Ofonime Honesty, Uyo
Ekpri Nsukara Offot Community in Offot Ukwa Clan in the Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, has elected Mr Emem Dennis Asikpo new village head.
Asikpo and immediate past Supervisory Councillor for Culture and Community Relations in Uyo Local Government Area and President of the Youth Council of Ekpri Nsukara Offot Village.
The village head-elect, who holds several chieftaincy titles in Offot Ukwa Clan and other communities, ascends the royal throne of Ekpri Nsukara Offot Village exactly 135 days after the demised Village Head, Late Eteidung Linus Etim Essien was laid to rest on Friday, December 23, 2022.
In a keenly contested election held on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at the Village Council Hall, Mission Road, Ekpri Nsukara Offot, Uyo, Otuekong Asikpo defeated Obong Ukana Udoh – both of Nung Abasi-Imoh family to emerge as the choice of the kingmakers – pulling the majority votes of three out of the five family heads that make up the village.
Presenting the village head-elect to the leadership and members of Ekpri Nsukara Village, the family heads of Nung Abasi-Imoh, Obong Effiong Henry; Nung Okpo, Obong Francis Essang and Nung Udo Akpakpan, Obong Aniefiok Peter, all eulogised the sterling leadership qualities and capacity of Otuekong Emem Dennis Asikpo, describing him as the right choice for the job.
The kingmakers emphasized that the choice of Otuekong Asikpo as the village head-elect was the best thing that has happened to Ekpri Nsukara community and expressed optimism that his reign will foster peace and unity, engender socio-economic development and progress in the area.
Speaking earlier, his co-contestant for the throne, Obong Ukana Ukoh, who accepted the outcome of the election, described the process as free, fair, transparent and acceptable and assured that he will team up with the new royal father for peace and development of the village.
Obong Ukoh said having known the pedigree of the village head-elect, he was therefore confident that a new era has commenced in Ekpri Nsukara Offot Village as the new royal father will operate an open-door policy that would give every indigene and resident of the community the opportunity to contribute to the development of the area.
In his acceptance speech, the village head-elect, Otuekong Emem Dennis Asikpo glorified the Almighty God for lifting him among his people and promised to serve diligently towards the unity and development of the community.
He stressed that he will not disappoint the people but will work to justify the collective confidence and trust reposed in him and pledged to lead Ekpri Nsukara Village with the fear of God, as well as build upon the legacies of previous leaderships of the village.
The village head-elect called on the people to give him maximum cooperation in order to succeed in the task of providing the desired leadership and thanked the people for the opportunity and the platform they have entrusted him with.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Ekpri Nsukara Offot Village Council, Comrade Morris Silas Bassey and the Secretary, Elder Domingo B. Etim, had in their introductory speeches said that the event of the day, had only one agenda, being the election of a new village head, a responsibility they said was strictly that of the family heads.
They assured the Kingmakers that the village council and the village as a whole will work with the village head-elect, Otuekong Emem Asikpo, for the continued unity, peace, love and general development of the community.
Among dignitaries present at the historic event were Eteidung Udeme Nnah, Village Head, Ikot Ofiong Nsit; Eteidung Oliver Edet Etim – Village Head of Ikot Oko Idio; Obonganwan of Ekpri Nsukara Offot Village – Obonganwan Veronica Pius Odung; Obong Anthony Bassey Effiong, Obong Paulinus Dennis Asikpo, Hon. Sabastine Okon Bassey, Chairman, Village Council of Ikot Oko Idio; Chief Edet Jerome, Nung Ukpong Family; members of the village council, leaders of youths and women groups.
The high point of the event was the symbolic decoration of the village head-elect, Otuekong Emem Asikpo with the traditional palm front (eyei) known in Ibibio as Udak by the family heads, amidst tumultuous joy and thumbs-up by those in attendance.