EKET SENATORIAL DISTRICT: Behold, The Would-be Chairmen (3)
The concluding part of a three-part feature profiling the Akwa Ibom PDP chairmanship candidates for the October 5, 2024 local government elections
By Inemesit Ina
Having profiled the local government chairmanship candidates of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom North-East and Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial Districts, it is now the turn of the candidates in the 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District.
Take a look:
Mrs. Uduak Ikemesit Ikot – Esit Eket
It is safe to call the PDP Chairmanship Candidate for Esit Eket LGA, Mrs. Uduak Ikot, a miracle candidate. She was not the original choice of the powerful political establishment in the LGA. Pastor Sunday Etim Tom was.
But God favoured her. The lot of affirmative action for women, as pushed by Governor Umo Eno in the local government chairmanship contest, fell on Esit Eket alongside four others. With that development, the establishment had to accept a female candidate. There was no reason to object anyway since Ikot, 59, was already a part of the establishment. She was even the Ward Leader of Esit Eket Ward 7.
Ikot is grateful to the Governor for the affirmative action: “Governor Umo Eno is the best when it comes to being gender-friendly. He is one Governor who has given women the opportunity to showcase what they have. We are going to have five female chairmen and 27 vice chairmen. It is a wonderful record.”
She is confident of a smooth relationship with the establishment: “I have related with all the politicians in Esit Eket, from the Political Leader, Elder Benjamin Udobia, to the least person. Fortunately, I know each of my leaders personally. I will know how to work with each of them to avert any problem.”
The would-be chairman, who is about to make history as the first woman elected to govern Esit Eket, parades an impressive political pedigree. Her late husband, Chief Ikemesit Ikot, was a notable politician and businessman who died as a Special Assistant to then Governor Udom Emmanuel a few years ago. Her brother-in-law, Chief Eteudo Ikot, a cerebral and articulate retired Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Information, is the Clan Head of Eket Offiong, the bigger of the two clans in Esit Eket LGA. The second and smaller clan is Eket Afaha. These two clans also exist in Eket, Esit Eket’s mother LGA.
Ikot is a big fish politically in her own right. She has served as the Supervisor for Education in Esit Eket Local Government (2008-2011), Special Assistant to the Governor on Project Monitoring (2017-2019) and Secretary of Esit Eket Local Government (April-December 2020).
With her pedigree and experience, Ikot appears prepared for the top job of Esit Eket. If elected, she says her priorities would be women and youth empowerment, infrastructural development, creation of job opportunities for youths, particularly in the oil and gas sector, skill acquisition training in the oil and gas sector and education advancement among others.
Ikot holds a Bachelor of Arts’ degree in English from the University of Uyo (2000).
She is an indigene of Ebighi Assang in Uquo Group of Villages. Uquo, which has two wards, hosts the Esit Eket local government headquarters.
Mrs. Glory Ekah Effiong – Ibeno
Like her Esit Eket counterpart, Glory Ekah is on the path of making history as the first woman elected to be Chairman of Ibeno Local Government. A woman, Lady Regina Egbe, did administer Ibeno from 2008 to 2011. But Egbe was elected as Vice Chairman and only took over the number one position following the sudden death of the Chairman, Chief Itam Moses Itam, shortly after assuming office.
Again, like Ikot of Esit Eket, Ekah has a name recognition politically, thanks largely to her husband, Engr. Ekah Okon Effiong. Her “beloved husband” (as she puts it), a staff member of ExxonMobil oil company, is a prominent politician in Ibeno who has sought election in the past. On her part, Glory Ekah once served as the Supervisor for Women Affairs in Ibeno Local Government.
As chairman, the 45-year-old amazon has a number of plans covering education, rural development, security, health care, oil and gas, tourism, fishing and much more.
Ekah possesses a Bachelor of Science degree. She hails from Essien Owong Ule in Mkpanak community of Ibeno LGA.
Mr. Kufre Okon Umoren – ONNA
At 38, Mr. Kufre Umoren is one of the youngest PDP chairmanship candidates.
