Celebrated environmentalist, technocrat and community leader, Chief Akpabio Ndarake Esien, AmbGw, JP, says the conferment of the Award of Justice of the Peace (JP) by the United Nations Positive Livelihood Award Centre (UN-POLAC) through its affiliate, the Academy of Peace Sciences, Nigeria was a validation of his lifelong passion of pursuing peace through charity.  

The Award was conferred on him during the organization’s Commemoration of 2022 International Book Day and Presentation of Two Research Books with the theme: ‘You Are A Reader’ on Thursday, April 7, 2022 at FCT Abuja.

Represented by Yakubu Waziri at the investiture, Chief Esien averred that his active involvement in charity works, especially, in the Catholic Church and other organisations was in furtherance of his passion to support the less privileged and uplift the humanity, expressing his appreciation to UN-POLAC and the Academy of Peace Sciences, Nigeria for the recognition.

In his citation read at the event, Chief Akpabio Ndarake Esien was described as “a motivator, good team player, a goal-getter, humble, result-oriented, respectful to authority with great enthusiasm for knowledge. He is also a Socialist and Philanthropist”. 

Chief Esien had previously been conferred with the UN-POLAC Ambassador of Goodwill (AmbGw), holds two chieftaincy titles – Chief Bobakeys of Egbe Kingdom in Lagos State, and Chief Ebube Ugo of Eziama Ntigha in Abia State – for his outstanding contributions to the development of these communities.

Chief Akpablo Esien was also described as “an emerging Leader Manager who has been involved in the transformation of the Oil and Gas Industry in the areas of environmental stewardship and HSE management to achieve Goal Zero. He is flexible in learning, versatile in the application of skills, able to work under pressure, and poised with demonstrated competence to meet given targets”.

Born 1966 to the family of Obong Elder N. J. A. Esien and Elder Mrs. Offiong N. Esien of Ikot Ukana, Ikot Edung in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Esien’s academic path took him through Holy Trinity Primary School, Mbiakong in the present Uruan LGA of Akwa Ibom State, Government Primary School, Atu Street in Calabar, Cross River State; West African Peoples’ Institute (WAPI), Calabar, and the then School of Arts and Science, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

He later bagged a Bachelor of Science Degree (BSc) in Zoology-Entomology from the University of Calabar, Calabar in 1988; a Master of Science Degree (MSc) in Environmental Parasitology from the University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Rivers State in 2000.

The erudite Environmentalist’s 30 years rich working career has seen him stamp strong footprints across the Oil and Gas Industry beginning from arrival in 1991 at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as a Safety Officer in the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) – one of the 11 subsidiaries of the Corporation – to Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited (EPCL) now Indorama Petrochemicals Company; Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) Limited – OJT and the Group HSE Department at the NNPC Corporate Headquarters, Abuja.

Within this period, he had been seconded thrice to the following companies: Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited (2005-2009); Brass LNG Limited (2011-2014); and finally in August, 2018, he was again seconded to NLNG after a Development Attachment on Managing HSE in International Oil and Gas Industry in SPDC, Shell Integrated Gas Ventures, Oman LNG Limited and Shell SMDS in Bintulu, Malaysia. He has worked through the ranks and file in NNPC and currently the Manager Corporate HSE in NLNG Plant Complex, Bonny.

The United Nations Positive Livelihood Award Centre (UN-POLAC) through its affiliates such as the Academy of Peace Sciences, Nigeria focuses on enhancing the effectiveness of the UN millennium development goals and the UNESCO Culture of Peace Programme.