Ikot Ntuen Oku Youth Development Association (INOYDA) Elects new Exco

...Observers adjudge election as most credible in INOYDA’s history

 The Youths of Ikot Ntuen village in Oku Clan, Uyo local government area met on Sunday August 23, 2015 in their village town hall along Akpan Essien Lane, Uyo and in three hours of a very peaceful gathering elected officers of INOYDA to run the affairs of that body for the next two years with Comrade Kingsley Uko Edet emerging as President. The election was adjudged free, fair, credible and peaceful by observers from other villages of Oku Clan such as the representative of the Clan Head of Oku Clan, Etidung D. E. Inyang, village head of Uyo Oku village who felt impressed to be associated with such a peaceful and credible youth election.


While promising to report back to the Clan head of Oku what he witnessed, he stated that any election done by a Youth group have always been bedevilled with some challenges and problems which normally scare electorate and observers, adding that the one he just witnessed was exceptionally different in terms of conduct and maturity. He commended the chairman and members of the Election Committee (Eleco) for a job well done.
In his reaction, the village head of Ikot Ntuen Oku, Eteidung Nsikak Charles Ikpe said he was happy that an election of Youths of his village has been done peacefully without rancour and strife, called on God to guide and protect the new leadership and grant them the grace to work for the benefit of youths of the village and development of the community. He admonished them to leave a good legacy at the end of their tenure as nobody would look unto “what you are but what you do”.
The village head commended the emeritus President of INOYDA Comrade Kingsley Ekong for his contributions to the community during his tenure and for ensuring that a credible election was conducted devoid of wrangling. He advised the new president to work for the community and not for himself. Eteidung Ikpe thanked the former Councillor of Ward two, Uyo Urban, from Ikot Ntuen Oku, Hon. Kenneth Udobio (Eleco Chairman) and other members of Eleco for conduction a free and fair election.
He prayed God to bless and guide the new leadership of INOYDA to govern well and leave a legacy which would add value to Ikot Ntuen Oku village as a community of very noble people; just as he thanked the electorate, the village Council Chairman, other Youth Presidents from neighbouring villages and the village of Nnung Udoe Idoro and Uyo Oku villages as well as other observers and security agents who came to vote and observe the elections in his domain.
Speaking after the election in the Palace of the village head, Hon. Kenneth Udobio thanked the village head of the village, Eteidung Nsikak Ikpe, adding that whoever was against his headship of the village was against the indigenes of the community and also fighting against God. He expressed confidence in the ability of the village head to take charge.
The Chairman of the village Council Mr Udokang said the election was peaceful and thanked the Election committee for resolving the grey areas amicably. He said he came out early and stayed to the end and was convinced that everything went well. He called on those who emerged from that process to carry along others who did not win, the electorate and youths of the village. He said he was impressed about the cooperation the youths of the village gave the election committee and the former president of INOYDA.
The President-elect Comrade Kingsley Uko Edet in his words said he believed in his earthly father’s wise counsel that “there is integrity in labour” and “there is reward in service that no money can buy”. He said, “if you serve the people, there is a reward in service which money cannot buy”. He said he served his former President for four years and never sought to succeed him, even up to the point the electoral committee was inaugurated, adding that he viewed his emergence as a call to service, hence he has to put some other responsibilities on hold to serve his people. He promised not to let down his people.
He said that he had represented the village [Ikot Ntuen] in Oku Clan Youth Council well. He promised that within the first 100 days from the date he would be sworn-in, one project would be commissioned in the village no matter the size.
The new youth leader of the community said when he mentioned some projects needed by the village to the village head some time ago it never occurred to him he would be the Youth leader of the community. He lamented the deplorable situation of the Primary school in the village but thanked God for the response of the Ministry of Education by setting up what is called School Based Management Committee which Eteidung Nsikak Ikpe is the
Chairman and he is a member. He disclosed that some agencies were already on standby to assist fix some things in the school.
According to the President-elect, “it gives me joy that some project would be facilitated under the new executive of INOYDA. The day of his inauguration I brought some slots from NDDC, then I was an exco member. Our children must go to school; the last exco some persons were given scholarship. The last government has set some antecedent but I want to tell you that we will do more. By the time we end our tenure we would make this youth association more interesting to all the youths of this village”. He charged youths of the village to show commitment by registering and taking part in youth activities as against the old ways of always sauntering in to write names on attendance sheets during meetings or gatherings.
He promised to carry along youths of Nnung Udo Akpan family as well as those who got challenged by losing elections, adding that his leadership will fight neither the village, village head, the immediate past government of the community nor the government of the day.
Earlier the Chairman of the Electoral Committee had announced that Comrade Kingsley Uko Edet scored 38 votes to emerge President-elect while his contender Akparawa David Moses scored 5 votes; Mr Jonah Okon Udobio emerged Vice President with 30 votes as against 11 votes which his contender Udeme Joseph Ekong scored; Tony Daniel Udobio scored 21 votes to emerge Treasurer against his opponent Edem Sunday who scored 20 votes; Margaret Isong Etim scored 37 votes to become the new Director of Welfare as against her contender Francis Sunday who score 5 votes.
He also announced that the Secretary(Inieke Benson), Assistant Secretary(Glory Moses), Public Relations Officer(Israel Akpan),Fin. Sec.(Itohowo Imeh) Directors of Socials(Godwin Edet Moses), Protocol(Samuel Udofia) and Sports(Christian Okon), Auditor(Emmanuel Moses) and Women Leader(Blessing Udosen) were returned unopposed.