Orok Duke Bids Farewell as Clergywoman, Prof Edisua Ita Is Buried in Calabar

Grief filled Calabar on Saturday as Associate Professor Edisua Ita, academic, clergywoman, and development expert, was buried.

The service drew mourners from academia, civil society, and the clergy, reflecting the life of the late scholar and clergy.

Among dignitaries at the funeral was the Cross River State rep on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Rt. Hon. Orok Duke, PhD, who delivered a moving tribute to his former classmate from the University of Calabar Theatre Arts Class of 198.

Until her death, Dr. Ita was an Associate Professor and immediate past Head of the Department of Theatre and Media Studies, University of Calabar. She was a leading practitioner of Theatre for Development and a prominent voice in children’s theatre in the South-South through her Dreamboat Development Theatre Foundation.  

Condoling with her family, the University of Calabar Theatre Arts Alumni Association, and the university community, Duke described the late scholar as a pacesetter who used theatre not just for teaching, but as a tool for social engineering and healing.  

Prof. Ita is survived by relatives, colleagues, and the thousands of “children” she mentored through Dreamboat Foundation.