AKHA 2027: GAINS OF NTATAM’S SCHOLARSHIP DRIVE AND MORE

In January 1955, one of Nigeria’s foremost leaders, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, made a profound statement that continues to resonate with truth, foresight, and patriotic zeal—a statement every leader must reflect upon when rethinking development for society and its people.

Awolowo declared solemnly: “The children of the poor we fail to train today will never allow our children to live in peace.”

This declaration provided more than just words; it offered an instinct, a philosophy, and a simple yet powerful formula for addressing the future security architecture, healthcare services, religious tolerance, human capacity building, empowerment, and infrastructural development of any nation. Driven by this conviction, he declared the first free and fair education policy for all, irrespective of tribe, religion, or cultural affiliation.

Many decades later, Dr. Emmanuel Ntatam has resurrected this line of thoughtful leadership as a deliberate rethink to help harness sustainable development in Ikono Local Government Area. He has done this by granting scholarships to numerous Ikono sons and daughters enrolled in both private and public tertiary institutions across the nation.

As a leader on a mission, Dr. Ntatam has not relented in addressing the many tributaries of development. He continues to intervene through human capacity building, laudable empowerment initiatives, and several other humane deliverables that directly touch the lives of ordinary people.

At the College of Education, Afaha Nsit—now upgraded to the University of Education—Dr. Emmanuel Ntatam released over a million naira to offset tuition and other associated bills for students of Ikono extraction. This singular act lifted a heavy financial burden off parents and gave renewed hope to many young scholars.

At the University of Uyo, a significant number of Ikono students are currently on his payroll throughout their academic journey. This is the kind of commitment expected of a leader who understands that education is the bedrock of societal transformation.

Beyond undergraduate studies, many Ikono postgraduate students currently pursuing their Master’s degrees and other advanced programmes stand as living testaments to Dr. Ntatam’s unwavering trust in human development and his drive for an education-driven constituency. His investment is not in certificates alone, but in minds that will return to build Ikono.

Without mincing words, education forms a leading pillar in the ARISE Agenda of His Excellency, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno. In alignment with that vision, Dr. Emmanuel Ntatam has performed creditably well—his impact is too significant to go unnoticed.

These interventions are among the many reasons the people of Ikono score Dr. Emmanuel Ntatam highly. His strides have become the driving force behind the growing calls for him to transition from being an effective private citizen to a lawmaker. The people see in him a man who understands duty and representation, with the dogged capacity to build a community that belongs to all—a community rooted in intellectual growth, financial empowerment, and face-to-face engagement with governance that has a human face.

On the whole, the aforementioned gains of Dr. Emmanuel Ntatam’s scholarship drive are the reason for the groundswell of support and the clarion call for him to contest the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly seat come 2027. Like Oliver Twist, the people of Ikono are asking for more—more of his quest for development, more of his tenacity, and more of his pact with the people.

-the Gong-