Dr. Kenneth Kaunda

By Kevin Lambert

On November 30, Governor Victor Attah, along with Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State, Nigeria, accepted the Key to Africa award, the African Leadership award in good governance, in Pretoria, South Africa. Present at the glittering ceremonies were the founding father of the Organization of African Unity and former President of Zambia, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu Gambari, led a delegation that included Second Republic Senate Leader Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki.

It was spiced, like many events in Africa, with inspirational talks, music and cultural displays. Dr. Kaunda said on Wednesday, that, "For Africa to grow its economy and prosper its people, governments across the continent must give the highest priority to the development of agriculture. He also urged African leaders to give priority to Africa.

This is one of several similar awards for Governor Attah. He won the Africa Today news magazine’s Good Governance Award for 2002 and the World Bank’s recognition for Good Governance. According to Mr. Umana O. Umana, Akwa Ibom State’s commissioner for finance, emphasis on accountability, modern facilities, IT and science-oriented programmes contributed to his victory. "The governor can stay in his office and access any file whether on budget or any other official matter," says Umana.

Governor Attah is one of the few African politicians who entered that arena from a desire to tackle injustice and to improve the living conditions of his people, rather than amassing a family fortune. He began this journey by getting elected into the Constitutional Conference of 1994-95. In a recent speech, he declared; "I cradle a vision of an Akwa Ibom which becomes an investor’s choice, a paradise for commerce and the tourist’s desired destination."

These dreams, it was claimed, are fast becoming reality. Another black leader, Martin Luther King, once spoke publicly about his own dreams, and we are living through quite a few of them.