C'River LG Election : All You Need To Know About Ewhe, Obudu PDP Chairmanship Candidate

Mr. Boniface Eraye Ewhe, Obudu PDP Chairmanship Candidate

Boniface Eraye Ewhe is the immediate past Senior Special Assistant, Petroleum Projects Management to the Executive Governor of Cross River State, His Excellency, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade and the Chairmanship candidate of the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP in Obudu local government area in the March 28, 2020 local government election in the State.

Born to Late Mr&Mrs. Ewhe Idang of Eliloh, Nkerira, Utugwang in Obudu local government area of Cross River State, Boniface started his studies at  Elekahia Primary School, Port Harcourt. In 1982, because of his closeness to his late grandmother, his father took him to the village to stay with her while the rest of the family remained in Port Harcourt, River State Capital. This relocation led him to transfer from his former school to the popular St Colman's Primary School, Nkerira, Utugwang-Obudu local government area where he obtained his FSLC in 1987.

By the time he completed his primary education, his bond with his grandma was still very strong but because of his quest for the best, he insisted that it was time to break the bond as he opted to start his Secondary Education at the famous Mary Knoll College, Okuku, Yala local government which is about three local governments away from his dear grandma. However, as a grandma's boy, it was difficult for him to live that far from her so in his JSS3, on getting the news that she was sick, he opted to move back to stay with her in the village where continued his Secondary school in the renowned Community Secondary School, Utugwang.

In his SS2, his unequalled love for Sciences led him to leave the village again to the Ogoja Federal Science School which was just established. Because the school was new and operated only from senior secondary, he had to repeat SS1 just to fulfill his dream of being a science student. While in Ogoja Science School, his leadership qualities were immediately identified by both staff and students and was made the Pioneer Senior Prefect from SS1 to SS3 when he left in 1994. It's on record that he remains the longest serving Senior Prefect in the history of the school.

Although, still very young when he left Secondary School, his quest for independence made him to jettison pursuing a degree in higher education to pursue a business career. His interest was in Oil and soon, Tony Okaba who was an Oil Marketer at the time identified his business skills and picked him to learn the trade under his tutelage. As a young man with clear intention of where he was coming from, where he was going to and what he wanted, Boniface soon started  petty Kerosene trading; a business he nurtured till he registered his own company in 2005. The company, MUSBON became an Independent Marketer of Petroleum with the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) in 2008 till date.

As the cliche goes that there's no hiding place for a gold fish, his leadership qualities have been identified at every stage in his life. This is even so as he has held several positions in the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), an association he joined in 2008. Because of his honesty and acumen in managing public funds, he was elected as the Financial Secretary of the association by the  Akwa Ibom/Cross River Chapter. He has also been a Co-ordinator in Port Harcourt, coordinating Akwa Ibom/Cross River Chapter.

Despite the fortunes he made from his Oil business, his love for education never ceased. In between the period he was doing his petty Kerosene trading and when he registered his company, that's in 2000 precisely, Bonny enrolled in the University of Calabar where he obtained a Diploma in Personnel Management and proceeded to the same University for a degree in Policy Study and Administration in 2007. Perhaps, his vast knowledge and successes over the years in personnel management and details to policy administration and implementation is not unconnected to his academic background in the two fantastic fields of study.

Boniface, a classical example of the popular meteoric rise from grass to grace cliche has always combined politics with his business. He joined the PDP in 2000 and have remained consistent and steadfast as a stalwart of the party since then. His first attempt to contest election under the platform was in 2003 where he expressed interest to be Obudu Chairmanship candidate of the party. Though qualified and ready for the job, the micro zoning system in Obudu didn't favour him as such he was asked by the leaders of the party to step down for the eventual winner of the 2003 local government election in Obudu, Lady Cecilia Ali.

In 2007, he also tried unsuccessfully to represent Obudu State Constituency at the Cross River State House of Assembly. Although he was not treated fairly as widely believed, he remained and worked for the victory of the party in the election. Luck smiled at him in 2016 when Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade appointed him as the Senior Special Assistant on Petroleum Projects Management, a position he used to leave indelible mark that the Governor was so impressed that he added him another portfolio as the Chairman, Security Committee in charge of Obudu in 2018.

Despite the opportunity to serve as SSA at the state level, his avidity to serving his people at the local government level as Chairman has remained insatiable. Glowing with the confidence that his policy thrusts are exactly what Obudu needs now, when the band for local government election was lifted last year, he threw his hat in the ring and this time, he  was adopted unanimously as the flag bearer of his party in the forthcoming election. Because of his strong grassroots credibility and acceptability, many political watchers have said that the election will be a walkover for him.

He is a community builder, a social mobilizer, a home grown boy, job creator and employer of labour with more than 10 people in his employ.

He is married to his adorable wife, Mrs. Angela Eraye Ewhe of Aboikum village, also in Obudu and the marriage is blessed with two lovely children.