There are places where the air seems thicker, where history lingers in whispers and the trees seem to know your name. Akim Ekpe, or Mgbe Hall, is one such place , forever cloaked in an unsettling mix of reverence and dread. Before its gates stands the sacred Osama Mgbe tree, roots sunk deep into both earth and legend, a silent witness to generations of secrets.
It was in this atmosphere, part awe, part foreboding, that I had just been initiated into the NACRISS Caucus when the then NACRISS UCB President, Emmanuel Aben, an unassuming yet daring young man from Utugwang, took notice of me. Always neatly dressed and speaking impeccable English, he carried a quiet but commanding presence…
We first met in Malabor, at Chike’s Canteen. After one of my usual public speaking performances, bold, articulate, and confident; Aben was deeply impressed. When I told him I was only a fresher, his surprise was evident. Yet he insisted I work with him, telling me, “You must be my adviser.” I was awed, to say the least.
Not long after, I was invited to a 5 a.m. meeting with the then NACRISS Staff Adviser, Mr. Ibiang Oden Ewa (later Prof. Ibiang Oden Ewa), who lived near the Akim Mgbe Shrine. We gathered at his gate, myself, Charles Nyiam, Sam Ekanem (now a professor), Sunny Mbah (then NACRISS UCB Secretary-General), Abraham Ajor (now a pastor), Ukorebi Ita (former president), and others.
A young boy opened the gate. That boy would later become the present Hon. Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Oden Ewa, in Prince Bassey Edet Otu’s government.
Inside, I noticed the warmth of the home. There were no aides, just family. His tall, light-skinned wife, his children, and a simple but dignified living room reflected middle-class comfort.
Prof. Ibiang Oden Ewa, a lecturer in History and Religious Studies, was a heavyweight politician from Ugep in Yakurr LGA, a close friend of then Governor Clement David Ebri. When he emerged, he greeted everyone by name and asked who I was. That moment marked the beginning of a relationship that would shape my life.
First Action Together:
At the time, Governor Ebri had accused Senator Paul Ukpo of mishandling a Cross River Radio contract. NACRISS had to respond. We discussed the matter over tea and biscuits at Prof. Ewa’s home. He advised us to always hear both sides before making public statements.
I seized the opportunity to raise the issue of bursary and scholarship payments. Prof. Ewa immediately promised to speak with the Commissioner for Education, Walter Eneji, a thoroughbred administrator from Bekwarra in Ogoja, and with the Governor himself. From that day, he treated me like a son and a friend.
That same night, we travelled to Ogoja to meet Senator Paul Ukpo. It was a busy day, coinciding with the launch of the Cross River State Equity and Investment Company’s vehicles. Senator Ukpo told us that, contrary to what we had heard, it was actually the government withholding his payment, despite his having purchased and supplied the equipment.
We thanked him for seeing us at such short notice and for speaking so openly. We returned to Calabar by dawn. The roads were good then, the Peugeot 504 was sound, and our driver, Uwem, was careful. Apart from Emma Aben, we all slept through the journey. By the time we awoke, we were already on the Murtala Mohammed Highway, near the NUJ Secretariat (now the palatial home of Senator Florence Ita Giwa – don’t ask me how that came to be).
Our story made the 4 p.m. network news that day. Governor Ebri was displeased, but Prof. Ewa intervened, defending our intentions. Not long after, on 10 November, Governor Ebri invited us to Government House for a meeting. We left with the Governor’s assurance that bursaries and scholarships would be paid.
A Life-Saving Intervention:
Years later, during the military era under Gen. Sani Abacha, Group Captain Ibrahim Kefas was Governor of Cross River State.
Tensions grew between us and the government. One night, while in a meeting at my 21 D Eta Agbor residence (which had become the unofficial NACRISS Headquarters), Prof. Ewa appeared unexpectedly. He warned us to leave immediately or risk being killed.
I fled to Ogoja. Soon after, he drove all the way from Calabar to my family compound at No. 18 Lagos Street to warn me again. That same night, a squad led by Eze, now my neighbour, came looking for me.
Prof. Ewa’s timely warning saved my life.
Final Days and Legacy:
In politics, our paths crossed again in the National Centre Party of Nigeria (NCPN), where he was State Chairman and I was Governorship candidate — until General Abacha’s death ended that political season.
Prof. Ibiang Oden Ewa was more than a teacher and politician; he was a protector, a mentor, and a friend. His kindness, courage, and wise counsel shaped countless lives.
Yet, in my mind, I will always see him as he once stood, tall against the dim light of a dangerous night, speaking words that pulled me back from the edge of death. Even now, I can almost hear his voice in the quiet, warning and guiding as though he has never truly left.
May his gentle soul rest in peace. Go with the Lord, our Staff Adviser and former State Chairman of the NCPN — until the day when we all gather again, under that great and final tree.
Signed:
Papa DC Enamhe, Verified storyteller, writing from Atibulum, Gakem, Bekwarra LGA, the community where the first gunshot of the Biafra–Nigeria civil war was fired, and which Nigeria has abandoned.
First President, NACRISS Worldwide.
