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From Ndubuisi Orji
Chief of Staff to Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State, Emmanuel Ironbar, has been conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in Public Policy and Administration by Crown University, Delaware, USA.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Linus Obogo said in a statement that the award which came with a five-star certificate of achievement, recognised Ironbar’s career in public service and his contributions to governance in Cross River.
Ironbar, who hails from Ekpo Edem in Calabar South, began his educational journey at Army Day Secondary School, Calabar, where he served as Senior Prefect. He later obtained a degree in Sociology from the University of Calabar and pursued a Master’s in Public Policy and Administration.
His public service career spans multiple roles, including: Special Assistant to the Executive Chairman of Calabar South, Special Adviser on Security, Strategic leadership positions at the Niger Delta Development Commission, and also played a key role in the “Prince is Coming” campaign movement.
During the award ceremony, Crown University described Ironbar as “a torchbearer of administrative integrity and visionary leadership in the public sphere.” The institution praised his dedication to public service and his role in implementing Governor Otu’s “People First” agenda.
In 2025, Ironbar received additional honors including the National Leadership Award as Nigeria’s Best Chief of Staff and was named Safety Ambassador by the Nigerian Society of Engineers. He also holds the traditional title of “Wutoro Oboro I” of the Egbe Clan in Ogoja.
Obogo said that as Chief of Staff, Ironbar oversees the coordination of government activities across Cross River State’s 18 Local Government Areas. ”Hon. Ironbar’s odyssey from the boisterous clan of Ekpo Edem in Calabar South to the hallowed halls of international recognition evokes the cadence of greatness. A man forged in the crucible of adversity, refined by knowledge, and crowned by relentless service, he has become an emblem of what it means to lead not just by words, but by sacrificial, self-effacing action. It is no exaggeration to say that his entire life has been a thesis in public policy, rich in content, noble in intent, and legendary in impact.
”As Chief of Staff to Governor Otu, Hon. Ironbar has become the unseen hand behind the seamless orchestration of the “People First” agenda. Tireless in execution and tenacious in duty, he exudes the temperament of a seasoned statesman and the vigor of a consummate administrator. His loyalty to the Governor is not transactional, it is total. His dedication to duty is not perfunctory, it is a sacred covenant. He does not merely administer the Governor’s vision; he animates it with quiet strength and indomitable will.
”The conferral of the honorary doctorate is therefore not just recognition, it is recompense. It is the world pausing to salute a son of Africa who has made service an altar and diligence a creed. The Crown University’s decision to honour him mirrors a wider global sentiment: that in Hon. Ironbar, we find the confluence of intellectual virtue and public devotion. Indeed, as the institution lauded him, it described him as “a torchbearer of administrative integrity and visionary leadership in the public sphere,” Obogo said.
Source: SunNewsOnline | Read More
