Featured Profiles - UYO BOOK CLUB

FOUNDER

Dr Udeme Nana

Every sign of resourcefulness was manifest in Dr Udeme Nana, when, as a student of the University of Nsukka, he founded the National Association of Akwa Ibom State Students, NAKISS, gave it that name and became its president in 1988. He is also credited to have coined the name NAKISS as the umbrella organisation for students of Akwa Ibom origin at the founding of what has become NAKISS Worldwide.

Currently leading the Uyo Book Club, a mentoring Platform, Dr Udeme Nana is a tutor, an editor, with capacity, simplicity, integrity, dexterity, humility and humanity. He is a native of Mbiabong Ikot Atim in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. This erudite communication scholar, media manager, and Public Relations Executive holds a B.A Hons in Mass Communication (UNN), a Diploma in International Public Relations Management (UK), an MBA in Marketing (UNN), an MA and a Ph.D from the University of Uyo, and is an alumnus of the School of Media and Communications, Lagos Business School.

At 32, he was spotted and appointed Media Adviser/Chief Press Secretary to Governor Victor Attah and went on to hold the distinction of serving the longest in that office for 9 years, having also served Governor Godswill Akpabio in the same capacity before returning to the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua where he lectures. He desires to see reading clubs at least in major estates in Uyo, in other Local Government Areas and States across Nigeria. Uyo Book Club, which is his creation, now holds every last Saturday of the month. It is usually an intellectual colloquium that affords an orgasmic romance with books and fosters cross-fertilization of ideas, knowledge and information and holds at Shakespeare Room, WatBridge Hotel, IBB Road, Uyo.

 

PATRONS

Ray Ekpu

Mr Ray Ekpu is a veteran journalist, prose craftsman, prolific writer, renowned columnist, analyst and informed commentator. He is a co-founder of the defunct Newswatch Publications. Mr Ray Ekpu was the International Editor of the Year in 1986. He was the Editor of “The Nigerian Chronicle”, Editor, Sunday Times, Chairman, Editorial Board of Concord Newspapers Ltd. He is at present the CEO of MayFive Media Ltd, Lagos.

 

Rt. Hon Dr Ekong Sampson

Rt. Hon. (Barr.) Ekong Sampson was appointed to serve in the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council as Honourable Commissioner for Rural Development. A native of Ikot Unya village in Mkpat Enin LGA, Barr. Sampson was born on September 21, 1966. He began his educational journey at Methodist Primary School, Ikot Abasi in 1972 and later proceeded to Group School, Ikot Ekpene, where he bagged his FSLC in 1978. He also attended Holy Family College, Abak, where he got his SSCE in 1984; The Polytechnic, Calabar where he got his ND in Mass Communication in 1986, University of Cross River State, where he got LL.B (Hons.) in 1990.

After his stint at UNICROSS, Sampson proceeded to the Nigeria Law School, where he bagged B.L. in 1991. He also holds LL.M from the University of Lagos. He is currently undergoing Doctorate Degree Programme in Law at the University of Calabar.

He started his professional career with Journalism and later veered into Law in 1992. He partnered with many Law Firms and as at 2000, before his appointment as Chief Legislative Assistant to Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, he was the Principal Partner, Ekong Sampson and Co., a Law Firm based in the Sabo area of Lagos.

As a public office holder, Barr. Sampson has served as a Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area. In appreciation of his giant strides as Council boss, he was elected in 2007 to represent Mkpat Enin State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and later got re-elected in 2011.

 

Prof Joe Ushie

Joseph Akawu Ushie is a Professor of General Stylistics and Literary criticism at University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Nigeria.

He is the current Vice-Dean, Postgraduate School, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He was born at Akorshi, Bendi, the hilly Obanliku Local Government Area (which houses Nigeria’s foremost tourist attraction, the Obudu Cattle Ranch) of Cross River State, and he attended St. Peter’s Primary School, Bendi, Government Secondary School, Obudu, and the University of Calabar, Calabar, where he studied English and Literary studies, and was the Secretary-General, Student Union Government in 1980-81 session. He subsequently obtained the M. A. (1988) and PhD (2001) in English from Nigeria’s premier university, the University of Ibadan. Professor Ushie had served as Head, Department of English, and on several boards and committees in the University of Uyo. He had also been Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Judge, ANA national literary competitions (2009 – 2010), Juror of the Canada-based International Poetry Competition (2017) and a Co-Editor, Montreal 2017 Global Poetry Anthology.

