Ikot Ekpene at 74 Calls For Recognition As Pioneer LG in Nigeria
The people of Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have called on the Federal Government to award the area a national recognition as pioneer LGA in the country, describing the delay as glaring injustice to Nigeria’s history.
Leading the advocacy at the 74th anniversary celebration of creation as LGA, a legal luminary and retired judge, Hon. Justice Ekerete Ebienyie
regretted that despite being the cradle of local government administration in British West Africa, Ikot Ekpene is yet to receive deserved national recognition.
Themed”Ikot Ekpene, the First and Evolving in Strides,” the anniversary celebration drew dignitaries including traditional rulers, and community members to reflect on a legacy that began in 1951, when the Eastern Regional Government chose Ikot Ekpene as the guinea pig for testing local government administration.
In a stirring historical account, retired Judge Ebienyie revealed that Ikot Ekpene was not only the first experimental local government in Nigeria but the entire British West Africa.
In his words “Ikot Ekpene was chosen by the Eastern Regional Government to test the local government system in 1951,. With this election, Ikot Ekpene became the premiere Local Government in the British-controlled territories in Africa.”
Justice Ebienyie emphasized that the first elected chairman, Late Chief Robert Udoka Umoinyang MBE, deserves national immortality for his pioneering role.
“Why has Chief R. U. Umoinyang not been immortalized like his British counterpart, Col. E. C. Alderton, who has a street named after him in Ikot Ekpene?” he asked pointedly.
The former judge decried the neglect of Ikot Ekpene’s historical importance in the national narrative, calling for concerted efforts to restore its pride of place.
Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman of Ikot Ekpene LGA, Mr Anefiok Nkom, urged citizens to rally behind the state government’s development agenda and promote peace and unity in the community.
“As we celebrate this milestone, let us not forget our rich history and cultural heritage. Let us work together to build a brighter future for ourselves and future generations,” he said.
Guest speaker and Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Nsikak Essien, made a passionate case for industrialization and stable electricity as the next frontier for development in Ikot Ekpene.
“If we can make electricity available and reliable for just one month, the growth in the economy will be shocking and surprising”. He said, while citing Nnewi in Anambra State as a replicable model.