Oruk Kingdom And The 2016 Oruk Day Celebration

The ancient Kingdom of Oruk known as Essien Oruk Itiaba or Southern Annang dates back to a century ago. The Oruk people trace its origin to seven brothers who according to history were known and called Abiakpa, Ndot, Inen, Ekpatakwa, Nung Ikot, Ibesit and Nung Ita.
The Oruk Kingdom is bounded in Anam by the North, Abak local Government by the South, Ukanafun Local Government by the East and Mkpat Enim Local Government by the West.
Out of the nine clans in the present Orukanam Local Government Area, Oruk has seven clans such as Obio Akpa, Ndot, Inen, Ekparakwa, Nung Ikot, Ibesit and Nung Ita Clans.
The traditional and kinship practice among the Oruk people are homogenous and its culture is wrapped in mythical heroism and greatness. In the ancient days, the Essien Oruk Itiaba were mighty warriors, great farmers and hunters, and mythical kings whose reigns were unprecedented in the history of Annang land.
Their heroic exploit could be seen during the European invasion of Abak in 1901. It was the Oruk mercenaries and warriors that fought and rescued the Abak people from total annihilation or extermination, before a true or peace talk was brokered by the Late Obong Ebong Akps Inyang of Ibesit, Obong Udo Idiong Abasiubong of Obio Akpa and Obong Ubom Etor of Abak. This was the period that some of Oruk Kinsmen migrated to Ibesit Nung Ikot and Abak Midim to form the two Clans of Anam and were joined with Opopo District by the then Colonial Administration before they were relocated to join with their kit and kins in 1976 and later in Orukanam Local Government Area in 1989.
The Oruk Kingdom has its political Administrative identity in1932 when the then Colonial administration gazetted Southern Annang as a political Administrative Area then known as “Main Council” and later “County Council” in 1950. The first Chairman of the Southern Annang Main Council was Late Obong Sampson Udo Idiong while Late Chief Iwok Eton was the vice Chairman and later the president of the Southern Annang Development Union.
The Essien Oruk Itiaba has its kit and kins stretching to Anam group of people. One of the two clans of Anam known as Ibesit Nung Ikot clan are the descendants of the Ibesit and Nung Ikot people of the Oruk Kingdom. This relationship could be traceable to their culture, folklore and totfrom They were merely separated from Oruk due to colonial administrative convenience in 1932. From the 1930 to the late 1990, Oruk people were known for their great exploit in leadership, politics, social development and scholarship programmes.
The General Hospital Ikot Okoro, Southern Annang Secondary School, Government Model Farm which is now a campus of Akwa Ibom State University, and NIFOR in Ibesit, for instance, were all projects either established or assisted by the Southern Annang Development Union.
The Oruk people has produced great leaders and politicians– Governor, Senators, House of Rep members, Ministers, Court of Appeal Judge, Professors, Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants, Journalists etc. In 1982 Oruk Local Government Area was created with its headquarters at Aya Obio Akpa, but was dissolved by the then Gen Buhari led Government.
The rejuvenation of our past heroic legacy by the formation of Oruk Unity Forum is designed to freshen the bones of our lost vision, economic backwardness, education retardation, political obscurity and social negativism. It is the direction of the Oruk Unity Forum that Oruk legacies are reinvented and positively guided for posterity anduided for posterity and for our generations to come.
May we finally salute some of our late heroes and great patriots who sacrificed their time, pleasure, finance and lives for the formation of Southern Annang Development Union which has now metamorphosed to ORUK UNITY FORUM in the persons of Obong Sampson Udo Idiong, Obong Ebong Akpa Inyang, Chief Iwok Etok, Chief Lazarus Udo Ekpo, Chief Jackson Ekott, Chief Daniel J Eshiet, Chief Effiong Udo Ukpe, Chief Sampson Ebong, Chief Mme Etuk Udo Ekpo, Chief Silas Unanam, Chief Okon Udo Afia, Chief Joseph Etiebet, Chief J.U.U. Ebong, Obong(Prof) Brownson Esen Owoh and others. May their great souls live in the bosom of the Almighty God- Amen.