The Deputy Director of Information in the Presidency, Attah Stephen, who served six Nigerian Presidents, has finally bowed out from service after attaining the 60-year statutory age of retirement from the Federal Civil Service.
Penpushing reports that Attah, a Knight of John Wesley (KJW) in the Methodist Church Nigeria, will disengage from the Civil Service on Monday, March 1, 2021, having spent 25 years in the Presidential Villa.
The record also has it that while in the villa he served nine Chief Press Secretaries, Special Assistants, Senior Special Assistants and Special Advisers on Media and Publicity to six Heads of State and Presidents.
Penpushing further reports that, Attah while speaking at a commendation service organized in his honour thanked God for the honour of being recognised especially by the State House management as a retiree.
”I want to specially thank the Permanent Secretary for this special honour and privilege. I want to thank the first Director of Information, Mr Aduwak and his wife for honouring the invitation. You laid a very good foundation in the department and we thank God we are keeping the flag flying’, he said.
”It is unfortunate and sad that your successor Mr OJ Abuah is not alive and I pray that God will grant him peace in eternity.I want to appreciate my colleagues in the office and staff of the State House.
”I want to also specially appreciate my wife and family for bearing with me. Let me say that in almost the 25 years I served here, this is the first time my wife is stepping into the State House. My daughter was very little when she came here during the tenure of President Obasanjo when the First Lady hosted a Christmas Day party for children at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa’.
”I thank my family for recognising and understanding that in our work, we don’t always have time for ourselves as we can be called upon anytime to respond to national emergencies and issues’.
”I also appreciate the Methodist Church Nigeria for upholding me in prayers and for understanding that my absence from some church events was as a result of the exigencies of work and office.
”I want to thank you all for your prayers because it is one thing to join the service and another to retire in good health, and I want to thank God for his mercies upon my life,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary at the State House, Tijjani Umar, in his remarks at the well attended ceremony praised Attah as ”an unassuming and noiseless performer, who is very efficient in everything he does.”
Penpushing also reports that,Umar pointed out that for the 25 years Attah worked in the Presidential Villa, he was very formidable, helping the media department to make appreciable progress and transformation under several administrations.
”Mr Attah started his civil service career here in the State House and is also ending it here after spending almost a quarter of a century. He was an extremely good officer and a team player,” he said.
The Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina while speaking recalled Attah’s transition and perfect fit into the job after the sudden demise of the former Director of Information, Justin Abuah, in 2016.
”When I was appointed SA Media to the President, I reached out to former occupants of the office, including Segun Adeniyi. He told me if Mr Abuah is still there, you will not have any problem and he (Abuah) turned out to be very efficient.
”But sadly somewhere along the line we lost Mr Abuah and the next person to assume that position was Sir Attah. If Abuah was very efficient, Sir Attah was no less efficient. He fitted perfectly into that position,” he said.
Penpushing reports that on his part Sunday Odey of Peoples Daily Newspaper while speaking on behalf of State House Press Corps commended Attah’s, personal qualities of humility and kindness.
”He had utmost respect for the press corps and will always attend to your complaints. The press corps will always celebrate him and we thank God that he is retiring in good health,” Odey stated
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