PCN @175: Stake holders want reversal of serial wrongs on Efik kingdom
The Efik Kingdom in the ancient City of Calabar, Cross River State have decried neglect of Calabar the cradle of Presbyterian Church of Nigeria in the country and called on the PCN administration to correct some of the grave injustices against Calabar and her people.
Etubom Council, the highest decision-making body in the Obong of Calabar palace expressed the displeasure in the Obong of Calabar’s palace when the Prelate (PCN) His Eminence Most Rev. Nzie Nsi Eke led a delegation to the Obong of Calabar palace during the 175th anniversary celebration of Hope Waddell Parish Calabar.
The King makers spoke person, Etubom Frank Edet believes that Calabar which is the root of PCN in Nigeria is supposedly sidelined by the Church administration in many ways even at 175years.
He said that the General Office of the PCN has been moved from Calabar by the PCN administrators at the expense of the town and its people, the headquarters of PCN has also been relocated from Calabar and on top of these wrongs, PCN Hope Waddell University has also been reset to another section of the country.
Chief Dr. Maurice Ekpenyong (Ada-Idaha-Ke Efik Eburutu), Consultant Pharmaceutical Micro-Biotechnologist University of Calabar said that there were some very hard truths about-PCN which the Present administrations were aware but frequently turn a blind eye in a bid to reposition Creek Town.
The university don corroborated with the views of his people regarding the multiple infractions in his paper presented on the occasion of the 175th Anniversary Celebration of PCN titled “The Place of Creek Town in Presbyterian history, current trends and future perspective”
Dr. Ekpenyong, Choirmaster, Ekpo Abasi Mission Parish, Southern Calabar Presbytery Calabar synod said “Calabar Mission” is from Creek Town, a small town tucked behind the Creeks of Calabar River where the rest of Nigeria is today in 1846 by Rev. Hope Waddell.
He said “One cannot remember the last time an anniversary of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria was held in Creek Town. It appears today that Creek Town has been sidelined, if not completely removed from the scheme of things in Presbyterian Church”
“Everybody runs away from Creek Town as though from plague. Today, Creek Town waters scare ministers away. The General Office of the Presbyterian Church left Creek Town and is in Aba. I wonder what it is doing there. Neither Rev. Hope Waddell, nor Rev. Goldie nor Anderson mentioned Aba in their texts as contributing, in any way, to the planting, nurturing, growth or development of the Calabar Mission”
The UNICAL Dons further said “The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria does not have a ship, a small Steamer, a ferry to transport people day-in day-out to and from Creek Town? They are not interested, after 175 years, to have a library of their own, yet, they are people of the book”
“Since the formation of the General Assembly as the highest court of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria in 1987, not a single Calabar son has been found suitable to mount the exalted throne”
Earlier, the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V. the treaty king and the natural ruler of Efik Kingdom commended the PCN on the 175 years and thanked PCN for working together in accordance with the principle in which the church was founded and structured.
The Prelate His Eminence Most Rev. Nzie Nsi Eke explained that the Church organization principles were structured and free from politics. Our correspondent reports that the 175 years anniversary celebration ends Saturday 10.