Akwa Ibom State was created on the 23rd of September 1987 by the then Military Administration of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. The creation of the State brought to fruition years of prolonged struggle by the people that occupied the mainland part of the former Cross River State. For many, the creation of the State was a mark of justice, having been left out in earlier state creation exercises despite leading in the struggle for state creation in Nigeria, through the Ibibio Union, - a foremost Socio-Cultural organization that served as a unifying platform for the people of this part of Nigeria. In 1948, Ibibio Union, formed in 1928, transformed from a mere cultural association to a goal driven institution which promoted and championed the cause of state creation in Nigeria.