But conversely, he is one of the most experienced politically, having operated at the highest level of government in the state, Government House, Uyo, for eight years. Kufre served as Personal Assistant on General Duties to the Governor from 2015 to 2023. Until his resignation to contest the ONNA top job on July 2, 2024, he was the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on General Duties.
The PDP standard bearer has an eight-point agenda for the LGA: Peace and security, education, agriculture, health care, youth and human capital development, infrastructure maintenance and rural development, sports’ development and culture and tourism.
And he makes a vow: “I am determined to deliver by God’s grace. As a young man who has been given opportunity to man the affairs of ONNA, if I misuse this opportunity, that would mean me retiring myself at a very tender age.”
Kufre holds a National Diploma in Public Administration from Heritage Polytechnic, Eket (2019) and a Bachelor’s degree (in view) in Electrical/Electronics’ Engineering from the University of Uyo.
He is from Ikot Ese Ishiet in Asuna Nung Oku Clan of ONNA LGA.
Engr. Emmanuel John Inyang – Mkpat Enin
Engr. Emmanuel Inyang looks like a man set to hit the ground running once he assumes office as Chairman of Mkpat Enin Local Government. He has a neatly-packaged eight-point agenda which he styles Emmancipation 2024. It reads: “Empowering our communities through dedicated service, making education advancement our priority, maintaining old and providing new infrastructure, advancing agricultural and rural development, nurturing good health and a brighter future for all, uniting communities towards progress, embracing sustainable growth and lighting up every corner of our beloved Mkpat Enin.”
In the last nine years, Mkpat Enin has been racked with factional politics. Inyang hopes to bring unity: “My job is to unite Mkpat Enin because united we stand, divided we fall. My aim is to champion the unity of Mkpat Enin people so that we can make progress because once there is division, there is no advancement.”
Inyang, 40, has a rich private sector background, having worked in the oil and gas retail industry and Hensek Integrated Services, a leading construction company in the state, in the last four years.
He is a 2010 petroleum engineering graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and a registered member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
Interestingly, Inyang comes from Ikot Akpa Ekop, the famed village in Ikpa Ibom Clan where oil was first discovered in Nigeria in 1953.
He is the younger brother of the late First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Patience Umo Eno.
Mr. Samuel Samuel Nteogwuijah – Eastern Obolo
The PDP Chairmanship Candidate for Eastern Obolo LGA, Mr. Samuel Nteogwuijah, comes across as a “hard core grassrooter” (apologies to the late political colossus from Etinan LGA, Obong Etukudo Ekpro).
He started out as the Assistant Secretary of the PDP in Eastern Obolo Ward 3 before becoming the Personal Assistant to the Councillor for the ward from 2004 to 2007. Nteogwuijah subsequently served as the Councillor, himself, between 2008 and 2011. From 2021 to 2023, he was the Supervisor for Culture and Tourism in the local government.
Now, Nteogwuijah is about to become chairman. And he has a seven-point agenda tagged Unified Agenda. The agenda is as follows: U – Unity, N – Nourishment, I – Inclusiveness, F – Fortification, I – Infrastructure, E – Education and D – Development.
He possesses a National Diploma from the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, and a Higher National Diploma from the Temple Gate Polytechnic, Aba, Abia State.
Nteogwuijah, 44, is an indigene of Amadaka Town in Okoroete Clan, the bigger of Eastern Obolo’s two clans. The second and much smaller clan is Iko.
Chief Okon Asukwo Enweme – Oron
Chief Okon Enweme, popularly called Leville, is a household name in the five LGAs of Oro Nation and beyond. This is as a result of his previous leadership of _Esu Nlap Oro_ , the highly-influential apex youth organisation in Oro Nation. He was the second International President of the organisation.
Leville has also operated at the state level, first as Board Member of Uyo Capital City Development Authority in 2017 and later as a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Project Monitoring from 2019 to 2023.
The would-be chairman, who is already based at home unlike most other chairmanship candidates across the state, has a five-point agenda for Oron focusing on provision of adequate security, human capacity development, total empowerment, infrastructural revolution and all-inclusive governance.
