By Our Reporter
It was a gathering of who is who at the Christian Central Chapel Int’l, aka Faith Mansion World Centre in 8 miles, Calabar on Saturday, October 26, 2024 as the political class, Christian and traditional leaders and indeed unprecedented crowd of worshippers flooded the Church to witness the elevation of the then Bishop Dr Emmah Gospel Isong to Archbishop.
Our Correspondent, who witnessed the epochal ceremonies, reported that besides the elevation, Archbishop Isong also used the occasion to celebrate his 60th birthday, 40 years of service in God’s vineyard, 35-year marriage, and 15 years of Bishopric consecration, all encapsulated in what the celebrant referred to as the “5 Star Celebration.’
Governors Bassey Otu of Cross River and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, National and State Assemblies members and other government officials from the two States, prominent clergymen like Archbishop Joseph Alexander from United States, traditional rulers like the Obong of Calabar and a mammoth crowd of Christians, Muslims and indeed all those the Arcbishop had impacted one way or the other, graced the occasion.
Those who were privileged to speak at the occasion said Archbishop Isong, who is the National Publicity Secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, had used his ministry well to touch lives of citizens of not only Cross River and Akwa Ibom states but Nigerians from all walks of life, and therefore prayed God to grant the newly installed Archbishop more years of service to humanity.
Speaking, the excited Governor Otu said he was bringing back the Archbishop to again take charge of the Cross River state Anti-Tax Agency which he previously headed so as to instil discipline and curb excesses of Shylock tax collectors in the State.
“God has used you to bless Cross River State. If it were in the army, Archbishop Emmah could have become a General; if it were to be in politics, you could have become a governor. We are very proud of you. Please, you’ll come back to complete the work you started in Anti-Tax Agency,” Gov Otu, who is nicknamed ‘Sweet Prince,’ stated.
On his part, Governor Eno said Archbishop Isong had made every Akwa Ibom and Cross River person proud with his undiluted commitment to the business of God’s kingdom as well as his exemplary leadership dispositions.
In his brief remarks, Archbishop Isong, called on the Cross River and Akwa Ibom States governments to establish what he referred to as Cross River Akwa Ibom Commission to tackle the intractable challenge between them.
“The dichotomy between States in Nigeria should be bridged. There is nothing absolutely wrong with having an Akwa Cross Commission so that when one State is too poor to help its citizens, another State can support. There are a lot of things the two States can do together for the good of the people if the leaders could come together,” he stated.
The PFN mouthpiece also called on the federal government to ‘industrialize’ the law which grants autonomy to the 774 local government areas in the country in order to drastically reduce hardship.
“The federal govt should turn this new law of local government autonomy to industrial law. The same zeal which the federal government pushed for the autonomy of 774 local government areas in the country, should be applied here, that is the federal government should back up the local government autonomy law with industrial interpretation such that cottage industries are established in all the 774 local government areas.
“Now the Chairmen are as powerful as half a governor. Let it be established in our law books that no local council should operates without a cottage industry. Every local government council must establish an industry according to the raw materials found in such council area.
“If each local government council, according to this law, can establish at least one industry, the employment level at the third tier of government would be higher, and then we will experience what I call urban to rural migration.
“With this, population and social tension in the urban areas will reduce, crimes and hardship will also reduce and then youth involvement will increase,” he stated.
The roll call of prominent Clergymen who graced the elevation ceremony included Archbishop Joseph Alexander from United States, Bishop Dr Francis Wale Oke, Rev Dr Uma Ukpai, Prelate Prof Isaiah Isong, Bishop Dr Fidel Ugbong, Rev Ntia Ntia, Apostle Joshua Talena, amongst many others.
