a member of the House of Representatives, was born at Mbokpu-Eyokan, in the Oron Local Govern ment Area of the Cross River State on January 22nd, 1938. He is a christian. He attended the Methodist Mission Group Schools at Oruko, and at Okossi Oron from 1944-46 and 1947 to 1950 respectively. He was at the Oron Central School, Eyo Bassey in 1951 and at the Egwenga Methodist School, Opobo, in 1952. In 1953, he was admitted into the Methodist Teachers Training College, Nto Ndang, Ikot Ekpenen from where he obtained his basic pro fessional Teachers' Certificate. In 1957, he ob tained the G.C.E. "0" Level and Diploma in Journalism, through private studies. In 1967, he obtained the U.K. Ministry of Labour's Certificate in industrial relations through the Ministry of Labour's Staff Training Centre, London. Hon. Etienam lost his parents at an early age, and being the first son of his mother in a polygamous family, this had a most critical in fluence on his personal development. Never theless, this also prepared him for a more rewarding goal in life and strengthened his ef forts in his subsequent struggles and k endeavours.Hon. Etienam became a trade unionist in June 1958 as a field secretary of the National Association of Local Government Employees at Aba and was promoted General Secretary of the Union in May 1960. He left the NALGE as a result of a politically inspired leadership crisis in the Union in 1964 to become the General Secretary of the former Customs Et Excise Maritime Staff Union of Nigeria in Lagos. He was appointed General Secretary of tho restructured Customs and Excise and linmiyra tion Staff Union of Nigeria in 1978. This ap pointment,coupled with his election victory in 1979, makes him "feel a profound sense of satisfaction and fulfilment in my struggles and aspirations". He served as a member of the Committee on Motor Vehicle Advance i\n(\ Basic Allowance in public and private sectors of the economy in 1978. He was the General Secretary of the Customs and Excise and Immigration Staff Union of Nigeria until October 1979 when he became a member of the House; of Represen tatives, a position he won on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria from Oron II Con stituency. He had been with the Customs Union as its Chief Executive since 1965. Hon. Etienam worked in various capacities as a journalist on the "Eastern States Express" Aba from 1955 to 1958 under Dr. Udo Udoma's management. He had written several articles and features reflecting hs ideas and ideals on various issues of national and international importance. His father, Chief Ben Etienam and his mother, Madam Akon Ati Etienam, a trader died when he was still struggling to find his feet in life.The father, Chief Ben Etienam, a farmer, had twelve children and Mr. Edet Bassey Etienam is the eldest of his mother's four children. Mr. Etienam got married to former Miss Eno Mkpandiok in 1958 and they have seven children. He has travelled extensively in Europe, and Africa and has visited Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Bri tain, GDR, USSR, Romania, Italy, Yugoslavia, France, West Germany, Sweden and the United States of America. His hobbies include music, reading, lawn tennis, farming, hunting and swimming. . An energetic and vocal trace unionist, Hon. Etienam was the vice president of the Nigerian Trade Union Congress between 1963 and 1968 and member of the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Labour Congress since its in ception. He has represented Nigeria several times in international conferences and seminars on labour politics. He also attended several courses in industrial relations and local government administration, both in Nigeria and abroad. A convinced socialist of African orientation and commitment, he is a grass-roots politician having been involved in Nigerian politics right from the local government level through the trade unions. He was also a member of the Commission of Inquiry into the Cross River State Newspaper Corporation, Printers and publishers of the Nigerian Chronicle, (1975 - 1976); and a star witness at the Adebiyi Tribunal of Inquiry into the affairs of the banned Central Labour Organisation in 1976. Mr. Etienam is the Chairman of the Labour Committee of the House of Representatives and a prominent NPN front-bencher in the House. He is also a member of the NPN parliamentary caucus in the National Assembly as well as a member of the National Executive Committee of the Party.
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