Udom: One appointment, endless ovations

When Governor Udom Emmanuel assumed the  leadership of the state many undermined the stuff he was made of. To many, he was seen as a stooge of the immediate past Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio. Again, to a handful of his critics, a weakling, one that will not stand the test of time. 

These criticisms and perceptions were put to rest when the Governor constituted some technical committees. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the composition of his Cabinet and Caretaker Transition Committees for the 31 Local Government Areas.

Amongst the Governor’s many laudable actions, one recent appointment has received an endless enthusiastic applause. The appointment of Elder Ufot Ebong as Senior Special Assistant on Technical Matters and Due Process is inextricably tied to hard work, humility, loyalty and unparallel self-discipline. It is one appointment that has been extolled by the economic, social and political class at home and abroad.

Elder Ufot Ebong, born on March 22, to Mr. and Mrs. Ekanem Udo Ebong in Obot Akara Local Area of Akwa Ibom State, is one man no one could be dispassionate or nondiscriminatory to. He is beloved by many yet equally disliked by many others. This explains the feelings of his detractors when the appointment was seemingly delayed. 

The situation that surrounded his appointment confirmed the adage that says “God gives power to whom He so desires and at the right time.” Destiny, they said, has brought him thus far and yet the same destiny has made him an intermediary between the people of Akwa Ibom, members of the Executive Council and the Governor. By this, political analysts say, but for semantics, his position has naturally made him the Chief of Staff to the Akwa Ibom State Government.

A member of the foremost Institute of Directors, Elder Ebong, whose hobby includes Golf, Football and Scrabble, holds a Master of Science Degree in Sedimentology form the University of Calabar and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology from the same institution. He is a native of Obot Akara Local Government Area.

He joined Shell International Exploration and Production Oil Company in 1992 and rose to become the first Nigerian to have managed a $2billion gas project for the company. In Asia-Pacific made up of five countries - Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei and China, Ebong was appointed the Major Projects Delivery Manager. Following his early retirement from Shell in February 2012, he joined SEPTA Energy Resources Limited as the Asset Manager and was later appointed the Chief Operating Officer of Universal Energy Resources Limited with the task of managing the Stubb Creek Oil Field Development, which he did without truancy. 

As an asset manager of reputable standing, he is unarguably among the brightest minds to have been appointed prepared for the job ahead with a zeal that shows he will be working with the enthusiasm of a committed and dedicated young man, striving to produce world class results, especially winning the confidence of his principal and that of the people of Akwa Ibom. His imprints, so far, in managerial and administrative matters have been uncommon but the most enduring image that the public has of him is that he is a man that believes everyone should be given an opportunity to excel.

Little wonder the portfolio given him, Technical Matters and Due Process, which to a layman means the administration of justice to contracts and governance according to established rules and principles. 

As a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club, a practicing Christian and an Elder in the Mount Zion Light House Full Gospel Church, Ufot, a recipient of an Excellence Award from the Akwa Ibom Clergy Forum in 2012, is an Ambassador for goodwill and an advocate for everything excellent in all human endeavours.