The Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba is expected as the Guest Speaker at the 18th Obong Sampson Udo Etuk lecture series and Excellence Awards of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio billed to hold on Saturday December 7th, 2013 at the International Secretariat and Community Center of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, Udo Udoma House along Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo.
A release signed by the Chairman, Central Planning Committee of the event, Akparawa James Edet indicates that the theme for this year’s colloquium is ‘’Cultural Pluralism and Federalism: Imperatives for Ethnic Cooperation and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria’’.
The release further stated that the State Governor, His Excellency Sir (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio, will be Special Guest of Honour while the Chairman Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang will be Chairman of the lecture session from 11am to 3pm with the former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzo Kalu built to Chair the Excellence Awards and Gala Night at 7pm.
Also expected at the event are, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who will both double as Special Guest of Honour and will both receive excellence awards for leadership.
The Wife of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio is to be honoured by the Mboho with an Excellence Award for Philanthropy and Community Service at the event.
The event will also have the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Noble Lady (Barr.) Valerie Ebe, herself a member of Mboho as the Mother of the day.
According to the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee, Akparawa James Edet, the award for the Governor’s Wife is in recognition of the succour she has given to widows, orphans and other honourable causes/classes of people in the society.
Accordingly, the Mboho has invited Government and political leaders, captains of industry, members of the academic community, civil liberty organizations and other pressure groups as well as the leadership and members of ethnic and socio cultural organizations, youths and women groups, Religious and Traditional fathers and the public to attend the lecture, which will seek to recommend some panacea to the challenges facing Nigeria today.
Meanwhile, Mboho Mkparawa is organizing an essay competition in Ibibio Language on the topic, ‘’Nso ke Ikpi Nam Mbak Usem Nyin Idikpa ke Ederimbot ’’.
The essence of the competition according to Akparawa James Edet is to protect Ibibio language and other positive values of the indigenous culture from extinction.
The Ibibio language essay competition, which is open to all secondary school students in Nigeria and abroad, will hold on Wednesday 27th November, 2013 at the International Secretariat and Community Center of Mboho, Sir Udo Udoma House, along Udo Udoma Avenue in Uyo by noon.
Interested students are to attend with their writing materials. Winners will win fantastic prizes.