UDOM INOYO WRITES ATUEKONG DON OBOT ETIEBET, CON ON HIS BIRTHDAY

My dear Atuekong,

It is with inexplicable joy that my family and I celebrate you today as you clock 76 years. Yours has been a life of huge, indisputable accomplishment—a life dedicated to humanity. There are many incontrovertible reasons that make us celebrate you today. First, you are my esteemed in-law. You have been an inspiration and a pathfinder.
I recall that as young men who arrived Lagos in the 1980s, and were desirous of confronting any impediments to a career success, your several accomplishments, especially in business, provided the much needed impetus and desired assurances that we too can break any glass ceiling.

You represented a generation of daring leaders from our part of the country, and it was not surprising that we all wanted to learn at your feet.
We came to appreciate what made you a shining star. From your academic accomplishments in Imperial College of Science and Technology, England; to getting your hands dirty while working for Shell Company in Holland, and Reo Trinto Exploration Co. Ltd, in Canada, and your interest in imparting knowledge, as a university lecturer in Physics and Applied Geophysics, both at the University of Western Ontario, Canada and University of Ibadan.
Being restless and always eager to better the society, you took a bold step upon return to Nigeria in 1972 to set up Earth Sciences Limited—a resources engineering and mineral exploration company—the first indigenous Nigerian computer services company in mineral data gathering and processing. That was indeed a bold statement about local content in the oil industry!

In 1979, your signature company, Data Sciences Nigeria Limited, emerged a pioneer company to market computer hardware and software systems to various sectors of the Nigerian economy. Of course, following thereafter was the first ever Nigerian brand name in Personal Computers: the OBODEX-PC, which was assembled in Nigeria with the Naira sign keyboard.

Sir, I thank you for invoking in us an unexplainable audaciousness as far back as the 1990s. As we traversed Bank Anthony Way, to and from Lagos Airport, there was this imposing edifice, ETIEBETS PLACE.

Being one from the oil industry, I will be remiss not to salute you for your tenure as Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources. You served the country with integrity.

So my dear in-law, on this special occasion of your birthday, we are thankful to God for keeping you in health. We extend to you our best wishes. We will continue to celebrate you.

Happy Birthday, Sir.

UDOM INOYO