A 10- Man Executive Members Of Ekeya Development Association Inaugurated

A 10- man executive members of Ekeya Development Association (EDA), has been inaugurated and presented with staff of office for efficient management of the association’s functions.

The presentation of staff of office was done shortly after taking oath of office administered by the National President, Okobo Development Union, Elder Ata Okon Ewa at Hon. Efefiong Antigha Unity Hall, Ekeya in Okobo Local Government Area.

The association which is an affiliate of Okobo Development Union (ODU), an apex socio- cultural organization in Okobo, has members of the executive drawn from the seven villages that constitute Ekeya, namely, Nung Ukana, Ekpene Ekim, Anua, Idibi Enin, Ufok Esuk, Obot Inwang and Esuk Inwang.

The officers sworn in are, Elder James Etim Bassey – President (Nung Ukana); Mr. Esuk Ekpenyong – Vice President 1, (Anua); Immaculata Usoh – Vice President 11, (Nung Ukana); Mr Anthony Umoh Ibok – Secretary (Ekpene Ekim); Mr Asuquo Andem – Assistant Secretary (Esuk Inwang) and Elder Okon Eyo Ibok – Treasurer (Idib Enin).

Others are, Mr Paddy Abidang – Financial Secretary (Ufok Esuk); Mr Michael Fimba Otu – Publicity Secretary (Anua); Chief Nicholas Ekpenyong – Organizing Secretary 1, (Nung Ukana) and Madam Akon Usoh – Organizing Secretary 11, (Ekpene Ekim).

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Inaugurating the executive, Elder Ewa charged them to be development driven in their approach without necessarily entangling themselves in cultism.

He recalled with nostalgia, the era where Ekeya indigenes were in the forefront of positive development in governments to the extent of producing three Permanent Secretaries simultaneously in Akwa Ibom State, and wondered why Ekeya is far behind development in the 21st century.

He advised the leadership of Ekeya Development Association to evolve means of instituting Educational Endowment Scheme to assist the indigent citizens in their academic pursuit in the hope that the beneficiaries will in turn, fill the generational gap created by the absence of technocrats in the public service.

In his goodwill message, the National Secretary, Okobo Development Union, Aprawa Godwin Antigha thanked Elder Ewa and his National Executive Council for obliging his invitation to inauguration of Ekeya Development Association.

He applauded the chairman, Board of Trustees of Okobo Development Union Elder (Dr) Andem Andem, who was represented by Elder Efefiong Offiong for deeming it important to grace the sociocultural event.

Akprawa Antigha, who recalled that Okobo Development Union is 86 years as an umbrella Socio-ltural Organisation in Okobo Mbawa land lauded members of Ekeya Development Association (an affiliate of ODU) to be patriotic and embrace development program going on in the apex Union.

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While warning that the association is not a cult group, charged members to partner relevant agencies to navigate the village from the melancholy and woes of ecological treat occasioned by gully erosion which has utterly caused a divide between the people of Ufok Esuk and Ekpene Ekim villages on one side, and another life threatening ravine at Nung Ukana beach which expose the first Catholic Church in Akwa Ibom State, founded in 1904 by Rev Fr Leon Lena, the St Peter’s Catholic Church, Ekeya to the verge of extinction.

In his welcome address, the interim National President of Ekeya Development Association, Rt. Hon Efefiong Antigha represented by the Secretary Okobo Development Union, Uyo branch, Mr Ekpenyong Esuk, appreciated the National President, ODU Elder Ata Okon Ewa for finding time out of his busy schedule to honor Ekeya people in the auspicious event.

Antigha stated categorically that the association is neither by any means, a cult group nor incite inflammatory comment to disintegrate the corporate existence of the people of Ekeya.

While regretting the sorry tales regarding the decline of Ekeya people in governments, he expressed optimism that the glory of Ekeya if walked in unison shall be greater than the former.

In his acceptance speech, the newly sworn in President of Ekeya Development Association, Elder James Bassey, expressed his readiness to work as a team in tandem with the modus operandi of Ekeya Development Association.