Adamu Atta
Governor, Kwara State, Nigeria
In office
1979–1983
Preceded bySunday Ifere
Succeeded byCornelius Adebayo
Personal details
Born(1927-10-18)October 18, 1927
Okene, Kwara State, Nigeria
DiedMay 1, 2014(2014-05-01) (aged 86)
Abuja, Nigeria
SpouseMrs Rose Atta
RelationsThe Ohinoyi of Ebiraland HRM Ado Ibrahim
ChildrenAbdulazeez Adamu Atta, Saratu Atta, Ibrahim Atta
ResidenceAdamu Atta Residence, Adamu Atta road, Kuroko, Adavi LGA, Kogi State
OccupationCivil Servant cum Politician
ProfessionLaw

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.

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

References

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