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Prof. PAT UTOMI Recounts Life At 70
At 70, Professor Pat Utomi did not only reflect on decades of intellectual engagement, political activism, and nation-building. He reflected on survival.
Speaking during activities marking his 70th birthday celebration, the renowned political economist and founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) delivered a deeply personal testimony, recounting how he had narrowly escaped death on at least seven different occasions — experiences he described as clear evidence of divine grace.
Addressing guests, Utomi said his life journey had been sustained not by his own strength, but by what he called “a greater power.”
“I’ve truly walked through the shadow of the valley of death,” he declared. “But it is clear that of my own, I can do nothing. I have been sustained repeatedly by a God who is love.”
“I’m thankful that this is replacing a little story of my journey. I am part of a tradition of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International for decades. And it is essentially a group of businessmen and women who tell stories from their experience.”
“And I used to be part of a chapter that met not too far from here, some 30-something years ago. And the thing that seemed to happen at every meeting that I did not give the testimony was, ‘Did you not go to the airport?’ Because I had airport testimonies. And many things have happened to me regarding airports, close to airports, around our airports.”
AIRPORT CHAOS IN THE BABANGIDA ERA
Recalling one incident during the era of General Babangida, he said:
“It should start from one Sunday, I don’t know how many years ago now… It goes back to the days of General Babangida as President. I went to Abuja for a meeting. And it turned out to be around Nigeria’s Armed Forces Day. So there were lots of traffic.”
He narrated how a Concord Airlines aircraft developed a fault during takeoff:
“An aircraft of Concord Airlines, somehow, in taking off, its nose wheel could not be retracted. So it was ordered to fly around and try and do a crash landing. And we all were at that airport watching. As it went around, came around, and then began to come down.”
“Just as it hit the runway, managed to hold on, eventually it brought down the nose, and crash landed as it were. No untoward thing in terms of injuries or life lost. Wonderful. But the airport was completely closed. And it seemed half of the big men in Nigeria were trying to get somewhere and were stuck at that airport. It was pure mayhem.”
He described how dignitaries struggled to board flights before an unexpected intervention occurred:
“While all of this chaos was going on… an NNPC jet landed. And out of the aircraft came Dr. Chu Okongwu, who was the Minister of Petroleum.”
“I very naughtily shouted his name. And he turned and said, ‘What are you doing here?’ I said, ‘Well, we’re where you people left us.’ And he called the pilots and asked them to take me back to Lagos.”
“This is just one of dozens of airport testimonies that I have had the privilege of giving. Lots of them.”
THE 1991 ASABA CRASH
Utomi then recounted a more tragic incident on July 12, 1991: “On the 12th of July 1991, I was travelling to Asaba… Just as dusk was falling, my driver, who had an excellent reputation, in the middle of the road there, as the darkness was coming on, there was a trailer parked coming around the bend, and it went straight underneath the trailer. Another car from behind hit us. My driver passed away on the spot. And I was in and out of shock.”
He added:
“In fact, for many weeks, many people did not realise that I knew my driver passed away because I heard people say, ‘Ah, the driver don die.’ But they didn’t realise that I had heard.”
Describing his condition at the hospital, he said:
“They said, ‘Ah, we lost him.’ Because there was hardly any pulse. There was no pulse. There was no breathing. And the chief of surgery said, ‘Let’s fulfil all righteousness.’”
“Several hours later, I awoke after surgery. He had left a resect of parts of my inside. Blood was administered… and I survived.”
London 7/7 Bombing
Utomi also found himself at the scene of the July 7, 2005 London bombings:
“As we got to the next station… some guy rushed by me. Walked a couple of feet down. And blew up everything. This was the famous 7-7 of 2005.”
“I heard the people screaming as they were dying. And I, hearing the explosion, just managed to jump to the floor remembering Biafra.”
After escaping the wreckage, he said:
“Before my wife panics in Lagos, let me let her know that I’m okay.”
Aircraft Landing Scare
On another occasion, while flying from Benin to Lagos, the aircraft’s tyres failed to deploy:
“As we were approaching Lagos, the tyres refused to come out. So pilots kept flying over Murtala Mohammed Airport… They went themselves to try and adjust the tyres from inside the aircraft.”
He recalled a fellow passenger’s words:
“Somebody I knew very well, an engineer, looked and said, ‘Because you’re inside this aeroplane, I know nothing will happen. God has a special relationship with you.’”
“I marvelled at this man’s faith because I did not have that kind of faith. But he believed… and we landed. Nothing happened.”
“I Have Been Sustained”
Reflecting on all the experiences, including political trips into volatile regions, he concluded:
“I’ve truly walked through the shadow of the valley of death… It is clear that of my own, I can do nothing, but I have been sustained repeatedly by a God who is love.”
He ended with a charge:
“I’m thankful that I’m here today… What we need to give in this world is to create a civilisation of love. There is something for all of us, together, where we should be going.”
At 70, Professor Pat Utomi’s testimony was not merely about survival, but about faith, purpose, and a renewed call to build what he described as “a civilisation of love.”
–Jamiu Abubakar
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