His poem, “Africa Today” was the only African poem that won entry into the 2015 Montreal, Canada, Global Poetry Competition. Professor Ushie is author of six volumes of poetry and the editor of, and contributor to, the seventh volume, besides his scholarly publications in books, journals and as monographs. Some of his poems have appeared in world-wide anthologies in English and have been translated into Spanish, Finnish, French and German.  His poetry book, Yawns and Belches (2018) won the 2019 Shehu Sani/ANA Poetry Prize.

He is a year 2000 recipient  of the Cross River State Honours Award for his outstanding contributions to the promotion of African literature and culture, a 2010 recipient of the Distinguished ELSALITE Award of the Department of English and Literary Studies, University of Calabar, and a 2010/2011 honouree of the Academia Awards “Education Ambassador” of Akwa Ibom State. Prof. Ushie is an editorial consultant to many scholarly journals and magazines both within and outside the country, a foreign examiner to about 10 universities in India and an external examiner to many universities and other tertiary institutions in Nigeria. He is the lead co-editor of the 2009 ANA publication, Themes Fall Apart But the Centre Holds, and of its successor-volume, Arrows or Gods? Critical Essays on the Leadership Question in Achebe’s Arrow of God. He is listed in the Newstrend Who’s Who in Akwa Ibom State as one of the Non-Indigenous Stakeholders (2012 – 2015) and in the 2017 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. A one-time Secretary of the University of Uyo Branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), he is currently the Editor-in-Chief of two of the publications of the Union, The National Scholar and the ASUU Journal of Humanities.

 

Dr Martin Akpan

Dr Martin Akpan is a medical graduate of the University of Nigeria. A prolific writer, public speaker, Anti-AIDS campaigner and community organizer, he holds a post graduate degree in Family Medicine from Texila American University, Georgetown, Guyana. Akpan speaks and writes with a crusader’s undying candour and passion. His published works include: Brainwaves At Dawn (1992), Mixed Strokes (1998), Good Night Africa (2009), Awakening The Giant (2009), Climate of Health and Well being (2010) and Ripples of Rebirth (2019). His political thriller, The Crumb Eaters, published in 1999, has been adjudged his magnum opus.

Akpan, a widely-traveled man, is a member of many professional and philanthropic organizations including the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene, International Association of Lions Clubs, International AIDS Society, Toastmasters International, African Network for the Prevention and Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect, ANPPCAN; Society for AIDS in Africa and Association of Nigerian Authors where he has served as a State Chairman and a National Judge.

He has also held many public offices and positions of responsibility including Editor-in-Chief of the State branch of Nigerian Medical Association, Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Action Committee on AIDS (AKSACA) and Director of Medical Services, Ministry of Health, Uyo, Nigeria. He is currently the Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Primary Healthcare Board.

 

Mr Anietie Usen

Author, multiple award – winning journalist, technocrat and Alumnus of Harvard Business School, Oxford Business School, Wharton Business School, Manchester Business School, Lagos Business School, among others; Anietie Usen is a versatile, hardworking and result – oriented go – getter, whose passion for corporate governance, media solutions, sustainable development, capacity building and entrepreneurial empowerment of rural people, especially youths and women, is rare. His latest book, The Village Boy won the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, (UN SDG Book, African Chapter) award 2021 and was selected as the best of five books nominated for the 2021 World Book and Copyright Day 2021 Prize.

 

Anie Sunny Udoh

 Anie Sunny Udoh is proficient at proferring solutions. He promotes function over fashion and results over efforts. He has a privileged combination of good education and professional hands-on experience in the school of ‘hard knocks’. He holds degrees in Economics, International Law and Diplomacy. He has completed professional courses in Havard and Oxford Universities with distinction. He possesses a robust skills-set in planning, communication and project management with strong financial management competencies.

He is a decisive team leader and a reliable team member. He had played key roles in many successful projects both in private and public sectors. He is a deep thinker, avid reader, ardent writer, a keen entrepreneur, well disposed to taking risks. He is conscientious, trustworthy and demonstrates great sense of responsibility; ever zealous about getting things done and done well!

EXECUTIVES

Iniobong Umoh – Secretary

Iniobong Leroi Umoh is a satirist, storyteller, content developer, techie and digital marketer. He belongs to the new generation of writers who write mostly for the online demographic. He is a multi-contextual writer whose specialty is in fiction. His writing seeks to blur the lines between reality and imagination. His works has been featured on many online and offline media. He blogs at leritude.com 

 

 

Samuel Udoma – Publicist

Samuel Udoma is a public affairs analyst, writer and media enthusiast. He has worked as publicist for different brands and organizations.

 

 

 

 

Hanson Uko – Web developer

Hanson Uko is a web designer, social entrepreneur, writer, publishing and print consultant and techie. He is passionate about spreading knowledge.