• Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo (second left) & family at the thanksgiving service on Sunday
“After a fierce contest between him and my brother, Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo still went ahead to help me pay my school fees in Law School, barely two months in office as Head of Council. Honestly, I was not expecting it. No one did. Strangely, he did not hold any grudges. And did not hold back help.”
Friends and Catholic faithfuls, in and around Ikot Udom community in Ika, joined the Minister of State for Petroleum in charge of Gas Resources, Rt. Hon Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo, in the last Sunday Service of the year, as he celebrated God once again in a Thanksgiving Mass.
The Mass which was held at the St. Bernard Quasi Parish, Ikot Udom, was attended by the Chairman of Ika Transition Committee, Barrister Utibe Nwoko, and other senior members of his administration.
Going down memory lane, Barr. Nwoko acknowledged the Honourable Minister’s kind heart and peaceful disposition to issues. He said he was taken aback 20 years ago, when he opted to pay for his school fees in Law School despite his known political differences with his elder brother at the time. He maintained that Obongemem has always been a unifier.
Speaking earlier on the topic, Family Revolution, Rev. Father Francis Nso in his homily, told the congregation that the family is the future of humanity and as such should not be ignored. He called for what he described as a revolution at the family level, where we must begin to love and live for one another, especially the larger world family.
He admonished all to emulate the sterling example of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, who put the interest of the world family above their blood family, and allowed Jesus in the service of humanity.
The first Bible reading of the day, was taken from the book of Genesis 15:1-6 and was read by the Honourable Minister of State. While giving thanks later in the Service, Rt. Hon Ekpo urged the church of God not to be weary in praying for the success of the Tinubu administration.
He assured that in ending the controversial fuel subsidy regime, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wants to save scarce resources, fully harness gas and clean energy sources in return for a more efficient and affordable power.
He went further to ask for prayers for the President of the 10th Nigerian Senate, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio CON, and the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno. Obongemem Ekpo took time to explain that without peace, no meaningful development is possible in the State. And encouraged everyone to be ambassadors of peace.
