Elder Eton Ekanem

Elder Eton Eknem was born on July 31st 1969 at the famous time honoured St. Margaret's Hospital, Calabar, to the late couple (Elder Asuquo and Mrs Mary Ekanem). He attended Academy Primary School, Calabar, the prestigious Hope Waddell Training Institution also in Calabar and then proceeded to the University of Jos where he graduated in 1991 as a social worker at a very tender age of 21.

When he was barely 19, he had commenced his working career in 1988 as a shift clerk with Nasco Pack Ltd, Jos, meaning that he had to combine his first ever job with the rigour of studying as a ful time student at university. From 1993 to 1997, he worked as the Counselor and Data Manager with the Nigeria Youth AIDS Programme, an AIDCAP/NYAP intervention project in sixteen tertiary institutions in Cross River State to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS amongst the youth in tertiary institutions.

Our dynamic conferee also worked as the Senior Computer Analyst and Accounts Officer with Strabag Construction (Nigeria) Ltd from 1997 to 2004, where he worked in various locations of the company in Calabar, Lagos, Benin, Enugu and Abuja. In 2004, our distinguished conferee joined the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as the Project Finance Assistant for the National Programme for Food Security which job presented him with the rare opportunity of traveling the length and breadth of Nigeria and beyond and in the process contributing immeasurably to increase in farmers agricultural production and thereby alleviating poverty in the rural areas. Our conferee again in 2009 proceeded to Al Hani General Construction (Strabag LIDCO), Tripoli, as Acountant to the company. Eton is currently with the Property Development Company (PRODECO) where he's been since 2011 as the Site Administrator for the company's quarry.

The professional institutions attended and some qualifications of our conferee include Computer Association of Nigeria; The Institution of Certified Bookkeepers, London; The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), London; Training Links, Four Oaks, UK; The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, London.

Above all, our distinguished conferee is also a devout christian having been ordained an Elder of Mount Zion Lighthouse Full Gospel CHurch Incorporated since 1997 when he was barely 28 and even at that has been a presiding elder in various assemblies of the church in Surulere, Lagos; Gwagwalada, Abuja and currently Kubwa, Abuja.

Eton's union with his dear wide Deaconess Christian Eton Ekanem is blessed with three wonderful children.

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me and make welcome with applause to this innovator, this incurable optimist, this solution provider, this advocate of social justice, this community mobiliser, this preserver of the rich custom and values of his community, and this great descendant of Oyo Ita dynasty, Elder Eton Ekanem, as he steps out to be decorated with the reverred title of 'ODUNG' Ufok Etinyin Oyo Ita.