LAWYER EKPO ANTWAN OF EFIK STOCK - CROSS RIVER STATE IS FIRST LAWYER IN NIGERIA AND NOT CHRISTOPHER ALEXANDER SAPARA WILLIAMS. FIRST LAWYER IN THE OLD EASTERN REGION AND NOT LOUIS MBANEFO

I support the revealing and factual information on above subject matter as recently presented by Chief Okoi Obono-Obla and as quoted below:

''I want to debunk the assertion in this story or reportage ( in the Nation Newspaper of 30 September 2017 titles Court adjourns Mbanefo's N100m libel suit until Nov.6 -The Nation Nigeria) that Sir Louis Mbanefo was the first lawyer from the Eastern Region of the country ( if the Eastern Region of the country includes Cross River State, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers State) then it is a lie from the pit of hell and a gross misrepresentation of historical facts for the writer or reporter to suggest such.

How can the reporter or writer suggest that Sir Louis Mbanefo who was only call to the Bar in 1936 was the first Lawyer from the old Eastern Region ? As at 1936, the Efik people of Cross River State had produced more than forty(40) lawyers !

Recall that Calabar was the first capital of the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria from 1865 till the amalgamation of The Protectorate of Northen Nigeria and the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria on the 1st January 1914 .

The first Secondary school in the old Eastern Region was the Hope Waddel Training Institute established by the Church of Scotland Mission in 1895 .

Indeed , the Efik people produced the first certified indigenous Nigerian lawyer under British Rule ! He was late Lawyer Ekpo Antwan . British rule was effectively established in the present territory known as the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1850s.

Indeed late Lawyer Ekpo Anwan is the first Nigerian lawyer not Christopher Alexander Sapara Williams (who was called to the Bar in 1876 ) as wrongly written by some writers !
The Efiks of Cross River State also produced:
The first Director of Medical Sciences in British West Africa by name late Dr Ekeng Richard Henshaw .

The first indigenous Surgeon-General of Nigeria was an Efik by name Dr Chief Bassey James Ikpeme .
The first female Pharmacist from West Africa was an Efik woman known as Chief Mrs Ekanem Bassey Ikpeme .

The Efik produced also the first Professor from the old Eastern Nigeria , Professor Lawrence Eyo Ita who was made history as the first Premier of the old Eastern Nigeria''.

I believe it is time to set our historical records right and expunge certain wrong long-held beliefs and historical concoctions for tribal glory and superiority. Facts are indeed sacred!

Ceejay Ojong comments from Abuja - Nigeria.

nice one have not heard about d names before thanks for sharing

Babyish story. Keep contesting with record holders, Great people of Western Nigeria. We lead others follow.