Noel Ugbong’s political and administrative journey began 21 years ago (in 2003) when he was appointed as the Liaison Officer to Hon. Victor Agwu,the Honourable Member representing Obudu in the Cross River State House of Assembly, with a functional office at the then PDP Secretariat and enjoyed political tutelage and mentorship from the PDP Chapter Chairman, Chief Spokesman Agogo, Akoli Paul Unimke, Hon. Joe Ogar, among others.
Due largely to his excellent performance as a Liaison Officer, Noel was appointed as the Personal Assistant to the Vice Chairman of Council, Hon. SPK Ogar, in 2004. Despite being the youngest aide to the Vice Chairman of Council, his sincerity, diligence, humility, loyalty, and creativity led to his being assigned complex responsibilities, one of which was assisting the Vice Chairman in the administration and payment of allowances to the Canopy Police (popularly known then as Tourism Police) deployed to Obudu by the then Governor, His Excellency Donald Duke.
Furthermore, since boundary dispute matters fall under the Office of the Vice Chairman of Council, Noel Ugbong was a noticeable figure in that respect, being saddled with the responsibility of preparing briefs and reports in respect of security meetings held between Obudu and Vandeikya, as well as other security-related meetings. This exposed him early to the security challenges plaguing Obudu. It is also worthy of note that Noel Ugbong was a principal actor in the organisation of the most successful anti-cultism campaign carried out in Obudu in 2004, under the leadership of Comrade Adamade Odey.
When Hon. Justin Ikor Ugbe took over as the Chairman of Obudu, he appointed Noel Ugbong as his Special Assistant on Childcare (ungazetted), through which several interventions were carried out, some in liaison with the Office of the Wife of the Chairman.
During Hon. Dr. Emmanuel Uminya’s tenure, due to his resourcefulness in tourism, Noel Ugbong was appointed as a member of the Obudu Tourism Committee.
From 2012 to 2014, Noel Ugbong was in Port Harcourt running a successful business in partnership with the late Mr. Cajetan Ogar, offering solutions in hospitality, tourism, events management, and logistics.
In 2015, His Excellency Senator (Prof.) Ben Ayade graciously appointed him to the Department of the Governor’s Office and Events Management as the Special Assistant on Administration. During this period, Noel Ugbong was the superintendent of Obudu Mountain Resort. He was also the Secretary to the Carnival Calabar and Festival Central Planning Committee. He served as the Assistant Production Manager of the Leboku Festival and later on as the Desk Officer for the Northern Cross River Cultural Festival (NorthFest).
Consequent upon his creativity, wealth of innovation, and exceptional service delivery, His Excellency Senator Prof. Ben Ayade in his second term promoted him to the position of Senior Special Assistant on Events Marketing, Content Development, and Tourism. During this period, Noel Ugbong still maintained the ad-hoc roles of Secretary to the Carnival Calabar and Festival Committee, among others. Not quite one year into this new responsibility, His Excellency promoted him to the position of Director General, Cross River State Border Communities Development Commission (BORDERCOM). It is worthy of mention that BORDERCOM is one of the biggest commissions in Cross River State, bigger than some ministries. It also has a far greater mandate than all other MDAs. It is established by law and mandated to develop border communities in the areas of education, health, security, economic empowerment, water, and sanitation. Incidentally, these are equally the mandates of the Local Government Councils. During this period, he attended several workshops, seminars, and other specialised training in the areas of project management, conflict resolution, planning, e-governance, etiquette, good governance, and accountability. He was a critical member of the State Boundary Committee, State Security Committee, State Prevent Council, among others. One of the hallmarks of his administration was the resolution of the Kutia-Ukwortung dispute. In furtherance of maintaining peace between the two communities and to combat crime in Obudu, the then Governor trusted him with the construction of the MOPOL 75 Base in Obudu. That project is one of the biggest embarked upon by the Ayade administration. This responsibility was a result of his capacity, integrity, and honesty.
Within his reign as DG, he attracted numerous projects, programmes, and training from the Federal Government, NGOs, and development partners. Noel Ugbong also facilitated the construction of a Skills Acquisition Centre in Betukwel, Obudu Local Government Area. Noel Ugbong understands the borderline of Obudu, knowing the coordinates by heart. Due to his pragmatic, proactive, and intelligent nature, he was adjudged the best head of a border commission/agency in Nigeria.
In December 2021, Noel Ugbong launched a mini resort in Obudu, called Hampton Luxury, with the first public swimming pool in Obudu. This feat was to serve multiple purposes of creating wealth, providing job opportunities, and offering a comfortable place for relaxation and talent discovery. This venture brought massive change to the social climate of Obudu, as before then there was hardly a befitting place for social activities. Noel Ugbong is a key player in the Nigerian tourism sector. He is the Chairman of the Tourist Guide Association of Nigeria, Cross River State Chapter. He sits on the same page with major tourism players in Nigeria and West Africa. He is an associate of the heads of all the Culture and Tourism MDAs in Cross River State. That’s an asset that can transform Obudu into a preferred tourist destination.
From the foregoing, it is crystal clear that Noel Ugbong has the requisite intellect, skills, administrative capacity, empathy, humility, connections, and creative, innovative mind to fast-track the development of Obudu to an enviable height.
A support for Noel Ugbong is a support for the development of Obudu LGA.
The views expressed are exclusively the author’s and not the views of www.calitown.com
