Unyime Idem

In his years in business, Idem was known for human capital development. During his election campaign he promised his constituents that if elected he would focus his constituency project on developing the young people in various skills that would help them set up businesses or find jobs. In August 2019, Idem launched his first constituency project to train about five thousand youths in various skills of their choices. The skill acquisition program would help the youths to be economically independent, take them off the street, reduces youth restiveness and restore social order in Oruk Anam/Ukanafun federal constituency. Through Hon. Idem’s motion on the COVID-19 pandemic moved on March 16, 2020, the National Assembly for the first time was shut down for two weeks outside the usual closure for vacation or recess while the motion also prompted Nigeria’s president to call for emergency FEC meeting and subsequent suspension of activities at the Presidency. In December 2019, Hon. Idem held the maiden edition of his Constituency Briefing/Townhall Meeting where he celebrated the yuletide with his constituents in style and gave out 5-million-naira cash and 24 cows to spice the season. The occasion witnessed the foundation stone laying for construction of 1000 seater capacity skills acquisition centres in both Ukanafun and Oruk Anam. The ongoing state-of-the-art training facility when completed, will serve as reference for skills acquisition and empowerment in Akwa Ibom state. He also entered into partnership with Government of Finland to establish an ICT hub and an Institute. This is in keeping to his life-long promise to help raise the next generation of entrepreneurs and self-sufficient constituents. As a lover of education, the telecoms guru turned lawmaker has donated more than 50,000 text and note books, writing and other teaching materials to schools in the zone, to boost teaching and learning. He has also donated medical equipment to hospitals and facilitated recruitment of scores of his constituents into federal government agencies and other blue-chip companies. Need I mention the fact that Hon. Idem has since donated his four years salaries and allowances as a lawmaker for the upkeep and development of his constituents. During the period of national lockdown occasioned by the corona virus pandemic, Hon Idem donated 600 bags of rice as palliatives to his constituents, to cushion the effects of the lockdown.

When God wants to bless a people, He sends them a development and people-oriented leader with the savvy, foresight, capacity, character and the aura. To salvage the people of Ukanafun/Oruk Anam who for eight years wallowed in leadership deficiency, near absence of federal representation, and inadequate development, God in His infinite wisdom sent Mr. Unyime Idem, to the rescue. Following his business success in telecommunication, finance and agriculture and his growing popularity and influence, the constituents of Oruk Anam/Ukanafun federal constituency urged him to run for the seat in the Nigeria federal house of representatives. In 2018, he contested for the PDP ticket in the primary election of the party beating three other candidates to emerge PDP flag bearer. In the 23 February 2019 general election he defeated his main challenger Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ukoette of the All Progressives Congress, APC an incumbent who was running for a return ticket to the green chamber for a third term. Emmanuel Ukoette challenged the election of Idem at the national assembly election petition tribunal alleging wide range of electoral irregularities including over voting. The tribunal dismissed the petition for lack of credible evidence and affirmed the election of Idem. Upon assumption of duties, Rep. Idem has proved himself as a dependable ally, a capable hand, a voice to reckon with and a worthy representative. He has walked the talk of transforming and turning around for good the fortunes of the people of Ukanafun/Oruk Anam. The journey to what has become a jinx-breaking representation has already begun with visible signs of change in governance narratives and the first-time lawmaker is in a hurry to transform the lives of his constituents.

In July 2019, Idem at a plenary sitting of the federal house of representatives moved a motion calling for the rehabilitation of the 72-year old Nigeria Institute for Palm Oil Research- NIFOR, Oruk Anam sub-station, Akwa Ibom state. He told the house that the research institute had been neglected for decades and the staff there were on monthly salary of 4,000 naira (US$11).

His motion argued that rehabilitation of NIFOR would guarantee food security, create jobs, generate foreign exchange and raw materials for Nigeria. NIFOR was one of the institutes where Malaysian researchers collected palm seedling for the development of their country's palm oil. The house consequently approved rehabilitation of the institute. Motions to his credit are the need for the Federal government to revamp the ailing Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm research, NIFOR, located at Oruk Anam LGA, the need for the federal government to construct the highway linking Abak Midim and Mkpat Enin LGA, the need for digital satellite television (DSTV) and other broadcast satellite service providers in Nigeria to run pay as you go (PAYG) tariff; the need for the federal government to increase security presence in federal roads during festive seasons, urgent need for the Federal Government to appoint 37 commissioners into Federal Character Commission; The latest of the motion was on the need for emergency national attention to tackle the coronavirus pandemic presently ravaging the human race. Bills to Hon, Idem’s credit are the free internet access in public places bill 2020; the National Broadcasting Commission Act (amendment) bill 2020; National Community Service Scheme bill 2020; the Entrepreneurship Education bill 2020; and the Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurship Development Agency Act (amendment) bill 2020. He has also supported scores of motions and bills of his colleagues and has made useful contributions on germane national issues.

Unyime Josiah Idem was born in Usung Atiat in Ukanafun Local Government in Akwa Ibom State. He attended Western Annang Secondary Commercial School – Wasco, Ikot Akpa Nkuk finishing with Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE. An alumnus of University of Uyo, he holds a bachelor's degree in business management and a master's degree in business administration. Idem holds several professional certificates in telecommunication and management including Telecoms Customer Service Training, Accra, Ghana; Resource Management Course, Johannesburg, South Africa; Telecoms Customer Service Training, New Delhi, India; Marketing Management Course, Beijing, China; Executive Management Course, Westminster, London; Financial Management Course, Boroughs, London; Public Administration Course, New York, USA; Financial Management and Strategic Management Course, Lagos Business School, Nigeria; Marketing Management Course, New York, USA; and World Telecoms Conference, Abuja, Nigeria.

Idem's political career started in the year 2000 when he was first elected Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP official in his ward 8 as assistant secretary. In the same year, he was appointed Special Adviser Projects to Ukanafun local council chairman. In 2011, he was appointed into Godswill/Nsima Ekere governorship campaign organisation on the platform of PDP. At the expiration of the tenure of Governor Godswill Akpabio and his deputy Nsima Ekere in 2015, Emmanuel Udom emerged the candidate of the PDP for the 2015 governoship election in Akwa Ibom state, thus forming Udom/Moses Divine Mandate Campaign Organisation. Idem was a member of the campaign organisation. He was a delegate to PDP primaries in 2015.

Unyime Josiah Idem (born 14 January 1975) is a businessman, politician and honorable member representing Oruk Anam/Ukanafun federal constituency in the Nigeria Federal House of Representatives. Idems Ultimate as he is fondly called, is the founder of Idems Ultimate Limited, Nigeria’s Most Celebrated Telecoms Service Partner and Stanford Microfinance Bank Limited, providing more than 50,000 direct and indirect employment to Nigerians with stakes in several other companies in telecoms, agricultural sector, real estate, construction, oil and gas, banking.