By Solomon OKPO | The Evangelist News Desk
The President General of the Ekid People’s Union (EPU), Dr. Samuel Udonsak, has charged the people of Ekid to preserve their cultural heritage while investing in education, technology and economic empowerment to secure a prosperous future for generations yet unborn.
Udonsak gave the charge on Saturday, September 5, 2026, while delivering a keynote address titled, “Building Ekid, Preserving Ekid: Community Development as a Tool for Cultural and Economic Growth,” at the Post-Installation Ceremony of the Rotary Club of Eket Groove held at Joddag Hotel, Eket.
The EPU President General urged Ekid people to be responsible citizens and custodians of their collective identity, stressing that while the struggle for Littoral status and the protection of Stubb’s Creek Forest remained important, the people must equally pay attention to education, economic empowerment, cultural preservation and emerging technologies.
According to him, building and preserving Ekid requires the people to envision what the community should look like in the next 20, 40 or even 100 years, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, commerce, industry, education, healthcare, artificial intelligence and technology-driven businesses.
He said a model Ekid should be a society where children grow up in peace, good health and security, women are able to conduct profitable businesses, and men have decent employment capable of providing adequately for their families.
“Building a model society or a model Ekid today, where children can grow up in peace, good health and security; where our women can practise their trade profitably and where men would work and their take-home pay would cater for their families, are what is needed to provide the enabling transition now into the future,” he said.
Udonsak further advocated greater investment in youth development, calling for training in technology, agriculture, crafts, trades and creative arts. He also stressed the need to support small and medium-scale enterprises, farmers, cooperatives and local markets to ensure that wealth is created and retained within Ekid.
“The model Ekid should create opportunities in education and literacy; training our youth in tech, agriculture, crafts and trades. Infrastructure for business, supporting markets, cooperatives and SMEs that keep money circulating in Ekid. When we build Ekid economically, we fight poverty. We create wealth. We retain talent,” he asserted.
On cultural preservation, the EPU leader said the development of Ekid must not come at the expense of its identity, noting that the community must protect its language, festivals, communal values, respect for elders and tradition of service to one another.
“Culture is not the enemy of progress. Culture is the foundation of identity,” he declared.
He called on governments, development agencies, Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs), corporate organisations and individuals to mobilise resources and partnerships towards sustainable community development, particularly in supporting SMEs, farmers and youth skills development.
Speaking on the role of the Rotary Club in community development, Udonsak described Rotary’s community development strategy as a veritable instrument for achieving sustainable development through individual and corporate partnerships.
He cited Rotary’s Kick Polio Out campaign as an example of the impact of sustained community intervention and challenged the organisation to embark on another long-term public health initiative by supporting HPV vaccination for girls between the ages of nine and 14, with the ultimate goal of reducing cervical cancer in future generations.
Udonsak disclosed that the Eket Emoimee HCDT would take the lead in the proposed initiative, with Rotary and other stakeholders expected to support the campaign.
He therefore called on all stakeholders to place greater value on partnerships with Rotary and other development-oriented organisations, saying such collaborations would create enduring benefits and help shape the Ekid community of the future.
