It was plaudits and garlands galore as the people of Yenegwe Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area honoured a retired Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Patrick Ekade.
At a reception held in his honour in Yenegwe, Paramount Ruler of Yenegwe Community, Chief Peniel Zegbe was full of appreciation to Dr. Ekade for attracting development projects to the community including solar light to the community which he said illuminates the town twelve hours in a day and contributes to its security.
Chief Zegbe equally highlighted a donation of three million naira made by Dr. Ekade to support last year’s Obunem Epie festival hosted by Yenegwe in addition to his traditional Christmas gifts to the people, stressing that the people will always be grateful to him for the love he has demonstrated for them.
The Paramount Ruler of Yenegwe lamented neglect the community had suffered especially in the area of internal roads, appealing to Dr. Patrick Ekade to assist them.
In separate goodwill messages, the Yenegwe women leader, Chief Tosamina Bomefor and the Youth president, Joseph Friday as well as Kemebigha Ayibabogha all expressed appreciation to Dr. Ekadi for his love towards the community and prayed to God to lift him higher in his endeavours.
In a response, Chief Patrick Ekade expressed gratitude to the people of Yenegwe community for the honour done to him, saying he now sees himself as one of them and will continue to work for the development of the community.
He stated that though he had influenced projects in other areas, this is the first time a community is honouring him in this manner, stressing that the honor will not be forgotten in his lifetime.
Dr. Ekade thanked the youths and women for working in sync with the leadership of the community, saying their disposition has contributed to the development of the community, charging them to keep it up.
The ceremony got to its peak with the conferment of a chieftaincy title “Okienem Yenegwe” translated to mean The Light of Yenegwe on Dr. Ekade just as he was officially granted native status of the community.
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