It all started in the Annual General Meeting of Aka Ikot Udo Eno Development Union (ADU) on Tuesday, December 26, 2000.

Venue was the Gravel Union Community town hall. The idea was spontaneous and absolutely not premeditated. The item on the agenda of the AGM was the financial report which showed an impressive revenue profile on the one side and a matching expenditure details on the other side over the year under review.

The Problem:
What was however discomforting and which spurred and agitated the mind was the narration of the expenditure items all of which had nothing to do with development and growth of the Community. Items like settlement of policemen to resolve one case or another, payment of lawyers’ fees for court appearances, transport and logistics for community witnesses, and all similar line items. In fairness to the community leaders, these were expenditures and payments that had to be incurred in response to exigencies that arose in the course of the year.

However not one of them touched on the real challenge of the community which is DEVELOPMENT. Yes development. After all, the name of the Union is Aka Ikot Udo Eno DEVELOPMENT Union. Development of human capital and infrastructure. As it turned out the development challenge of any hue was not listed and was not going to be mentioned in the year’s proceeding.

Birth of the foundation:
The individual who picked up the gauntlet and responded to the dictates of his conscience was Engr. Anthony Udoekong, a young man in his 30s who spoke to announce the institution forthwith of an Education Trust Fund called James Udoekong Education Trust Fund in memory of his late father, who was a lover of education and its development potentials.
He announced an immediate donation of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira), at the time a substantial amount of money. He announced for clarity that the Fund was essentially a scholarship programme for students of Aka Ikot Udo Eno origin wherever they may be studying in tertiary institutions.

The Way Forward:
This was well received by the house with a thunderous ovation and immediately a board of Trustees was created andMr. Joseph Akpan Inawas tasked to chair the board. Mr. Edet Vincent Udofia was named the Secretary andMagistrate Emilia Umoh , Comr. John Peter Umoren Rtd. Sgt. Akpan Jonah Udoh and Mrs. Eno Lanky A. Simeon were nominated and ratified as members, with of course the life patron Engr. Anthony Michael Udoekong . What followed soon was outpouring of support with pledges from many other well-meaning indigenes. A bank account was opened thereafter at United Bank for Africa office on Abak Road Uyo to facilitate remittance of funds by the patron and the various donors. The Trustees met and fashioned out modalities and criteria for award and disbursement of the scholarship funds to qualified students.