He holds a HND in Business Administration from Heritage Polytechnic.
Leville, 53, hails from Eyo Obio Esio in Eyo Abasi, the largest of Oron’s three zones.
Chief Uno Etim Uno – Urue Offong/Oruko
During his declaration to run for the Senate seat of Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District in January 2003, at Ibom Hall in Uyo, the first civilian Governor of Akwa Ibom State, late Obong Akpan Isemin, warned in Ibibio: “Eka Ekpo awuo anwa, therefore, anna ntuk ekpo efenge.” Translated in English, that meant: “The big masquerade has come out. Therefore, the small masquerades must run away.”
Uno is the big masquerade in the local government chairmanship contest in Urue Offong/Oruko, what with his enviable political track record. He has been Councillor/Vice Chairman (1996-1997), PDP Local Government Chapter Chairman (1999-2004), Special Assistant to the PDP State Chairman (2005-2007), Member of the State House of Assembly (2007-2011), Member of the Assembly Service Commission (2013-2018) and Member of the State Executive Council (2018-2024). In fact, he resigned as the Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources recently to seek the top job of Urue Offong/Oruko. Formerly, he had held the portfolios of Culture and Tourism and later Transport.
What remains to be seen is if the smaller masquerades contesting against him would fight on till election day or if they would heed Isemin’s warning and flee from confrontation with the big masquerade.
At 64, Uno seems to be the oldest PDP chairmanship candidate in the state. He is also one of the most experienced politically.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political and Public Administration (2007) and a master’s degree in Public Administration (2018), both from the University of Uyo.
Uno is an indigene of Eyulor in Oruko, one of the two blocs of fairly equal sizes constituting Urue Offong/Oruko LGA.
Mr. Sunday Okon Etim – Mbo
Mbo consists of five communities/zones – Uda (four wards), Enwang (two wards), Ebughu (two wards), Udesi (one ward) and Effiat (two wards).
All have produced elected local government chairmen and House of Assembly Members since 1999 except oil-rich Effiat, an archipelago that is fast vanishing because of erosion by the Atlantic Ocean and attacks by militants.
Effiat people, led by their strongman and Oron-based petroleum magnate, Chief Eyo Okon Edet (Eyo Suang), have long agitated for their day in the sun.
They are about to get it. Mr. Sunday Etim looks set to make history as the first elected chairman from Effiat. He is from Esuk Enwang village.
The 47-year-old staunch loyalist of Eyo Suang has been in politics for sometime. He served as the PDP Assistant State Youth Leader for Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District from 2020 to 2023. Until his resignation to run for election lately, Etim was the Chairman of Mbo Local Government Transition Committee. He had been on the saddle since December 2023.
Within that transition period, Etim says he was able to achieve the following: Appointment of aides, payment of all outstanding imprest and entitlements to local government staff members, sponsored seminars for principal officers, massive renovation of local government secretariat, monthly interface with security personnel, repair of Police patrol vehicle, monthly interface with Mbo traditional institution, drilling of boreholes in Effiat community, repair of local government grader to grade roads across wards, improved road maintenance and support for vulnerable groups.
If elected, he plans to focus on agriculture, rural development and infrastructure, health and social welfare, security, empowerment and human capital development and education.
“All I want is to make Mbo a model,” the PDP standard bearer declares.
Etim possesses a National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from The Polytechnic, Calabar.
The others
Four chairmanship candidates were not forthcoming with information for their profiling. They were Mr. Akaninyene Tommy – Eket, Mr. Ime Williams Essien – Ikot Abasi, Mr. Godwin Okponung – Udung Uko and Engr. George Henshaw – Okobo.
That was in spite of several telephone calls by this writer and a physical meeting in the case of Henshaw.
Essien, Okponung and Henshaw repeatedly promised and failed to send in the required information.
Tommy could not reached at all despite many calls. But two of his media handlers, who were contacted on telephone by this writer, failed to provide the required information after promising to do so.
This third part concludes the profiling of PDP chairmanship candidates in Akwa Ibom State.
