One of the victims of the recent spate of violence in Calabar
Efio-Ita Nyok|16 October 2016
Beginning from Sunday 9th October when alledged cultists where engaged in a show of strength after a football match at White House by Maple Streets, Calabar, Cross River State capital has known no rest. Besides, the Akparabong people and their neighbouring Bendeghe Ekiem clans are at vicious war over a piece of land. Report has it that an entire farm land in Ikom has been razed down. Back to Calabar, no fewer than six lives have been lost to this recent notorious incident. Three police officers, two suspected cultists and a civil servant detailed on the staffing of the Deputy Governor have gone to the great beyond against their will. Again, about fifteen suspected criminals were apprehended by the state command of the Nigerian Police Force.
The mood in the state capital, Calabar is not as serene and tranquil as it was reputed to be. The scintillating phrase drawn from the acronym CALABAR: Come And Live And Be At Rest, now sends forth a corrupted flavour. Just yester-night, the present author heared repeated sounds of gun fire as they rented thin air. About 10PM or thereabout? He just drew the conclusion that the boys were at it again.
This troubling and unpopular narrative about a once serene and tranquil ancient city has incited thinking minds to rack their brain box asking: What could be responsible for this turn around? Some have cited irresponsibility of government especially this present state administration, others have blamed it on an inept security system as others have pegged it on a failing economy. However, a recent narrative is religion. With regards to the latter, the reader may be thinking of an erosion of values but far from it. You are about to read how Honourable Francis Ekeng intertwines religion and violence in the ancient city of Calabar.
For Hon. Ekeng, the 'new religion' called Christianity is the challenge. He said, Africans who had a form of religious worship before the advent of the White man's has relegated that and ran after Christianity. He argued that Christianity is blindfolding Africa and this has a wider economic, agricultural and security implications as the gods/goddesses are angry. Without putting words into the mouth of Hon. Ekeng, let's hear him out just as he said it. He titles his write up: Why things are not right in our Generation (Juxtaposing God/gods and goddesses). Excerpt:
'Please my good people of Calabar crucify me not if my writing is meaningless to you. I am just thinking aloud, based on the present situation of things in our home town.
'Religion is the belief and worship of a supernatural controlling power,especially a personal God or gods. Before the advent of Christianity, Africans had their own religions and practices as seen in the names given to our children e.g (Ima-obong –God's Love) a reflection of knowledge of a supernatural being but seen to holy to be directly approached except through medium such as the Ancestors.
'An African is not a “harbinger” of bad news but instead decides to “APPEASE”
the gods during difficult times like famine, incessant killings in the land, etc
and even the good times which are related to New yam Festival, thanking the god of agriculture and even the birth of a new born child (fertility).
'Africans have embraced a new religion and turned that of our forefathers as “pagan-worship”. The gods are no longer appeased, there is blood shed quarterly or annually in the land, crop no longer grow and blossom on their own. Even sea gift of nature like fish, snail, crayfish, etc are no longer in our river.
'We shouldn't be carried away by the religion (Christianity) we seem to follow while things get worst by the day. Before we experience more damage we have to go back to our traditional practices and stop being BLINDFOLDED by the “white man” religion. Even the BIBLE says give to ceaser what belong to ceaser and God what belongs to GOD.
'Thank you all for your patience and time. I'm grateful.', he concluded.
Hon. Ekeng wrote beautifully, at least he made his point. Nevertheless, the present author has a reservation against Ekeng's submission. My reservation is not inspired by the fact that Ekeng didn't make a good point, at least every one is entitled to an opinion, but by the fact that Hon. Ekeng seem to leave something out in his message. He blames Christianity or better still blames our neglect of our traditional religion but fails to offer leadership in this regard. What do I mean? The nomenclature 'Francis' that we find in the name 'Francis Ekeng' is unarguably Christian. Isn't it? Implying our perturbed Honourable is still a Christian! That is to say the gods/goddesses are still angry with him. Or, am I wrong?
Methink, our Christian Honourable member should show leadership by getting a new name, say 'Otu, Inyang, Ayi, Asibong, Effiom, Offiong' etc — a demonstration of his renouncing the White man's religion and his avowed embrace of African Traditional Religion (ATR). I don't mean harm, I just want to say, some of us need leadership: who will go first, so that all/some of society follows? Will Hon. Francis Ekeng offer leadership in this regard?
Does the reader think Hon. Ekeng is right to peg palava in society to the neglect of traditional religious practice(s). Isn't our wahala purely scientific?
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is the Publisher & Editor of NegroidHaven.org