The 94-year-old Oron Union in Akwa Ibom State has been reconstituted with new leaders to wheel the affairs of the body for the next two years.
Bishop Etim Ante (Nsoh) polled 208 votes to emerge the President-General of the body after flooring three contestants.
The election which was held at Oro Civic Centre took place on Saturday, December 28, 2019.
Ante takes over from Chief (Mrs) Janet Amba, the first female to be elected to that position from December 31, 2017, now a Senior Special Assistant to Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Barr Mrs Ann Eyo emerged as the Vice President-General l while Mr Edet-Omunam Ita Okon – is the Vice President-General l1.
At the keenly contested election, Dr. Anlak Abraham Asuquo got the nod as the Secretary-General of the union while Mrs. Mercy Okon Atting emerged as the Welfare Officer.
Ante said he has accepted the mandate and vowed to take Oron people to the next level by liaising effectively with the state government in bringing development projects to the area.
“I will not betray the confidence reposed in me. Though some people see me as a young man, I will do everything within my power to perform my duty. I know there are challenges facing the union as an apex body of other organisations in the area. I am ready to take up the challenges in order to move the union forward,” he assured.
The union is a formidable socio-cultural group for Oron people and one of the most formidable and vocal groups in the South-South region of Nigeria.
Popularly called ‘Oro Ukpabang’ or ‘Akpakip Oro’ or`Oro Ukpabang Okpo` by its indigenes, the Oron is made up of nine clans of Oro namely Afaha Okpo, Afaha Ukwong, Ebughu, Afaha Ibighi, Effiat, Afaha Ubodung, Etta, Afaha Oki-uso, and Afaha Idua (Iluhe).
However, the creation of Akwa Ibom State on September 23, 1987, later saw the geopolitical fragmentation of Oro nation into five local government areas: Oron, Okobo, Urue Offong/Oruko, Udung Uko and Mbo.
