Akwa Ibom Royal Father, Council boss eulogize Uyio Ikpa-Ikono Welfare Union, task on youth enlightenment as panacea for peace and development

Dennis Udoma, Uyo

The Paramount Ruler of Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, HRM (Obong) Akpan Akpan Ekpene has commended Uyio Ikpa-Ikono Welfare Union, a socio-cultural association in the area for its role as vanguard of development.

Ekpene, who made the remarks at the weekend when officials of the group paid him a courtesy visit at his palace in Ikot Enyienge, appreciated their modest effort in advancing the unity, development and empowerment of the people through welfare programmes.

He charged the group to keep the tempo by maintaining high ethical standard and ideals of unity, growth and development to make desirable impact.

The royal father also advised against tendencies that are inimical to the growth of the association and, promised to mobilize Ikpa-Ikono Clan Chiefs and subjects to support the group’s activities as an indigenous socio-cultural organization.

High point of the visit was the naming of the Paramount Ruler as the Grand Patron of Uyio Ikpa-Ikono Welfare Union by its president.

Earlier, the President of Uyio Ikpa-Ikono Welfare Union, Dr. Anietie Essien, informed the royal father that, the group which is apolitical, was established to engender development by proliferating government economic programmes at the grassroots.

“We came to inform you of the emergence of Uyio Ikpa-Ikono Welfare Union as a socio-cultural association.

“Though we might be apolitical, we are concerned about advancing the collective well-being of our people, in order to bring about development that would transform the people to be self-reliant and, above all, Uyio Ikpa-Ikono Welfare Union stands for Unity, Development and Progress of the people as our main objective,” he stated.

While calling on the royal fathers and the people to partner the body, Dr. Essien disclosed that, a cooperative mechanism for empowering the people and self sustenance was underway.

In a related development, the Chair-person, Mkpat Enin Local Government Transition Committee, Lady Ekaete Usip has described the organization as one of the pillars in the development of Mkpat Enin.

Mrs Usip who stated this in her office at the Council Secretariat when the group called on her described, the formation of the body as a step in the right direction.

“Ikpa-Ikono has had a fair share of political representation in government in the previous years and, if a group of this kind was formed before now, it would have helped in moulding better opinion and giving direction to make things work better,” she lamented.

The Council boss, who tasked the group to help in the enlightenment of youths to shun violence and destruction of Council facilities, recalled a situation where youths from the area were used as agents to disrupt council inauguration lately.

While soliciting the group’s support towards the state government’s programmes for Mkpat Enin, also pledged her support for the union’s achievement of its agenda.