By Udeme Hosea

Following St.Christopher Street, Nung Oku, Akwa Ibom state, where a demolition exercise left a shoe factory damaged last week during the Uyo Capital City Development Authority enforcement on illegal structures in the state capital. Hon. Anietie Eka, Chairman of the Uyo Capital City Development
Authority, UCCDA, demonstrated a brand of leadership that is fast becoming his signature , especially In a public space where promises are often louder than performance, the UCCDA boss chose a different path by reaching out in person to the factory owner via phone call, appealed for calm and visited the show room to assess the situation
which signaled empathy and accountability .

True to his word, Hon. Eka fulfilled that promise. He met on site with the landlord, Dr. Christopher Enoch and Mr. Akan Ekefre, husband to the factory owner, Mrs. Utonne Ekefre. Together, they inspected the damage. Without deflection, he accepted responsibility and undertook to restore the affected portion of the factory. His public appreciation of the “understanding, maturity and cooperation” shown by the Ekefre family and Dr. Enoch outlined a leadership style rooted in respect and dialogue, not decrees.

The impact of that visit was immediate and it is best captured by Mrs. Ekefre Utonne in her Facebook page. “In a world where people say one thing and do another, I honestly wanted to count my losses last week and move on,” she said. “But Mr. Anietie Eka said he is a man of his word and he kept to his words.”
According to her post, rebuilding began the very next day. The roof, ceiling, and door were replaced. Three vital machines were paid for, along with tables, benches, lights and wiring. For a business owner who took loans to acquire her equipment, the intervention was life saving.

What emerges is a portrait of a public servant who measures policy by its effect on people according to Mrs. Ekefre’s gratitude.
“Thank you sir for being different. You are indeed a man of your word”, it now echoes across a business community that often feels at the mercy of development. Her return to “curating amazing shoes” is more than a personal comeback. It is evidence of a capital city administration that understands that small enterprises are the heartbeat of Uyo’s economy. Under Hon. Eka, UCCDA is projecting itself not merely as a regulator, but as a restorer.

The day of the factory visit also revealed the breadth of his mandate. After the inspection, Hon. Eka proceeded to the plaza for a meeting with officials of Idy Sports ahead of the World Cup Dance Concert scheduled for June 16. The contrast is instructive, from negotiating the rebuilding of a single factory to coordinating an international event. It reflects a chairman who can zoom from the micro to the macro without losing focus, attending to the artisan while preparing the city for global attention.

Ultimately, the St. Christopher Street episode has become a defining footnote in Hon. Anietie Eka’s tenure. It is not remembered for the demolition, but for the restoration that followed. In a climate of political cynicism, his actions have rebuilt something more enduring than walls, public trust. As Mrs. Ekefre put it, “my landlord owes me,” yet it was the UCCDA Chairman who made her whole. For a capital city in transition, that is the kind of leadership that speaks louder than any master plan. He is, by deed and by record, a man of his word.