Aye Elijah Henshaw (1928-2002)

THE palace of the Obong of Calabar has lost one of its kingmakers. He is His Royal Highness Etubom Aye Elijah Henshaw of the Ewa Ekeng Ruling House of Henshaw Town.

Etubom Henshaw who passed on on June 13, this year. He served as adviser to past Obongs of Calabar and Grand patriarch of the Efiks like Edidem Essien Ekpe Oku V, Edidem Bassey Eyo Ephraim Adam III; Edidem Otu Ekpenyong Effa IX, Edidem Boco Ene Mkpang Cobham V and the present Obong - Edidem (Prof.) Nta Elijah Henshaw VI.

Besides serving in the court of the Obong as an adviser, Etubom Henshaw was a top, diligent and committed civil servant. He started his civil service life as a third class clerk in the former Northern and Eastern Regional Governments between 1948 and 1956. To reward his diligence and commitment, Etubom Henshaw was elevated to a first class clerk in the government of the Eastern Region between 1957 and 58.

He continued as an Executive Officer in 1961 and became an Administrative Officer the following year. Between 1967 and 1970, he served in the rebel held area of Biafra during the Nigerian civil war. His sterling administrative qualities had informed government's decision to appoint him as Divisional Officer (D.O.) in various locations, such as Arochukwu, Oron and Uyo.

Between 1980 and 1983, he progressively climbed up the civil service ladder, culminating in his promotion to the rank of permanent secretary, civil service commission on March 1, 1983. In October that year, he was posted to the judicial service commission and in January 1984, he was posted to run the affairs of the Calabar Municipal government as sole administrator. His distinguished civil service career came to an end when he voluntarily retired from the service in June 1984.

After his retirement, he was still of great service to his state and people. He was appointed chairman, Obong of Calabar Council's Committee on Review of Local Government system in May 1985, and in July of the same year as chairman, panel of investigation into the administration of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital - a report he single-handedly drafted and described as excellent when it was finally accepted by the Teaching Hospital Board.

Etubom Henshaw submitted a memorandum and two supplementary memoranda to the political Bureau in 1986. He also drafted the civil service commission guidelines on civil service reforms in 1990 which was eventually submitted to the military governor's office same year.

The climax of his wealth of experience in civil service matters was his appointment as commissioner I, in the Cross River State Civil Service Commission between 1988 and 1991. He also served as Chairman/Managing Director, Ayeshaw Enterprises, an undertaking which is engaged in distribution, administrative consultancy and farming, among others.

Etubom Henshaw was baptised at childhood into the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria where he was a staunch member at the Henshaw memorial parish until his death.

He attended Henshaw Town Primary School at the age of five in 1933, from where he passed out after the completion of his First Leaving School Certificate in 1943. Still eager for more education, Etubom proceeded to Duke Town Evening Continuation School, Calabar in 1944 and left in 1947 and in 1948, he was awarded the Cambridge School Certificate which was a rare feat then.

He got the London Matriculation Certificate in 1949 and capped his secondary education with the possession of the London G.C.E, 'A' Levels in 1955. His quest for further education was boosted in 1957/58 when he was awarded a university scholarship to study in a Ghanaian university and thereafter obtained B.A (London) degree in History/Philosophy in 1961 from the University of Ghana, Legon, in Ghana. In 1963-64, he entered for and passed the Administrative Officers Examination in Law, Local Government, Finance and Civil Service Regulations, all through personal effort.

Etubom Henshaw was the only child of his mother, but was blessed with several other siblings from his father, among who is the present Obong of Calabar Edidem Nta Elijah Henshaw VI.

He got married in 1963 to then Miss Ansa Peter Etim Archibong of the Archibong family, a retired Senior Nursing matron of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH). He is survived by four children.

Etubom Henshaw who wrote An Introduction to Efik History scheduled for launch in December was on July 20 interred in his family compound at 15, Thomas Street, Calabar.