Akparawa Ephraim Inyangeyen on Monday 25th November 2019 turned 54 years on earthly planet with encomiums trailing him from every strata of the society.
His keen Admirers have described him as a phenomenon that seems impossible and difficult, yet, so possibly good and familiar. His sojourn on earth was also described as a demonstration of the potency of faith, and the power of loyalty.
Inyang-eyen has proved his mettle in interpreting complex visions of the Governor, and his wealth of experience has added much value in the infrastructural consolidation and industrialization drive of the Governor Udom Emmanuel administration.
As Commissioner for Works, Ephraim Inyang-eyen has ensured that high quality delivery remains a distinction in all the projects delivered to Akwa Ibom people in the last four years plus.
Loyalty is a positive attribute of a good employee and loyalty to his boss, Mr. Udom Emmanuel is unparallel.
But the man Ephraim Inyang- eyen is one man I find interesting, intriguing and extraordinary in all ramifications.
One thing uniquely stands him out from the pack; one is his extra ordinary zeal for hard work and excellence. Then the second is his legendary hunger for God and salvation.
His working ethics depicts commitment, diligence and positive results. He works out his heart and soul both in the office and at the field with smiles of satisfaction even in the midst of very unfriendly weather conditions.
At over 50 years, it’s instructive to note that many who join him to site inspections most times grapple to meet up with his pace while trekking for kilometers along highways across the State to eye mark and confirm the existence of buildings marked for demolition to ensure government resources are not misappropriated.
He takes his time and painstakingly cross checks the existence of every marked property and the value allocated to each.
He follows up by ensuring that real property owners get their due compensations before taking down their property to recover right of way to advance road projects.
Another unique but hardly advertised nature of Mr Ephraim Inyang-eyen is his heart which flows with milk of human kindness. In the course of his sojourn to ensure value for money on projects awarded to contractors, several Akwa Ibom people have had their fortunes changed by coming in contact with him.
Many jobless youths have been empowered with seed funds to kick-start trading, many widows have been blessed with cash to improve their petty trade and some living in shanties given better homes while several others mostly under privileged have had cause to smile for coming in contact with him.
He smiles with satisfaction anytime his benevolent actions trigger satisfactions in the faces of the beneficiaries.
As a man after God’s heart, those who are yet to come around to join the fellowship every Monday morning at the Ministry of Works may yet to know the wonders God is doing in the lives of the people through his servant, Akparawa Ephraim Inyang-eyen. He admits that he’s not yet a pastor but dissects and impacts God’s words with ease on the lives of many who seek God.
His preaching are enriched and garnished with several biblical quotes and examples leaving the listeners yearning for and most times giving out thunderous applause as a sign of appreciation of his efforts in driving God’s messages into their hearts.
Surprisingly miracles are being witnessed and many in distress receiving comfort and healings from their afflictions during his preaching and prayers showing that the good Lord whom he worships in truth and spirit also abides in him.
Mr. Ephraim Inyang-eyen’s love for his Creator is awesome and amazing. All his activities are centered on God. He never gets tired sowing seeds of faith across churches he visits for worship. Several choirs have received his blessings and he too has been abundantly blessed by God.
He is a total believer in the omnipotent God and has severally made mockery of small gods. Not once but many times has he with his bare hands, removed and set on fire several “mbiam” or juju planted on the right of way to scare construction workers away. On many occasions too, he has invaded the so called shrines and evil forests and destroyed them to ensure that work is unhindered by these manmade creatures to stop the progress of the state.
In reality, those who have actually tried something diabolical to stop him had done that at their own peril. I don’t know if they have survived the wrath they brought upon themselves to tell their own side of the story today.
Some of these are the missiles Mr Ephraim Inyang-eyen handles almost daily to ensure that Akwa Ibom is working. To ensure he delivers on the mandate given to him by Governor Udom Emmanuel. To ensure that industrialization agenda of the Governor becomes a reality and ensure the success of Mr Udom Emmanuel’s administration.
