By Abiola Olawale
Governor Umo Bassey Eno of Akwa Ibom; a former governor of the state, Obong Victor Attah; a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Atuekong Don Etiebet (CON), alongside other committee of friends, have warmly congratulated Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, on his 70th birthday anniversary.
Bassey, Attah, Etiebet, and other committee of friends, in a media publication, also made available to the New Diplomat, described Udoma as a “distinguished gentleman, an accomplished professional and exemplary Nigerian”.
The committee of friends also wished the legal luminary a long life filled with peace, good health and prosperity.
The New Diplomat reports that the committee of friends include; Governor Eno; ex-governor Attah; Etiebet (CON); Dudan & Atedo Peterside (CON); Obiageli & Raymond Ihymebe KSS (OON); Myma & Keem Belo-Osagie; Marina & Senator Ekong Sampson; Mfon & Paul Usoro (SAN); Prof. Dorothy (SAN) & Udame Ufot (MFR); Efe & George Etomi; Dr Ekpedeme & Efon Udom; Victoria & Rear ADM Francis Akpan RTD; Ntekpe & Udom Inoyo; Ngozi & Ben Akabueze; Funke (SAN) & Dan Agbor.
Others include; Nkoyo & Etim Amana; Christine & Basey Dan-Abia; Eme & Uko Udom (SAN); Caroline & Essien Udom (SAN); Ekemere & Larry Etteh; Roseline & Tony Ndah; Uto & Aniekan Ukpanah; Hamda & Offong Ambah; Stella & Inyang Inyang; Dr Ekaete & Aniekan Etiebet; Vera & Ini Utuk; Helen & Dr Johnnie Udofa; Dr Folarin Alayande; Deni & Richard Esin.
The New Diplomat reports that Udoma was born on February 26, 1954. Udo Udoma spent his early years in Lagos, Nigeria. He started his early education in Lagos, attending Corona School, Ikoyi, from 1962 to 1964 before moving to Uganda, where he completed his primary education at Nakasoro Primary School, Kampala. He returned to Nigeria and attended King’s College, Lagos, for his secondary education from 1966 to 1972.
He then proceeded to earn a B.A. (Law) degree, and a B.C.L. degrees in jurisprudence from St. Catherine’s College, University of Oxford. He obtained another B.L. degree at the Nigerian Law School before he was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978.
In 1999, Udo Udoma was elected as Senator representing the Akwa Ibom South constituency. During his first term from 1999 to 2003, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and, subsequently, as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He gained a second term from 2003 to 2007, during which he served as chairman of the Senate Committee of National Planning and Poverty Alleviation, before being elected as a principal officer as the Chief Whip of the Senate.
In 2015, Udoma stepped down from all his roles in the private sector upon accepting the then President Muhammadu Buhari’s invitation to join his cabinet as the Minister of Budget and National Planning. In that capacity, he took primary responsibility for developing the Nigerian Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, the implementation of which helped take Nigeria out of recession. By the time he left office in May 2019 at the end of President Buhari’s first term, Nigeria’s GDP was growing at more than 2%. A highly respected technocrat, board room mogul, seasoned oil and gas international lawyer, distinguished captain of industry having played pivotal roles in the organized private sector in Nigeria and in many other international jurisdictions, a community leader and an iconic family man.
