Adamu Atta Explained

Adamu Atta
Office:Governor, Kwara State, Nigeria
Term Start:1979
Term End:1983
Predecessor:Sunday Ifere
Successor:Cornelius Adebayo
Birth Date:18 October 1927
Birth Place:Okene, Kwara State, Nigeria
Death Place:Abuja, Nigeria
Nationality:Nigerian
Spouse:Mrs Rose Atta
Relations:The Ohinoyi of Ebiraland HRM Ado Ibrahim
Children:Abdulazeez Adamu Atta, Saratu Atta,Ibrahim Atta
Residence:Adamu Atta Residence, Adamu Atta road, Kuroko, Adavi LGA, Kogi State
Occupation:Civil Servant cum Politician
Profession:Law

Alhaji Adamu Atta (October 18, 1927 – May 1, 2014) was the first civilian governor of the Nigerian Kwara State during the Second Republic, representing the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).[1] [2]

Background

Adamu Atta belonged to Indigenous peoples of Ebira land, in the present Kogi State. Born in Okene in 1927,[3] [4] he was the son of warrant chief Ibrahima Atta, whom the British granted wide powers under the Native Authority system, which undermined the traditional process for selection of a leader in the community.[5]

He became the first civilian governor of the state, representing the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), although he came from a minority ethnic group.[1] In January 1967, he was permanent secretary for the federal Ministry of Finance, and was in discussions with the Soviet Union over possible development loans.[6]

Governor of Kwara State

Atta defeated Obatemi Usman for a seat in the Constituent Assembly in 1977. Usman appealed the vote to his Oziogu clan, accusing the Aniku sub-clan of Adavi, to which Atta belonged, of occupying most of the public offices in Ebira land.[7]

Atta was responsible for establishing the Obangede Specialist Hospital.[8]

Tenure

Alhaji Adamu Atta was born in Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He attended Achimota School in Ghana and the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He worked as a civil servant before entering politics.As governor, Atta oversaw the construction of several major projects, including Kwara Hotels Phase II, several specialist hospitals, the Secretariat Phase III (now the Governor's office), and the Kwara civil service clinic. He also conceived the idea of establishing a community bank in 1981, the first being the Omu-Aran Community Bank. This later gave birth to Trade Bank Plc in 1987.Atta was a popular governor and was praised for his development initiatives. He was also known for his commitment to democracy and good governance. https://abubakarbukolasaraki.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Part-Two.pdf

Dead

Alhaji Adamu Attah, died on Thursday in his Abuja residence after a protracted illness he was buried in Kuroko, Okene residence at about 5 p.m. according to Islamic rite, at age 86

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2011: Who holds the ace in Kwara?. Nigerian Tribune. 15 April 2009. 2009-11-28.
  2. Web site: First Civilian Governor of Old Kwara State, Adamu Attah dies as 88 – Savid News. 2021-03-15. en-US.
  3. Book: Nigeria's book of firsts: a handbook on pioneer Nigerian citizens, institutions, and events. Onyechi, N.N.. 1989. Nigeriana Publications. 9789782839992. 2015-01-05.
  4. Book: Africa Who's who. Uwechue, R.. 1991. Africa Journal Limited. 9780903274173. 2015-01-05.
  5. Web site: Kwara: The end of an Empire - The Nation Newspaper. 2022-02-26. thenationonlineng.net.
  6. Book: Nigerian foreign policy under military rule, 1966–1999. Olayiwola Abegunrin. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2003. 0-275-97881-8. 52.
  7. Web site: Politics, violence and culture:The Ebira Tao,Nigeria Experience. Joshua. Segun. 2010. www.eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20181101023523/http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/2466/1/Politics%2CViolence.pdf . 2018-11-01 . 2020-05-15.
  8. Web site: Kogi By-Election - the Devil You Know. Isah Itopa Idris. 11 March 2008. Daily Trust. 2009-11-28.