Akparawa Ephraim Inyang-eyen is a man with the mien of a warrior and the heart of a dove. A man who works his heart out for the benefit of the generality of Akwa Ibom people and will step on toes to clear any obstacle militating against public interest. In the same vein, you observe a man who feels another’s pain and ever ready to give a shoulder for anyone to lean on, in his/her days of challenges and adversities. However, he is deeply principled and uses same yardstick for all mankind irrespective of one’s societal status. This singular principle has brought him friends and foes on equal proportion. In the cause of discharging his duties, what Inyang-eye will not give to a man because he is an ordinary citizen, he will not equally give to even the most privileged in the society, and to him, we are equal in the eyes of our Creator.
Over the years on the saddle as the Commissioner for Works in the state, he has brought transparency in the process of contract awards, execution and delivery in the state. He has ensured accountability and integrity in the minute details on issues of payment of compensations to genuine property owners on the right of way in the several ongoing road projects across the state. The state in the process has been saved billions of naira.
Severally, he has jettisoned the super comfort of his tastefully furnished office and spent several hours, sometimes a whole day, trekking in scorching sun and torrential rain to ensure that for every kobo spent on a contractor, the people enjoy the value equivalent on quality projects. Most times in the midst of touring these projects sites, his heart flowing with milk of human kindness flows to people whose fortunes get instantly improved. He has great admiration for honest people and easily takes them along as friends. He abhors laziness and incompetency in all ramifications. He has knack for positive results and never takes excuses from subordinates for failure to deliver on assigned duties.
Akparawa Ephraim Inyang- eyen has the interest and the success of Governor Udom Emmanuel at heart like a true Christian will carry the words of God. He loves the Governor, he works for the governor and he believes in Governor Emmanuel. When he speaks, he brings to fore the thoughts of the Governor, and he has perfectly interpreted his visions in infrastructural development (roads) in the state to the admiration of the people. Ephraim Inyang-eyen is a very blunt person, he calls a spade by its name unlike an average politician, he never makes vain promises, and his words are his bond. He abhors crafty and dishonest people and hardly gives them any space in his life. Unfortunately, to those who know him from a distance, he is brash and arrogant but beyond that façade is a Great Man after God’s heart. A caring father, a pastor of the Most High GOD and a man severally described as GOD’S hand in the affairs of Men. When the NUJ bestowed the Award of the Grand Patron south south zone on him, great applause trailed that decision and today, the union is better off with him on the coveted seat. His breeze is already blowing across the zone. In furtherance of keen interest in objective and developmental journalism practice, Mr. Ephraim inyang-eyen is today the Chairman Editorial Board of Crystal Express Newspaper, a refreshing, vibrant, objective and colourful tabloid with extensive interest and coverage of the Niger Delta region.
May God continue to strengthen him to do more for Akwa Ibom State, that’s our prayer for him. Please join us in these supplications to Almighty God for Mr. Ephraim Inyang- eyen @ 54. His tomorrow will be greater than yesterday.
Born in Ikot Ebiere Village in Oniong Clan, Onna Local Government area of Akwa Ibom State 54 years ago, Ephraim Inyang-eyen strived through thick and thin to overcome the vicissitudes of life through primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education and sound moral upbringing.
His paramilitary training as a Custom Officer has been of advantage in his service to the state.
He attended Etinan Institute, Etinan; School of Basic Studies, Akamkpa, Cross River State; University of Ibadan, Oyo State and the University of Lagos, Lagos State.
Professionally, the commissioner taught briefly in the old Cross River State Teaching Service Commission; worked as a Chemist with the Nigerian Railway Corporation and joined the Nigeria Customs Service as an assistant superintendent of Customs in August 1990.
While at Customs, Inyang-eyen maintained a glittering and dignified career, serving as the Special Assistant to the Operations Commander, Apapa Port; Command’s Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State; Staff officer, Apapa Port Command; Head of the Armoury Unit, Jos Command, among others.
He has attended many courses among which are: Customs and Excise course; Customs and Excise Refresher course; General Scanner Training Course; Train-the-Trainer Delivery Skills for the Customs Services; Chief of Superintendent of Custom Leadership among others.
Through hard work and dedication to a worthy cause, he was appointed Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Transformation Initiative in Akwa Ibom, a socio-political organization that worked for the emergence of the Governor Udom Emmanuel-led government.
Inyang-eyen who holds a B.Sc in Chemistry from the University of Ibadan and M.Sc in Business Administration from the University of Lagos, is a member of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio.
A Fellow, Institute of Management Consultants and recipient of many awards, the Works Commissioner is happily married with brilliant children.
