Staff Celebrate Cross River Information Commissioner @ 50

by crossriverwatch admin

Chief Akin Ricketts, Cross River State Commissioner For Information during his birthday celebration in his office in Calabar on Friday

Staff of the Cross River State Ministry of Information on Friday gave their boss, the Commissioner, Chief Akin Ricketts a surprise 50th birthday party in the office.

Chief Ricketts who was overwhelmed by the gesture and kind words of his staff thanked them for keeping him in mind and urged them to remain committed to their duties while putting God first all the time.

Chief Ricketts was born on the 2nd August, 1964 to Engineer Anderson David Ricketts and Princess Victoria Ricketts (nee Victoria Ubi Ofem). These parents are both deceased.

Chief Ricketts has roots in Ugep( Yakurr); Yoruba and Carribeans (West Indies). His father, Engineer Ricketts was a Mechanical engineer who came to Ugep and Yakurr in the 1940s and built palm oil mills in Yakurr, Biase and Obubra Local Government Areas for the defunct Eastern Region Agricultural Corporation.

Engineer Ricketts met and married Princess Victoria Ubi Ofem, the daughter of Obol Neil Ubi Ofem, First Class Chief, Eastern Nigeria Council of Chiefs representing the old Obubra Division of the present Cross River State and the old Abakaliki Division of present Ebonyi State.

Chief Ofem was a leading member of the defunct NCNC and attended the 1958-1959 London Constitutional Conference that negotiated the independence of Nigeria from Great Britain under the aegis of the NCNC. Obol Ubi Ofem was a member of the Royal Family of Ugep. Chief Akin Ricketts is prestigious traditional chieftaincy holder of Obol Nkama of Ugep.

Chief Ricketts was bestowed the chieftaincy title in 1998 by the Obol Lopon of Ugep and the Paramount Ruler of Yakurr, Obol Ubi Ujong Inah for his meritorious service and contribution towards the social and economic progress of Ugep.

He was barely 34 years old then making history as the youngest person to ever be so honored by the Obol Lopon of Ugep in 300 years.

Chief Ricketts made his mark in international business before his foray into the murky waters of politics. He is married to Dr. Ifeoma Ricketts and blessed with three children.