Although the man today lives in affluence and wields much power, he is a classic story of grass to grace, having come from a very humble home.
A story the Deputy Governor loves telling whoever cares to listen, to buttress his humble beginnings, is how he served as a houseboy in Calabar during the civil war. He always recalls, with a tinge of sadness, how he lived a spartan life in his master's house until his mother, who could not bear the agony anymore rescued him and took him back home.
He was later to follow in the footsteps of his Uncle, Isidore James Ekpenyong, who later became the Chief Medical Scientist at the Vertinary and Surgery Department of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and went to school. But even that was not easy for him as the finances were not readily available.
His journey through school was like the proverbial camel passing through the eye of the needle. He readily recalls how he ran out of money after he had gone to The Polytechnic, Bida for an interview, how he trekked from nine miles in Enugu to the University Town in Nsukka where he was given N10 by his Uncle which eventually got him home.
However, all that is in the past. Today, Obong Chris Ekpenyong holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Public Administration and has been the Deputy Governor in the past five and half years.
Although his relationship with the Governor Obong Victor Attah is today rosy, it has not always been so as Chris Ekpenyong was formerly accused of aligning with what is known as the 'Abuja group' against the governor. Again all that is the past and the Deputy Governor today enjoys a rosy relationship with the Governor, so much so that while some other Deputy Governors are seen to be idle, Ekpenyong is saddled with the state emergency relief management agency tasked with the responsibility of overseeing victims of natural disasters, he is also Chairman of the Presidential Sub-Committee on Agric Inputs and Crop Protection, charged with the responsibility of improving agricultural yield per hectare in the country.
But, by far the most important task he is saddled with is mediating and intervening in inter-state and intra-state boundary disputes through conflicts resolution and pacification of warring parties.
Just as Ekpenyong himself said in a recent interview, “most of the boundary disputes arise due to the aggressive tendency of neighbours. Before Akwa Ibom was carved out of Cross River, there had never been any boundary conflict between Odukpani and Itu or Oron and so on. Fortunately for us, some of the laws that clearly demarcate the boundary between Cross River and Akwa Ibom were made by Cross River State itself, we will continue to resist any attempt to take even an inch of our land”.
Today, the boundary dispute between Akwa Ibom and Cross River States has been resolved and Obong Ekpenyong is the arrowhead of that peaceful settlement.
As the subtle moves towards the 2007 political race is on nationwide, political analysts in Akwa Ibom are touting Ekpenyong to lead others in the race, however, ethnic consideration in the state do not favour him. The only thing that favours him is that his ethnic group, Annang has had only a three month stint in the saddle during the time of the Old Cross River State and there are ongoing moves in the state for power shift.
There are three ethnic groups in the state, Ibibio, Annang and Oron.
Ibibio is the largest group in the state followed by Annang then Oron. It is instructive that in the 16 years of the creation of Akwa Ibom State, no Annang or Oron has ruled the state, and this zoning debate dates back to the time of the old Cross River State.
The first Cross River/Akwa Ibom native to rule the state was Brig.-Gen Udoakaha Esuene (1967-1979) in the old South-Eastern State followed by Dr. Clement Isong (1979-1983); Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (1990-1991); Obong Akpan Isemin (1992-1993); Senator Donald Etiebet (Oct-Dec 1983) and Obong Victor Attah (1999-date).
Of the lot, only Senator Donald Etiebet, (Oct-Dec 1983), older brother to Chief Don Etiebet, the embattled chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) was Annang. Now the Annang feel it's their turn to rule.
Ekpenyong is Annang, and if the others concede to them, then he may have a roller-coaster ride to the state house.
Be that as it may, there are those who are waiting in the wings and are seen as likely gubernational candidates in the state. They cut across the three main Ibibio, Annang and Oron ethnic groups. One of the likely candidates is the present Commissioner for Works in the state, Udoma Bob Ekarika. People believe that Ekarika has it all it takes to clinch the PDP ticket and eventually get the number one office in the state if money and connections are all it takes to get there. Yes money and connections play very important roles in politics, but that’s not all it takes.
Another likely candidates is Mr. Godswill Akpabio, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. A lawyer, young, amiable, intelligent, soft-spoken and highly charismatic, Akpabio is close to the grassroots by virtue of his position as Commissioner for Local govenment and Chieftaincy affairs. Another thing going for him is that he is Annang, and if the position is conceded to the ethnic group, then the battle may well be a straight fight between him and Ekpenyong, his brother from the same ethnic stock.
Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, son of elder stateman Udo Udoma and senator representing Ikot-Abasi senatorial district is also believed to be waiting in the wings for Governor Attah’s tenure to elapse in 2007.
Senator Udo Udoma is highly respected among his peer senators and even the President, Chief Olusegun Obsanjo takes his opinion seriously. He is, perhaps, the more known of the three senators representing Akwa Ibom State in the upper legislative chambers in Abuja. If he decides to join the fray, then it is believed it would be against the current cry of power shift from the Ibibio to other ethnic groups in the state.
The person whom everybody believes will run in the 2007 governorship race is Obong Chris Ekpenyong, although he has not said so himself, maybe due to the ban placed on campaigns by the President, but having understudied his boss, the governor for over five years now, which would be eight years by 2007, it is believed Ekpenyong would have garnered the needed experience and tenacity to govern a state and its people.
Those rooting for Ekpenyong point out that he has been loyal to Governor Attah, in fact, he is believed to have spearheaded the delivery of Annag votes to Attah during the 2003 election, they also mention his doggedness and ruggedness in political negotiations which saw to the resolution of the bloody boundary crisis with Cross River State.
The main thing going for Ekpenyong is that he is a total grassroots man and can count on the support of people at the grassroots when the time comes.
By 2007, Ekpenyong would be 53, and he would have matured well enough to govern the state which is opening up for investments; he would be able to do his bit for people in the state and he would be able to look back at his humble beginnings and say a silent prayer of gratitude to God who has made good fortune to smile on him and substituted his bed of thorns for a bed of roses.
If I was a betting man, I would put my money on Ekpenyong to clinch his party’s ticket and go on to win the race proper in 2007, if he decides to run the race, but I am not a betting man, so I’ll just have to do is keep my fingers crossed and wait for 2007.
