“And, when [she] shall die/Take [her] and cut her into little stars.
And, [she] will make the face of heaven so fine/that all the world will be in
Love with night/And, no longer worship the garish sun.” – William Shakespeare, 1564-1616, in ROMEO AND JULIET.
This is my second tribute to an Akwa Ibom State First Lady. The first was late Mrs Nneyin Alison Attah, 1940-2012, AKS First Lady 1999-2007. Because I have already documented the life, times and achievements of Mrs Attah in a book to be published soon, I will only make a brief comparison between the two ladies. I also write an annual tribute to honour Maryam Babangida, who needs no further introduction. Although acting at different times and in different roles in their positions, the three share one admirable characteristic – absolute compassion for the people; particularly the women.
Maryam came first; and while cynical urban-based (especially the Lagos-Ibadan) media commentators poked fun at her Better Life For Rural Women, I was actually living and working in farms in several Northern rural communities. I was an eyewitness to the transformation of women’s lives in several zones. Millions of lives were positively affected; something which all the pen-pushers in Nigeria, put together, have failed to achieve.
On a smaller scale, Mrs Attah saw a state in which kids were not going to school on account of malnutrition; and, acting with multi-national institutions, developed a food supplement which was so delicious, kids eagerly looked forward to break time. I never met Mrs Babangida; but, I knew Mrs Attah.
Pastor Patience Eno has taken a different route to gain my attention. We never met – despite my frequent visits to the state from 1975 to 2020. Until 2020, I was in the state at least four times a year; sometimes spending up to a week. Next to Lagos, AKS is the state I know best. I have spent at least a night in every one of its cities and towns. I became aware of the name Pastor Eno, seven years ago, through a lady, a jobless graduate, now living abroad and well-employed. Being the first university graduate in her family, and very beautiful, made her extremely pompous, but she adored one person: Pastor Patience. She called her Divine Mother, who had taken Joy and several female members of her mission and was taking care of them as if they were her kids. She fed them. I think governments must feed the people first and add other things to that.
Pastor Patience Eno
I was in AKS in 2022, despite my health challenges, and briefly visited old friends at Ikot Ekpene and Abak. It was the beginning of the primary elections; and I asked people about their preference for successor to out-going Udom Emmanuel. The vast majority chose Umo Eno. Pressed further, they disclosed that his wife was the most important reason for their choice. Invariably, they have either been touched by her generousity or they knew someone who had been. Apparently, her Divine elevation to the position of First Lady had not diminished her penchant for reaching out and helping the less-privileged. On the contrary, she did more since last year. Only God knows how much more she could have done for her people if she had lasted eight years.
I called my friends after receiving the news – all the way from Canada. Two could hardly talk from sobbing. The sense of loss and grief is shared worldwide.
She was the modern day Dorcas in Akwa Ibom. It is a pity that there is no Peter to revive her. Indeed, it is not how long, but, how well a life is spent that matters.
May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace.
AKWA IBOM @ 37: SALUTE TO FATHER OF AKWA IBOM STATE
“A father is someone who, no matter how tall you grow, you still look up to.”
Monday September 23, 2024 was another absolutely joyous day in Akwa Ibom State. It was the state’s 37 years anniversary since it was created September 23, 1987 by President Babangida. A call came to Architect Obong Attah, a very close friend of IBB, from General Aliyu Gusau, CON, who was the Chief of Staff.
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“Do you still want your state created?”
A startled Attah, unprepared for this message blurted out: “Yes, I do”.
“In that case come over immediately; there is going to be an announcement.”
With that order given, General Gusau cut off the conversation. Attah dropped everything and rushed to the Presidency. He was immediately locked into a room and given a map of Cross River state and asked to indicate the area the new state would embrace. Unknown to Attah, who had relentlessly pressed IBB and his military friends for state creation, Major General Akpan, another advocate, was also called and locked in another room and asked to do the same thing. The two leading advocates for the creation of their state came up with the same geography for the proposed state. They also helped the military regime to name the state and determine its state capital – Uyo.
Ordinarily, that would have made AKS a state with two fathers. But, other developments, since 1987, have given the title Father of Akwa Ibom State to Attah unlike any other state or person in Nigeria. Most people were/are not aware that state creation under the military, after Gowon’s twelve states, always followed the principle of the “biggest guns” and the closest civilian associates always would have their way. Ogun State was created, with Abeokuta as capital, because Obasanjo was the Chief of General Staff, and Chief MKO Abiola was a close friend of the topmost leaders then. Nobody in Ijebuland had that sort of clout. Katsina was eventually possible because of Major-General Shehu Yar’Adua and Kogi became a reality because Lt-General Salisu was COAS.
IBB and Attah were close family friends long before the former became Head of State. So close, Attah’s mother-in-law, from Barbados, would pull IBB’s ear and ask playfully: “What is a handsome boy like you doing in the army? You want to get yourself killed?” Babangida would do virtually anything for a friend.
Attah, the first African to qualify to practice as an Architect and Planner in New York State was later commissioned to develop the Master Plan for Uyo and environs by the military government; only to become the Governor in 1999 and had eight years to undertake the actual development. Today, Uyo is the best State capital and Akwa Ibom, indisputably, has the best set of roads in Nigeria. His successors have merely been completing the work he started to bring AKS from obscurity to front line state among 36. Monday, September 23, 2024 was another occasion for every Akwa Ibomite to get together and give honour to the Father of the state – the one everybody looks up to.
MATAWELLE CONFIRMED PAYING TERRORISTS IN 2019.
“Every time you negotiate with terrorists, you become their accomplice.” – Israeli Security Official. (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 244).
One of the greatest blunders President Tinubu committed was to appoint Matawelle a Minister; and on top of that place him in the Ministry of Defence. If Tinubu’s advisers and those conducting security screening on the candidates for office had done a diligent job, the man should never have been appointed. In fact, he should have been regarded as a security risk. The space remaining here would not allow me to disclose all the available evidence to prove the point. But, Matawelle’s activities and statements in 2019 and 2020 did more to promote the bandits than any other Governor except El-Rufai and Maisari, of Kaduna and Katsina state respectively. The three Governors, rejecting warnings from those who understand the nature of terrorist/bandits, attempted to engage the hoodlums in “peaceful negotiations”—a euphemism for saying the Governors tried to bribe the monsters. They were self-deluded as to forget that appetite grows with eating. Once the mindless killers discovered that the Governors were ready to pay, they had no reason to stop terrorising the states.
Matawelle went further than anyone else. Speaking about his negotiation with the bandits, he declared that “It is not a failure… for someone to initiate dialogue. Nowhere in the world is succeeding without coming to the table to sit down and negotiate.” He was not alone. The Commissioner of Police at the time, Abutu Yaro also commended the event at which some hoodlums surrendered weapons. Yaro thought that the peace initiative was achieving positive results.
In exchange for the tokunbo guns released by the bandits, about 15 brand new Hilux trucks were given to the leaders; while every “repentant” bandit received cash awards. Not a word was said about the victims or justice.
Matawelle even disclosed that he had given N900 million to bandits in 300 forest areas in Zamfara State before realising that he had been duped by Turji and co. Matawelle absolutely refused to disclose to the Federal security forces the locations of the hoodlums he was paying and negotiating with. It was only after paying huge sums and enabling the bandits with vehicles without achieving the peace desired that he and Maisari became more cooperative with security organisations. By then, it was too late. A lot of damage had been done.
I refuse to call Matawelle Honourable Minister because honour demands that a man should own up to whatever he had done; apologise if the error was inadvertent; instead of denying something he once openly admitted to doing.
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