By Solomon Azu, Calabar
The Village Head of Ekong Anaku and Clan Head of Ekinta in Akamkpa Local Government Area, Cross River State, His Royal Highness Orbon (Sir) Celestine Awor Inyang Anki Awor, has been installed as Patron of Ejik Oban.
The investiture took place at the 5th edition of the Ofu Oban 2026 Cultural Festival held in Calabar on Saturday, in a ceremony marked by celebration, colour and goodwill.
The festival drew royal fathers, community leaders, sons and daughters of Oban and Ejagham, as well as guests from far and near who came to witness the rich display of culture, music, dance and tradition.
In his acceptance and thank-you message, the royal father expressed profound gratitude to the people of Ejik Oban for finding him worthy of the honour
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He thanked the Besewan family where he belongs by birth, the Ekong Anaku Community whose royalty he carries and leads as King, and the Ekinta Clan that he heads.
He described the honour as one that places a heavy burden of responsibility on his shoulders, noting that it comes with overbearing expectations.
Explaining the meaning of the title, he said EJI literally means honour and dignity, while OBAN means King, a combination that magnifies traditional, cultural, academic, social and economic values.
He said the honour terrifies his imagination because it raises the question of whether he is truly worthy to carry out and execute the enormous tasks and responsibilities attached to it.
Despite the weight, the new Patron said he was humbled by the confidence reposed in him and pledged to live up to the expectations of the community.
He promised to lead Ejik Oban through paths that bring success such as have never before been imagined, and to devote his all to the community.
As Patron, he vowed not to fail Ejik Oban, assuring that he will always be there to promote the ideals that make the group work and to ensure its furtherance and success.
Earlier in his welcome address, the President of Ejik Oban Development Association, Leo Ndifon, described the festival as a homecoming and a platform for peace, economic empowerment, tourism and social harmony.
He stressed that culture is the strength of the people and unity is their foundation, urging all to preserve the heritage handed down by their forebears.
As part of the one-week celebration, Ejik Oban carried out a humanitarian outreach to the aged and the needy, providing them with food and essential provisions.
The gesture, Ndifon said, was to ensure that the fruits of the festival reached beyond culture, to touch lives and restore hope among the vulnerable in the land.
The association also extended its educational support programme to schools in the community, presenting teaching aids and distributing learning materials to pupils and students.
The benefiting schools were Trinitas Academy, St. Michael’s Primary School, and Community Secondary Grammar School, Oban, as a contribution towards improving the quality of education and investing in the future of the children.
In a move to promote indigenous enterprise, Ejik Oban announced a partnership with Circle Plots Nigeria Limited, producers of Eyub Oban Table Water.
By the partnership, Eyub Oban Table Water will serve as the Official Water Supplier of the festival from 2026 to 2030, ensuring that products of Oban origin are celebrated at the heart of the festival.
Similarly, Standout International Magazine was unveiled as Official Media Partner for the 2026 festival, to provide comprehensive media coverage and give wider publicity to the festival to a global audience.
The President also used the occasion to launch the Ejik Legacy Project, designed to establish sustainable, revenue-yielding projects for the association.
He said the project is envisioned to fortify service to the people and secure a prosperous future for generations yet unborn, and appealed to sons, daughters, friends and well-wishers to contribute generously to the cause
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In a goodwill message, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kingdez Global Services FTZE, High Chief Desmond Oko, lauded the community for living in peace.
He urged them to remain united so that the ideal for which the association was established can be realized, noting that unity remains the bedrock of development.
In keeping with the tradition of recognising excellence and service, Awards of Honour were conferred on Mrs. Grace Otu and Lady Esther Mbora for their meritorious contributions to the success of previous editions.
A posthumous award was also presented in honour of the late Mr. Linus Offiong, former Group Leader of Ndip Etek, in recognition of his exemplary service during his lifetime.
In further honour of his memory, Ejik Oban awarded his son, Master Obasi-Akara Linus Offiong, a scholarship of N100,000 per annum for four years, to support his education.
