Nollywood Actor Bob Manuel, Other Uniport Alumni Storm Bayelsa To Pay Last Respect To Late President

By Frank Oshanugor

Members of the University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association, Bayelsa State chapter joined by Nollywood chieftain Mr. Emmanuel Udokwu, popularly known as Bob Manuel and other alumni members of Uniport outside Bayelsa were at the burial of the Alumni National President, Chief Christopher Ebikabowei Adokeme on Friday at his home town of Isampou, Ekeremor to pay their last respect. Adokeme reportedly died on July 5, 2021 at the age of 61.

The Uniport Alumni President until his demise was the Chairman of Delchris Limited – a firm with interest in haulage, revenue enhancement, public relations consultancy, printing, publishing and general transportation. Due to his deep rooted interest in transportation, he was elected the first Chairman of the Bayelsa Chapter of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).

The late Adokeme whose father had retired as a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) from the Nigerian Police Force, grew up in Lagos before he got admitted at the University

of Port Harcourt where he studied History and graduated in 1985. He later proceeded to the University of Ibadan for Masters degree in Communication Arts.

He worked for several years as a journalist with the Nigerian Television Authority, Port Harcourt before moving over to Sunray Newspaper which later became defunct. He returned to broadcasting once again before he finally pulled out to begin his own private firm known as Delchris Press in 1997.

As a master in the pen profession, he was engaged as a speechwriter to two governors of Bayelsa State at different times and later speech writer to one time Speaker of the

Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

As an active member of the Uniport Alumni Association, he was elected Secretary General in 2013 and served in that capacity under three National Presidents. Due to his deep

knowledge of the Association’s activities, he offered himself for leadership as the National President at the national convention of the Association in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in 2017. He was elected unopposed.

The late Adokeme was a highly disintinguished personality during his life time and his friendship cut across tribes, social classes, religion and so on.