The Atha Oro VII and the Paramount Ruler of Mbo local government area has embarked on the homeward journey.
He is His Royal Majesty Ovong (Hon.) Edet Okon Isemin.
Announcing this in Uyo on Monday, Edidem Udo Joe Ntuk Obom X11, the Paramount Ruler of Ikot Abasi said his obsequies have commenced and appealed to all to cooperate with the bereaved family.
He was born on October 1, 1935 to the royal family of the late Ovong Okon Isemin and Mma Arit Udo, both of Udung Isemin in Ibaka.
Isemin was born into the Roman Catholic Faith and had his early education at the Government Primary School, Abak in 1942.
Isemin obtained First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) in 1945 and General Certificate of Education (GCE) in 1955.
He began a career in the civil service in 1957 in the then Eastern Region and later, he was became an active trade unionist. He served as an executive member of the then Eastern Nigeria Stores Union from 1962 – 1963.
The executive cadre of the Eastern Nigeria Football Council from 1958-1961 and graduated into the Nigeria Referee’s Council between 1962 – 1964. He was elected the honorary secretary of Uyo and District Football Association between 1956 and 1962. Due to his hardwork in the association, he was elected the chairman of the South Eastern State Referee’s Council in 1970-1975.
After the creation of Akwa Ibom, Isemin was appointed a member of the caretaker committee of the state’s Football Association from 1991-1994 and served concurrently as the match commissioner of National Football League.
As a patriot and committed member of Oron Union, in 1973 he was elected the President of Uyo branch unopposed and he held that position for seven years.
He voluntarily left the office in 1979 for a higher service which saw him elected as a member of the Cross River State House of Assembly for Efiat Mbo State Constituency in that year.
The Ahta Oro started his journey to traditional duty in 1993 when he was unanimously selected as the village head of Ute Udombo in Ibaka. And 11 years into his village headship, his people once again unanimously crowned him as the clan head of Ukwong, in Mbo Local Government area in 2004.
He was appointed the chairman of Council of Oro Traditional Rulers and in 2009, Akwa Ibom State Assembly of clan heads elected him as its president. He held that position until he was elevated to the highest traditional stool in Mbo local government area as a paramount ruler in 2017.
Isemin was selected by the Council of Oro Traditional Rulers (COTR) August 18, 2017, after he defeated other paramount rulers from four local government areas of Oron, Okobo, Urue-offong/Oruko and Udung Uko but was crowned in 2018 as Atha.
The Ahta was widely travelled both within and outside Nigeria. He visited the United States of America and Canada frequently in the course of his football engagements.
