Posted by Ubong Assam Jnr.

The Oku Ibom Ibibio and Patriarch of the Ibibios, His Eminence, Ntenyin (Dr.) Solomon Daniel Etuk, CFR has described the death of Obong Bassey Inuaeyen as a great loss to Akwa Ibom State and humanity as a whole.

In a tribute titled "Adieu Obong Bassey Inuaeyen" and addressed to the son and chief mourner of the family, Mr Nsikak Bassey Inuaeyen on Friday, August 25, 2023, Ntenyin Etuk said the late Inuaeyen was a great friend and compatriot, someone who lived an exemplary and beneficial life that advanced our State - Akwa Ibom, Niger Delta and the Nation.

Oku Ibom Ibibio said while alive, Inuaeyen sacrificed his hard earned resources to lighten up the lives of others through various life-touching endeavours covering education and empowerment through social services and development projects, adding that there are testimonies that he worked selflessly for the betterment of the society in words and action.

He said that the memory of Obong Bassey Inuaeyen will linger forever in the minds of those whose lives he touched positively, enthusing the aphorism that "When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure."

"A day has not passed since the passage of our great friend, compatriot and pacesetter, the indefatigable Obong Bassey Inuaeyen that our hearts have not ached in sadness.

"As someone of great value, it really broke our hearts to lose him. Having lived an exemplary and beneficial life that advanced our State, Niger Delta and the Nation as a whole, surely the memory of Obong Bassey Inuaeyen will stick in our minds forever. As often said "When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure."

"I share the same thoughts of D. Morgan that “There are special people in our lives who never leave us, even after they are gone.”
Same can be said of Obong Bassey Inuaeyen, that though being out of sight, doesn't mean being out of mind.

"Over the years that he lived on earth, he sacrificed his hard earned resources to lighten up the lives of others through various life-touching endeavours covering education and empowerment through social services and development projects. Testimonies abound that he worked selflessly for the betterment of the society, in words and action.

"Without equivocation, he was a dependable friend, a pillar to many, an admirable personage and a true son of Akwa Ibom State. He was indeed a great fellow," Oku Ibom Ibibio stated.

He condoled with the son and the entire family and prayed to the Almighty God to give them the strength to bear the irreparable loss while also praying for the repose of his soul.

Meanwhile, the Late Obong Bassey Inuaeyen, who was a frontline politician and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), passed away in USA on Friday, June 30, 2023 at the age of 68.

He will be laid to rest on Saturday, September 2, 2023 in his country home, Mbente, after a Requiem Mass at Mbente Primary School by 11 am in Mbente, Nkari in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.