Michael Essien Michael Essien Michael Kojo Essien (sometimes written in French: Michaël Essien) (born 3 December 1982) is a Ghanaian professional footballer. He has also been capped for the Ghana national team more than 50 times. Essien started his career playing for Liberty Professionals in Ghana. In 2000, he moved to France to join Bastia, where he would spend three seasons and appear in over 60 matches before joining Ligue 1 title holders Lyon in 2003. At Lyon, Essien won back-to-back league titles in 2003–04 and 2004–05 and also played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time. During his five-year
E. U. Essien-Udom of the Center for Development Studies; and member of the Governing Council, all of the University of Cross River State, Uyo, Nigeria (1984–86). With a political perspective inspired by Garveyism and Pan-Africanism, Essien-Udom (dubbed the "black power professor" by University of Ibadan students) was intensely public spirited and committed to institution building. He was involved in public service outside the university: executive secretary (1957/58) and then president (1960/61), All African Students Union of the Americas; leader of a delegation to the Pan-African Student Conference in London, 1960; non-resident tutor, Dunstan Hall, Harvard University; Master of Independence Hall, University of Ibadan