emmanuel’s position and willing acceptance on the endorsement of Pastor Eno by the stakeholders, Attah said having a successor who would not continue on the legacies of his predecessor could be detrimental to the future of a state.
“Lagos State government has benefited largely from continuity, the reason is because If you pick a fight between the presence and the past, then you have lost the future.
“That was why most of my legacy projects such as the Science Park and the University of Science and Technology were abandoned,” he posited.
He maintained that Pastor Eno will bring his private sector zeal and energy into governance, and tasked the PDP governorship hopeful and other youthful leaders to be willing to consult past governors/leaders for ideas to make the state better.
“I do not think you are smarter than your fathers, have respect for the elders, listen to what they have to say. If we build on the past, then the future is limitless,” he stressed.
Speaking on the ongoing certificate scandal on Pastor Eno, Obong Attah, who noted that the case was ongoing in court, however said the move was initiated by those who felt threatened by the PDP aspirant’s emergence.
He regretted that Nigeria was not practicing a parliamentary system of government, where all who had indicated interest to govern the state could have formed part of a parliament, to bring their wealth of experiences to the development of the state.
The former President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects pointed out that the future of Akwa Ibom, as a state with minimal landmark for large scale agriculture lies in technology.
Attah said such realisation, had necessitated his establishment of the University and Science Park, as well as sponsorship of 72 graduates who were projected as pioneer lecturers, for post graduate studies in Canada.
