By Elijah Ugani
It was an ecstatic moment of boisterous celebration as the duo of Sen Jarigbe Agom and Hon Peter Akpanke were honored and conferred with traditional titles by Igwo Community, Begiading ward, in Obudu Local Government Area.
The event which held at St Michael’s Primary School, Igwo drew dignitaries from both within and outside the local government area.
Declaring the event opened, the Chairman of the occasion, Mr Emmanuel Ugbe, former Chairman of Obudu Local Government Council, commended the good works that Sen Jarigbe Agom and Hon Peter Akpanke, has begun in Igwo community and described the duo as the face of contemporary leadership we all yearn for.
Ugbe thanked the Igwo community for the recognition accorded Sen Jarigbe and Hon Peter Akpanke and the decision to honor them.
In a welcome speech presented by the Igwo community, Prof Dave Ugal, extended gratitude to the Clan Head of Igwo community and his council of chiefs, for graciously granting the approval to honor and confer the traditional titles on their invitees.
Ugal explain that “We listened to Sen Jarigbe Agom, when he came to campaign in our community and promised us to fix the roads leading to both the primary and secondary schools. As if we were dreaming, we saw contractors commemced the grading of the two roads, and we wondered if we have people with conscience who keep to their words.
“Hon Peter Akpanke, the Solid Rock, also pledged to fix a classroom block in the secondary, he has also mobilize contractors to site. It is on this premise that we invited them for this recognition and to say thank you for remembering us. As Oliver Twist, we can only ask for more”.
Speaking while presenting the award of honor and the subsequent conferment of the titles, the Clan Head of Igwo community, His Royal Highness, Utsu Cornellus Ulem, noted that the conferment is devoid of bias of political affiliation. He noted that “Anyone who comes to assist us fix our problems, we will recognize and celebrate such a person”.
Sen Jarigbe Agom was conferred with the title of Unwaa Ubuu Kubong of Igwo, while Hon Peter Akpanke, was conferred with the title of Unwaa Ukpel Bendi of Igwo.
Responding, Sen Jarigbe Agom, who was unavoidably absent and was represented by the Vice Chairman North of the People’s Democratic Party PDP, Chief Austin Edibe, noted that he was glad that his little efforts to give his people the representation they yearn for was yielding some very positive impacts.
Sen Jarigbe promised to stop at nothing to ensure that his constituents in Obudu/Bekwarra/Obanliku federal constituency have every need to celebrate having supported him and his brother Peter.
On his part, Hon Peter Akpanke, thanked the Igwo community for the gesture and held that “this recognition should spur us up to do things right, so that the next we come here, you will be the people that will count our projects”.
The lawmaker told the Igwo community that the 2024 federal budget has projects spread across the OBO federal constituency.
The community had previously conferred on Mr Venatius Ikem Esq, Chairman of the PDP, Cross River State chapter, Unwaa Ushe.
The event witnessed dance performances by different groups and defection of some members of different political parties to the PDP, citing the unwavering performance of Sen Jarigbe Agom and Hon Peter Akpanke in Igwo community.
