Akwa Ibom State indigenes and friends will on Friday, May 31, 2019 converge at a grand book presentation event held in honour of the Deputy Governor of the state, Moses F. Ekpo.
The elegant affair to be held at the prestigious Ibom Resort in Uyo, will celebrate the life and times of Ekpo an illustrious icon and true son of the state.
The book presentation event which will be graced by well-wishers from across the country, will also feature the inauguration of a Memorial Foundation in honour of Martha Moses F. Ekpo and Moses Ekpo Jr.
“Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel will inaugurate the memorial foundation, while his wife, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, will unveil the biography about the deputy governor titled, Trials and Triumphs, written by veteran journalist and author, Dr. Uko Okopide.
Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, John Asein, will give the keynote address with the title, ‘Book as a Factor in National Development – A Biographical Perspective’.
The remarkable event will be chaired by Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Chief Pascal Dozie, while the book will be presented by Mr. Udom Inoyo, Executive Vice Chairman of ExxonMobil and Mr. Ray Ekpu, Chief Executive Officer of May Five Limited, will review the book.
A highlight to the event is the inauguration of a memorial foundation set up by the deputy governor as a vehicle for the implementation and funding of projects that would improve the education, health and welfare of Nigerians.
The foundation will achieve its objectives by funding and implementing programmes across Nigeria that would improve access to quality education and healthcare; strengthen the capacity of education and health professionals whilst also empowering vulnerable people to achieving sustainable livelihoods.
In the area of education, the Martha and Moses Jr, Ekpo Foundation will have as its main focus, funding and implementation of programmes that would prepare Nigerians to be able to thrive in the global economy. The funding will be through provision of bursaries to students studying strategic and innovation courses, as well as funding and implementation of programmes that encourage digital, entrepreneurial and financial literacy in teachers and students.
The foundation will also provide easy access to high quality healthcare for Nigeria’s low income earners, likewise, funding research and development of devices and equipment that help in treating preventable diseases in rural areas, wherein the larger percentage of the country’s population reside. It will also provide funding in form of bursaries for healthcare professionals and para-medicals, especially those serving the rural population.
The Martha and Moses Jr, Ekpo Foundation will assist in tackling the problem of chronic poverty among Nigerians by providing programmes that would improve the livelihood of those in the lower rung of the ladder, including provision of financial literacy training to a cross section of Nigerians.
The foundation’s welfare programme also promises to focus on improving the lives of vulnerable populations like widows, widowers, disabled persons and children.
A must-attend event, the book presentation of Trials & Triumphs will indeed celebrate the outstanding career and person of Moses F. Ekpo MFR, as an astute public servant and role model, known for unwavering discipline, hard work and integrity.
