ARC. MAURICE ARCHIBONG: NINETY YEARS OF NOBLE IMPACT
With profound praise and immense gratitude to God, we celebrate the splendid span of ninety significant seasons bestowed upon Architect Maurice Effanga Archibong. It's been ninety years of grace, grit, and greatness. We thank the Almighty for preserving his breath and blessing his brilliance. We hail his spirit and salute his strength at 90. Though decades have danced past him, they have not diminished his discipline nor subdued his stamina. He stands serene and steadfast, vigorous in vision and gallant in grace. Mau, remains a living testimony to divine favour and durable fortitude.
Architect Archibong is, by merit and by measure, the Architect’s Architect. In his hey days, he was precise in planning, patient in process, and purposeful in production. From the spirited seventies through the enterprising eighties and notable nineties, and into the dawning years of the new millennium, his designs defined districts and dignified public spaces across the south-eastern state.Yet beyond bricks and beams, his most magnificent masterpieces may be men. Methodical, measured, and magnanimous, he mentored many of today’s successful architects. In studios and on sites, he sowed seeds of skill and standards and turned timid trainees into confident creators. His counsel was calm yet compelling, his corrections careful yet constructive. Thus he earned, without noise but with nobility, the noble name, the Architect’s Architect. He remains a mentor of masters, builder of builders, as well as a craftsman of character.
It is also worthy to note that his benevolence has been as broad as his blueprints. Within the Holy Roman Catholic Church, especially in the Province of Calabar and his cherished Archdiocese of Calabar, his service has been steady, silent, and sacrificial. Parishes prospered through his prudent provision and projects progressed through his patient participation. Seminarians, searching and steadfast, found in him a sponsor sincere and supportive. Through his quiet generosity, young men journeyed prayerfully from calling to collar, and eventually became ordained priests who now shepherd souls and are serving the church.
In all of these, Sir. Maurice Effanga Archibong shuns spectacle. An unsung philanthropist, he prefers the sacred silence of service to the clamour of cameras. His charity is constant yet concealed. His kindness committed yet confidential. He gives without glare, supports without show, blesses without broadcast and chooses humility over hype and anonymity over applause.
At home, he is a devoted husband, a faithful father, a good family man whose wisdom warms and whose discipline dignifies. Among the Efik, he remains one of their pride. He is cultured, courteous, and committed to community. His life reflects heritage with honour.
At ninety, Architect Archibong is more than a man marking milestones. He is a monument of meaning, a pillar of purpose, a steward of strength. We thank God again for the gift of his life, luminous and long, and we celebrate his courage, constancy, and compassion. May the rest of his life be crowned with peace and promise, and may the legacy he has laid stone by stone, soul by soul, stand splendid, steadfast, and sure for generations yet to come.
Anthony Ekpo Bassey, PhD, teaches Journalism at the University of Calabar.
